Mark Firman, Toronto

About Mark

Mark’s practice focuses on pension and benefit fund governance, pension fund investments, the taxation of equity awards and other long-term incentives, and pensions and benefits in mergers and acquisitions. His extensive experience includes advising on pension plan conversions and asset transfers, de-risking strategies, supplemental and international pension plans, compensation-related corporate disclosure obligations and the administration of pension and trust funds.

Clients value Mark’s practical, business-focused approach, which is informed by his previous experience as in-house counsel at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, Canada’s largest single-occupation pension fund.

Select Experience

Mark has advised on a wide range of matters, including for:

An international private equity firm in financing for a significant Canadian take-private transaction in the aerospace sector
A global technology and transportation company on the acquisition of a vehicle upfitting solutions manufacturer
Various private equity firms and corporations across industries — including healthcare, energy, logistics, technology, manufacturing and finance — in mergers, acquisitions and investments

Professional Activities

Mark recently served as editor-in-chief of Canada’s leading pensions and benefits case law reporter, Canadian Cases on Pensions and Benefits. He regularly teaches at the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and contributes to Taxation of Executive Compensation and Retirement, a journal that he previously edited.

Mark has lectured at the University of Toronto, Queen’s University and Osgoode Hall Law School. He previously served as Secretary of the International Pension & Employee Benefits Lawyers Association (IPEBLA) in the Netherlands and Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s Pension and Benefits Law Section.

He is an active member of the Association of Canadian Pension Management, IPEBLA, the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Pension & Benefits Section of both the Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association.

Professional Appearances

Instructor : Foundations of Trust Management Standards – Legal
70th Annual Employee Benefits Conference, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, San Antonio, Texas, November 2024.
Speaker : Canada Legal and Legislative Update
43rd Annual ISCEBS Employee Benefits Symposium, International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists, Nashville, Tennessee, September 15, 2024.
Instructor : Navigating Québec’s Business Environment: Pensions and Benefits Landscape
Certificate in Canadian Benefit Plans, International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Toronto, Ontario, August 2024.
Instructor : Introduction to Fiduciary Responsibility in Canada; Advanced Fiduciary Responsibility
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 2024.
Co-speaker : Pension Plan Administration in the Current Economic Environment
Canadian Bar Association, Virtual, June 14, 2023.
Instructor : Advanced Trust Management Standards – Legal
International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, Québec City, Quebec, September 2022.