Philipp Knoll, Toronto

About Philipp

Philipp's practice covers all aspects of pensions, employee benefits and executive compensation law, including plan administration, governance, investment, design and taxation. He also advises on the pensions and employee benefits aspects of corporate transactions.

Philipp provides legal services to both public and private sector plan sponsors and administrators.

Prior to joining Blakes, Philipp spent several years at a top-tier law firm in Germany and the U.K., where he advised multinational employers on a variety of pension, benefits and employment matters.

Select Experience

Recent representative matters include advising:

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. on its acquisition of Stelco Holdings Inc., a transaction representing an enterprise value of approximately C$3.4-billion
Advent International Corporation on its US$6.3-billion acquisition of Nuvei Corporation, a Canadian fintech payment platform
Royal Bank of Canada on its C$13.5-billion acquisition of HSBC Bank of Canada
AstraZeneca Inc. on its US$2.4-billion acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals
Bell on the sale of Northwestel to Sixty North Unity
Bell on its C$410-million acquisition of Outfront Media Inc.'s Canadian business
A multinational pharmaceutical company on the sale of its global consumer-health business for €3.4-billion
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company on the operational integration of Celgene Corporation and the harmonization of pension plans

Professional Appearances

Co-speaker : Regulatory and Case Law Update
Key Topics and Developments in the Pensions and Benefits Sector: Spring 2025 Edition, Blakes Business Class, May 7, 2025.
Co-speaker : Navigating Legal Waters: Strategies for Pension Surplus Management and Compliance
Key Topics and Developments in the Pensions and Benefits Sector, Blakes Business Class, November 19, 2024.
Co-speaker : Navigating Executive Compensation Issues in M&A: A Case Study
Blakes Business Class, September 17, 2024.
Co-speaker : Regulatory Round-Up and Case Law Update — 2024 in review
CPBI Forum, September 10, 2024.
Co-speaker : Balancing Innovation and Risk: Harnessing AI in Pension Plan Administration
Key Topics and Developments in the Pensions and Benefits Sector, Blakes Business Class, May 14, 2024.
Co-speaker : Federal Budget 2023: Additional Benefits-Related Tax Measures
Recent Developments in Pensions and Employee Benefits Law, Blakes Business Class Seminar, May 17, 2023.
Co-speaker : Pensions Webinar Series: ESG Evolving Requirements for Canadian Pension Plans and an Update on Pension and Benefits Issues in Quebec
Blakes Business Class, December 14, 2022.
Co-speaker : Pensions Webinar Series: Key Topics and Developments in the Pensions and Benefits Sector
Blakes Business Class, June 9, 2022.