Kevin Rusli

Recent significant transactions include acting as counsel to:

Mergers & Acquisitions/Private Equity

• Sheridan Capital Partners on the sale of Canadian Orthodontic Partners, including 69 locations nationally serving more than 30,000 active patients, to Pamlico Capital

• Bartek Ingredients Inc. on its sale to Torquest Partners

• Questrade Wealth Management Inc. on the sale of its fund assets to WisdomTree Canada

• Evolve Funds Group Inc. on the acquisition of fund assets managed by Sphere Investment Management Inc.

• IMCD Group, a Netherlands-based public company, in connection with its acquisition of L.V. Lomas, a private Canadian and US specialty and ingredients distributor

• Bluespire Marketing, an affiliate of High Road Capital Partners, in connection with its acquisition of Ariad Communications

• Borealis Infrastructure and LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services in connection with LifeLabs' acquisition of CML Healthcare Inc.

• KSL Capital in connection with its acquisition of 24 per cent of Whistler-Blackcomb Holdings

• Gilead Sciences, Inc. in connection with its US$500-million acquisition of YM BioSciences Inc.

• H&R REIT on its acquisition of Primaris Retail REIT and subsequent agreement to sell a portfolio of 18 Primaris properties to a consortium led by KingSett Capital

• Nexen Inc. in connection with its acquisition by CNOOC Limited

• BHP Billiton on its offer to acquire Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan

Investment Products & Asset Management

• Advising several Canadian and US ETF sponsors and asset managers, including First Asset Investment Management Inc., CI Investments Inc.,  Horizons ETF Management (Canada) Inc., AGF Investments Inc., Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc., 1832 Asset Management LP, AlphaPro Management Inc., Sphere Investment Management Inc., Questrade Wealth Management Inc., Harvest Portfolios Group Inc., State Street Global Advisors, Rafferty Asset Management LLC., Van Eck Associates Corporation, Evolve Funds Group Inc., Direxion Shares ETF Trust, CIBC Asset Management Inc., Tangerine Investment Management Inc., PIMCO Canada Corp. and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

• Several Canadian asset management firms in connection with the establishment of their alternative investment fund platforms, including BMO Tactic Alternative Funds, AGFiQ Alternative ETFs and Mutual Fund, CI Investments Lawrence Park Alternative Funds, Desjardins Global Asset Management Long Short Equity Market Neutral ETF, Horizons ETFs BetaPro family of levered and inverse Alternative ETFs

• Numerous closed-end and open-end mutual fund sponsors in connection with their continuous offerings covering a wide array of domestic and international asset classes, derivatives, structures and reorganizations

• Lead underwriters and agents in connection with several initial public offerings, re-openings, warrants and rights offerings

Fairness

• Advising numerous investment banks, including Credit Suisse, Jefferies and Moelis, in connection with their roles as financial advisors to acquirors and targets in M&A transactions

• The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2020–2023 (Mutual Funds Law)

• Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2016–2023 (Investment Funds)

• The Legal 500 Canada 2021 (Cannabis Law)
  

• The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2020 (Corporate Finance & Securities)

• Lexpert Rising Stars 2019: Leading Lawyers under 40

• Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers – Independently Rated Lawyers – 2017 and 2020 (As nominated by senior in-house counsel; formerly, Acritas Stars)

Kevin is engaged in the regulatory changes and development of the mutual fund and exchange-traded fund (ETF) industry and currently sits as a member of the Policy Committee and Media and Public Relations Committee of the Canadian ETF Association. Kevin has also been a guest lecturer on the topic of investment funds at the Osgoode Hall Law School LLM Program on international securities regulation.

Kevin is also a member of the Canadian Association of New York, the Investment Funds Institute of Canada, the Canadian ETF Association, Canada's Venture Capital & Private Equity Association and the Association for Corporate Growth.

Kevin has been co-chair of the Blakes United Way Associates Committee, and currently sits as co-chair of the annual Blakes United Way Partners Campaign. Kevin sits on the board of directors of Magicana, a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to the advancement of magic as a performing art. He remains actively involved in various charitable organizations and activities.

• Co-author: Court of Appeal Opens Door to New Common Law Duty of Care for Investment Fund Managers
  Blakes Bulletin on Investment Products & Asset Management, June 8, 2020.

• Quoted: Bitcoin ETF Push Sees Revival With Slew of Canadian Filings
  Article by Olivia Raimonde and Claire Ballentine, Bloomberg, February 6, 2021.