Lexpert magazine features articles and columns on developments in legal practice management, deals and lawsuits of interest in Canada, the law and business issues of interest to legal professionals and businesses that purchase legal services.
Issue link: https://digital.carswellmedia.com/i/1534265
22 www.lexpert.ca Canadian Law Awards Canadian Law Awards RESILIENCE DEFINES success in deal- making. In 2024, Canada's M&A land- scape faced economic headwinds, yet dealmakers adapted to challenges with strategic innovation. Interest rate fluctua- tions, inflationary pressures, and regulato- ry scrutiny created hurdles, but the market remained active. With 952 transactions totalling $72 billion in the first half of the year alone, cautious optimism persisted de- spite ongoing uncertainty. Some analysts warned that economic in- stability, tighter credit markets, and geopo- litical tensions could stall dealmaking. Rising borrowing costs and valuation gaps between buyers and sellers further complicated nego- tiations, making some transactions harder to finalize. e looming impact of potential US tariffs added another layer of complexity, with concerns over cross-border deal flow. Despite these challenges, Canada's econo- my demonstrated resilience, achieving a GDP growth of 1.5 percent in 2024. ough mod- est, this expansion surpassed earlier forecasts. Dealmakers adjusted by employing creative deal structures, utilizing alternative financing sources, and streamlining portfolios to un- LEXPERT'S 2025 AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE FOR TOP DEALS THESE 22 DEALS, SUMMARIZED BY KIEZZSA CRUZ AND MA. CARLEEN BONGAT, AND SELECTED BY LEXPERT'S EDITORIAL AND RESEARCH TEAMS, SHOW HOW LAW FIRMS AND BUSINESSES REMAINED ACTIVE AMID ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY lock new opportunities. ese strategic shi s helped sustain deal activity amid an unpre- dictable financial climate. Canada continues to offer attractive assets and skilled dealmakers. ose recognized as Excellence Awardees exemplify the industry's ability to thrive despite economic and regu- latory complexities. eir success highlights how innovation and adaptability drive the nation's M&A market forward. is year, Lexpert has named 22 deals in five categories (capital markets, infrastruc- ture and project financing, insolvency and restructuring, mid-market deals, and M&A deal of the year) as Excellence Awardees, picked from dozens of submissions sent by legal professionals across Canada. e next step is for the shortlisted Excellence Awardee deals to go to a panel of judges to choose a final winner in each cat- egory. We will then honour our Excellence Awardees and announce a winner in each deal category (along with our awards for non-deal categories) at an in-person gala on May 7 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Here are this year's Excellence Awardees. Good luck to all. Coming up with this year's Excellence Awardees involved a rigorous, expert-informed pro- cess. The Canadian Law Awards edi- torial and research teams reviewed all the submissions and consulted third-party information to identify each category's standouts. A large, indepen- dent external judging panel will judge these shortlisted submissions, scoring them against the following criteria: the financial value of the deal; the degree to which it advanced legal and finan- cial techniques and structures; how it spanned jurisdictions, practice areas, and industries; and whether the deal involved groundbreaking original legal strategies and structures. Through an aggregation of the judges' scoring, a process independently verified through an audit by PwC, a final winner will be chosen from each category. Winners will be announced during an in-person event set for May 7. Visit lawawards.ca for more information about the gala event.