Dr. Howard E. Johnson, DBA, FCPA, FCA, FCMA, FCBV, CPA, CFA, ASA, CF, C.Dir. is a Managing Director and head of the Canadian M&A Advisory practice at Kroll. He has been advising business owners and executives on acquisitions, divestitures, financing, and shareholder value matters for 30 years. Howard is the author of several books on valuation and corporate finance. He is also a past recipient of FEI’s Frank Capon Award.
CUSMA still intact? New Tariffs? Emerging geopolitical tensions? Who knows where things will stand on May 27th, 2026! But our panel of experts will fearlessly delve into these and other issues in terms of how they’re impacting mergers and acquisitions in real time. They’ll address topics such as how buyers are assessing target companies and using acquisitions to reduce risk through geographic expansion and diversification. From a sell-side perspective, they’ll discuss what would-be sellers of private companies are doing to position themselves to be an attractive acquisition target. Transaction structuring in the face of uncertainty will also be addressed. Finally, we’ll hear from legal counsel on how key provisions in purchase and sale agreements can be used to get deals over the finish line.
Garrett Hamel is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Ottawa office with a practice that focuses primarily on private mid-market M&A (both buy-side and sell-side) and corporate finance. He also regularly works with entrepreneurs and investors across the startup and venture capital ecosystems. Garrett and his team routinely advise Canadian and international clients on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, foreign investments, corporate restructurings, and general corporate and commercial issues. Garrett’s transaction experience spans a diverse range of industries, including software, technology, media, telecom, transportation, medical and health products, manufacturing, construction, professional services and consumer products. His approach blends strong technical skills with a pragmatic approach and sound business judgment to help his clients meet their objectives and get deals done.
CUSMA still intact? New Tariffs? Emerging geopolitical tensions? Who knows where things will stand on May 27th, 2026! But our panel of experts will fearlessly delve into these and other issues in terms of how they’re impacting mergers and acquisitions in real time. They’ll address topics such as how buyers are assessing target companies and using acquisitions to reduce risk through geographic expansion and diversification. From a sell-side perspective, they’ll discuss what would-be sellers of private companies are doing to position themselves to be an attractive acquisition target. Transaction structuring in the face of uncertainty will also be addressed. Finally, we’ll hear from legal counsel on how key provisions in purchase and sale agreements can be used to get deals over the finish line.
CUSMA still intact? New Tariffs? Emerging geopolitical tensions? Who knows where things will stand on May 27th, 2026! But our panel of experts will fearlessly delve into these and other issues in terms of how they’re impacting mergers and acquisitions in real time. They’ll address topics such as how buyers are assessing target companies and using acquisitions to reduce risk through geographic expansion and diversification. From a sell-side perspective, they’ll discuss what would-be sellers of private companies are doing to position themselves to be an attractive acquisition target. Transaction structuring in the face of uncertainty will also be addressed. Finally, we’ll hear from legal counsel on how key provisions in purchase and sale agreements can be used to get deals over the finish line.
