M&A Skills

Presentations, lecture notes and visual aids delivered at the Federated Press M&A Skills Course held in Toronto on September 12 & 13, 2001.

To purchase, please contact Federated Press.

Course Leader

Robert M. Granatstein Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Rob Granatstein has practised business law in the Toronto Office of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP since 1987 and is currently the managing partner of the firm. His practice focuses on acquisitions and dispositions of businesses, venture capital investments, public-sector requests for proposals and the preparation and negotiation of a broad variety of commercial contracts. Rob received his Bachelor of Arts degree from McGill University in 1977, his common and civil law degrees from McGill University in 1981 and a Masters degree in law from Harvard University in 1986. Prior to joining Blakes, he practised law with major law firms in Toronto and Boston and with a major international bank headquartered in Boston. Rob has published articles and given talks on business acquisitions, requests for proposals and financial services topics.

Co-Lecturers

Andrew D. Pigott Calcap Corporate Finance Limited	Andrew D. Pigott has been with Calcap Corporate Finance Limited since 1994. In that time he has co-ordinated and managed transactions with a total value of more than $200 million. His business experience encompasses investment syndication and banking gained during tenures with Aetna Canada, the CIBC, and Canada Permanent. Andrew is co-author of the third edition of The Purchase & Sale of Privately-Held Businesses. He is a frequent speaker and writer on the subject of private company sales and acquisitions. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario (BA Econ.) and Dalhousie University (MBA).
M. Scott Sinclair Merchant Capital Group Incorporated	Scott Sinclair is a founding partner and Chairman of Merchant Capital Group Incorporated. He practises in all areas of investment banking and merchant banking, including corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, and corporate restructuring. Prior to founding Merchant Capital Group in 1994, Mr. Sinclair worked in corporate financial advisory services with a national accounting firm. In addition to Merchant Capital Group, Mr. Sinclair sits as a director of several private and public companies throughout North America. He is also a member of the Finance and Investment committees of a global investment fund and trust company.
Larry P. Klar Canadian General Capital Limited	Larry Klar is Senior Vice-President at Canadian General Capital Limited, an investment holding company that is focused on private placement equity investments in established companies, typically in partnership with new or existing operating management. Larry concentrates on identifying and evaluating prospective new investment opportunities that are led by dynamic entrepreneurs and have or are poised for market leadership. He is also a director of a number of CGC's investee companies where he is a corporate development resource as they evaluate their alternative growth strategies. Prior to joining CGC, Larry was a senior manager in the Corporate Finance Group of KPMG where he specialized in deal initiation activities, bringing corporate buyers and sellers together in numerous completed transactions. Larry was also involved in a number of divestiture assignments, acquisition searches and merger feasibility studies. He is one of the contributing authors of Valuation of Business – A Practical Guide (3rd edition).
Robert P. Kanee, B.Sc., M.B.A., C.A. Cole & Partners Limited	Robert P. Kanee is Senior Counsel with Cole & Partners, Corporate Business Valuators and Corporate Financial Advisors. He has a B.Sc. from the University of British Columbia (1967), an MBA (Gold Medallist) from the University of Western Ontario, a C.A. from the Ontario Institute (1973) and advanced negotiation and mediation training from the Harvard Law School. Currently, Mr. Kanee is an advisor in M&A and corporate finance transactions regarding privately and publicly held businesses and real estate interests including partnerships and joint ventures, as well as a professional corporate director. For over 10 years, he was the senior executive responsible for acquisitions and divestitures at Abitibi-Consolidated Inc. and its predecessor Abitibi Price Inc. He has held senior financial and general management executive positions in varying industries in both publicly traded and privately held corporations and in a federal Crown Corporation. He is a professional negotiator, who applies and coordinates cross-functional expertise to achieve solutions to complex business and organizational problems. Mr. Kanee has sat on Boards of Directors of several privately held and public companies and several not-for-profit community service organizations and served as Vice-Chairperson of Women's College Hospital. He has participated and led training workshops and seminars in negotiating and principled problem solving and due diligence.
Stephen R. Cole,* FCA, FCBV, ASA Cole & Partners Limited	Stephen Cole is the founding Partner of Cole & Partners. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators, a Senior Member of the American Society of Appraisers and a Full Member of the ADR Institute of Canada, Inc. He serves, or has served, as Director for various private and public companies, charitable and professional organizations, including FARO Technologies, Inc. and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators. He is the former Chairman of Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Mr. Cole is an advisor in M&A and corporate finance transactions regarding privately and publicly held business and real estate interests. He is a qualified expert witness and business valuator and has testified before the Federal Court of Canada (Trial Division), the Supreme Court of Ontario, the Ontario Court (General Division) and other tribunals and panels as an expert witness in business valuation, damage quantification and related matters. Mr. Cole is the business valuations editor of C.A. Magazine and has authored valuation articles for numerous professional journals. He has been a speaker and lecturer for numerous professional organizations, including the University of Toronto, the Canadian Bar Association and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators, Federated Press and the Judicial Institute.
Andrew C. Harington, CA, Cole & Partners Limited	Andrew Harington is a Senior Associate with Cole & Partners. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) and is a Chartered Accountant. He provided financial and business consulting to private and public companies with a national accounting firm for seven years. His areas of expertise include advising corporate clients with respect to mergers and acquisitions, and business and financial restructuring to enhance shareholder value.

* Not featured on the CD.
Biographies are accurate at the time of recording.