Biography: Private funds

Nicholas Dietrich is a partner in Gowlings' Toronto office, practising in corporate and commercial law, with extensive exposure to mergers and acquisitions, finance and private equity/venture capital investment.

His most recent mergers and acquisitions work for financial and strategic buyers has included targets in the financial services, distribution, pharmaceutical, industrial manufacturing, regulated utility, infrastructure, and internet technology industries.

He has acted on behalf of LPs/GPs in Canada, the US, Europe and Latin America in the formation of over 200 private equity and hedge funds. He acts regularly for foreign funds in the narrower area of 'Canadianisation' of subscription agreements, private placement memoranda and compliance with local securities laws.

Nicholas has been on the advisory board for the CCH Ontario Corporations Law Guide since 1997 and has contributed to the chapter on financial disclosure. He was recently named the most highly nominated lawyer in Who's Who Legal: Canada's private funds chapter and is highly regarded by peers, with one source stating he is "the go-to guy in Canada".

Nicholas has held several roles with the Canadian Bar Association in Ontario (CBAO). He has served as chair of its public legal education committee, chair of Law Day for the province of Ontario, coordinator of CBAO's province-wide Mock Trial Tournament, and member of its communications committee, provincial legislature network and Ontario and national councils. He is also a past member of the standing committee on corporate law, which consists of practitioners advising the provincial government on changes to corporate law in Ontario. Nicholas has also served as co-chair of Public Legal Education and Information Ontario, a network of approximately 30 province-wide public and private organisations involved in public legal education and information in the province.

In 1999 and 2000, Nicholas, with other firm members, made written submissions to the Ontario Securities Commission on proposed rule 61-501 (insider bids, issuer bids, going private transactions and related party transactions), on proposed rule 56-501 (restricted shares), and on the issues list of the securities review advisory committee conducting the five-year review of securities legislation in Ontario.

Nicholas has been listed as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Who's Who Legal: Canada, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook, the International Financial Law Review's Guide to the World's Leading Private Equity Lawyers and Guide to the World's Leading Investment Fund Lawyers, PLC Cross-border Private Equity, The Lexpert/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada and Leading US/Canada Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada.

Biography: Mergers and Acquisitions

Nicholas Dietrich is a partner in Gowlings' Toronto office, practising in corporate and commercial law, with extensive exposure to mergers and acquisitions, finance and private equity/venture capital investment.

His most recent mergers and acquisitions work for financial and strategic buyers has included targets in the financial services, distribution, pharmaceutical, industrial manufacturing, regulated utility, infrastructure and internet technology industries.

He has acted on behalf of LPs/GPs in Canada, the US, Europe and Latin America in the formation of over 200 private equity and hedge funds. He acts regularly for foreign funds in the narrower area of 'Canadianisation' of subscription agreements, private placement memoranda and compliance with local securities laws.

Nicholas has held several roles with the Canadian Bar Association in Ontario (CBAO). He has served as chairman of its public legal education committee, chairman of law day for the province of Ontario, coordinator of CBAO's province-wide mock trial tournament, a member of the communications committee, a member of CBAO's provincial legislature network and a member of Ontario and national council. He has also been a past member of the standing committee on corporate law, which consists of practitioners advising the provincial government on changes to corporate law in Ontario. Nicholas has also served as co-chairman of Public Legal Education and Information Ontario, a network of approximately 30 province-wide public and private organisations involved in public legal education and information in the province.