Overview
Barry Cleaver has close to 40 years of business law experience acting for owner-managed businesses as well as national and multi-national enterprises. Barry has assisted companies from start-up to IPO, providing cost effective and practical advice in a timely fashion.
A large part of Barry’s practice involves cross-border transactions and as the former Chair of the Asia group with another firm Barry has had the opportunity to advise on numerous international transactions across many industries including technology companies, real estate development and brick and mortar businesses.
Barry provides advice and assistance in the following areas:
- Mergers and acquisitions: providing timely and practical assistance for local and cross-border transactions.
- Corporate reorganizations: working with clients’ other professional advisors on a wide variety of reorganizations.
- Foreign “start-ups”: assisting foreign clients expand their businesses in Canada.
- Owner-managed businesses: working closely with the business owners to provide assistance with the broad range of issues owner-managed business deal with on an ongoing basis.
- Real Estate Transactions: assists with purchases, sales and financings.
Notable matters
- Assisted with the acquisition of a Canadian robotics company on behalf a public company
- Acted for the purchaser on the $56M cross-border acquisition of technology company
- Acted as lead Canadian counsel on a $1B going private transaction
- Acted for purchasers on 2 acquisitions of public companies through Plans of Arrangement
- Acted on the acquisition of a variety of golf courses
- Have provided assistance with Canadian companies expanding into China
Thought leadership
- Co-authored Handbook Exploring the Legal Context for Information Policy in Canada (prepared for use at the National Summit on Information Policy)
- Mentor-Western Law Business Law Clinic
- Provided guest lectures at Western Law School
- Lectured at Continuing Education Seminars
Community involvement
- Executive VP London Chamber of Commerce
- Board of Directors London Chamber of Commerce
- One of the initial members of the Chamber Global Business Opportunities Committee
- Member of the London Club
- Member of the London Hunt Club
- Former President of the London Junior Knights
- Coached numerous minor hockey and baseball teams
- Organized numerous charity golf tournaments for Childhood Cancer Research Association
Professional memberships
- Member of Law Society of Ontario
- Member Middlesex Bar Association
- Member Ontario Bar Association
- Member London Chamber of Commerce
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario Bar, 1979
- LL.B., Western University, 1977
