Overview
Michael Caruso is a partner based in Toronto practicing corporate and business law, with a focus on cross-border M&A, private equity, corporate finance, diligence insurance, venture capital and other complex transactions. He is highly regarded for his legal and business acumen in Canada and the United States.
Michael’s practice covers a wide range of industries (including financial services, and technology and innovation, gaming, and cannabis) and he serves various clients including leading Canadian, US, and foreign public, private, and multinational companies, banks, underwriters and private equity firms. He also has extensive experience in a variety of corporate finance and commercial matters, including private offerings, restructurings, reorganizations, joint ventures, debt and equity financings, corporate governance matters, and technology collaboration and licensing matters.
Michael is recognized as a leading practitioner in Canada, and is a regular speaker on corporate and M&A transaction insurance topics.
Michael has served in a number of senior leadership and management roles throughout his career, and has previously served on boards of directors for public, private and not-for-profit entities.
Professional achievements & leadership
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Mergers & Acquisitions, 2021-2022; Corporate Commercial Law, 2022
- Quoted – Lexpert Magazine (Shedding Light on the PE Field), September 2018
- Noted – Legal 500 (Technology), April 2017
- Canadian Legal Lexpert Magazine – Private Equity: On the Cover, April 2015; Corporate Commercial Law, 2020
Notable matters
- Acted for large U.S. banks in connection with their acquisition and disposition of securities in Canadian based companies
- Acted for a large U.S. bank in connection with their disposition of a business division in Canada
- Acted for a large U.S. bank corporate private equity group in connection with various acquisitions and add-on transactions in Canada
- Acted for a large U.S. bank in its formation of an equipment financing business in Canada
- Acted for a Canadian bank in its acquisition of a financing business
- Acted for global insurance companies with respect to the issuance of M&A insurance policies
- Acted for Summer Street Capital Partners with the divestiture of its interest in Belmont Meats
- Acted for an emerging AI technology company in the publication and social media industry, with respect to successive issuance of securities
- Acted for an emerging e-commerce technology company in the consumer retail sector, with respect to successive issuance of securities and collaboration and commercialization mandates
Corporate directorships
- Past Director – Independent Living Residences for the Deaf/Blind (Ontario)
Professional memberships
- Canadian Bar Association
- Law Society of Ontario
Bar admissions & education
- Ontario Bar, 1993
- LL.M. (Taxation), Osgoode Hall Law School, 1997
- LL.B., University of Windsor, 1991
- B.A., York University, 1988
