Overview
Michelle Vigod is a partner in a business law group and Co-Chair of the Mergers and Acquisitions Group at Goodmans.
She has a broad transactional practice involving all aspects of corporate and securities law, with a particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and corporate finance. Michelle advises public and private companies on a broad range of domestic and cross-border transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, take-over bids, capital raising, corporate reorganizations and private equity transactions.
In addition to transactional work, Michelle provides ongoing advice to clients on matters relating to continuous disclosure obligations, corporate governance, legislative compliance and general corporate law.
In 2020, Michelle was honoured as one of Lexpert’s Rising Stars: Leading Lawyers Under 40. She has also been recognized as a leading practitioner by The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and corporate finance and securities, Chambers Canada for corporate/commercial, the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A, IFLR1000 for mergers and acquisitions and capital markets: debt and equity, Best Lawyers in Canada for corporate law, leveraged buyouts and private equity law, mergers and acquisitions law, and securities law, and by The Legal 500 Canada for mergers and acquisitions.
Featured Work
Michelle’s recent transactional experience includes representing:
- The Special Committee of the Board of Brookfield Property Partners in its $6.5 billion privatization transaction
- Vertu Capital in connection with its sale of Firmex
- Ceridian in connection with its acquisition of Ideal
- Primo Water Corporation (formerly, Cott Corporation) in its acquisition of Primo Water for US$775 million, and on various matters including acquisitions, public offerings, private placements and other general corporate and securities law matters
- ZMC Capital in connection with its acquisition of Second City
- Brookfield Infrastructure in the sale of its interest in a Chilean transmission business for US$1.3 billion
- Vista Equity Partners in its acquisition of DH Corporation and combination of D+H with its portfolio company, Misys, for $4.8 billion
- Acasta Enterprises Inc. in connection with its qualifying acquisition of Apollo Health and Beauty Care Partnership, JemPak Corporation and Stellwagen Group with a total enterprise value of $1.1 billion
- Highbridge Principal Strategies LLC in connection with its acquisition of a non-controlling equity interest in GFL Environmental Inc. and the reorganization of share capital of GFL Environmental Inc.
- Brookfield Residential Properties Inc. in connection with its going-private transaction by Brookfield Asset Management, debt financings and other general corporate matters
Awards & Recognition
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Chambers Canada Recognized, Corporate/Commercial Ontario 2025
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Best Lawyers in Canada Recognized, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, Securities Law 2025
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The Legal 500 Canada Recommended, Corporate M&A 2024
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Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A Canada's Leading Finance and M&A Lawyers 2024
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The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory Recognized, Corporate Finance & Securities, Mergers & Acquisitions, Private Equity 2024
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Best Lawyers in Canada Recognized, Corporate Law, Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity Law, Securities Law 2024
Credentials
Professional Involvement
Michelle is a member of the firm's technology group and is the co-chair of the firm's Women's Success Committee.
Michelle is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law in the Global Professional Masters of Law Program where she teaches Business Organizations.
Michelle was called to the New York bar in 2009 and to the Ontario bar in 2012. Prior to joining Goodmans, Michelle was a corporate lawyer in the New York office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP.
Credentials
- University of Toronto, J.D., 2008
- McGill University, B.Comm., 2003, with distinction, Strategy and Finance
Professional Affiliations
- Law Society of Ontario
- Canadian Bar Association
- Canadian Women in Private Equity
- Canadian Women in Capital Markets
- American Bar Association
Call to Bar
- 2012 Ontario
- 2009 New York
Insights
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Capital Markets
Proxy advisors update Canadian voting guidelines for 2024, Law360 Canada
Michelle Vigod, Julian Di Bartolomeo and Duncan Lurie published an article in Law360 Canada, part of LexisNexis Canada Inc.Excerpt from "Proxy advisors update Canadian voting guidelines for… -
Capital Markets
ISS and Glass Lewis Update Canadian Proxy Voting Guidelines for 2024
Proxy advisors Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis have updated their respective Canadian Proxy Voting Guidelines for 2024. This year’s updates address a number of pressing issues… -
Capital Markets
2023 Annual Reporting and Proxy Season – Key Areas of Focus
Reporting issuers in Canada are subject to governance standards and continuous disclosure obligations under securities laws and stock exchange rules.From time to time, securities regulators, including… -
Capital Markets
ISS Announces Updates to Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines for 2023
Proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) recently updated its Benchmark Proxy Voting Guidelines, which generally apply to shareholder meetings beginning in 2023 or 2024. The updates… -
Mergers and Acquisitions
The Technology Mergers & Acquisitions Review 2nd Edition - Canada Chapter
Allan Goodman, Michelle Vigod and Jessica Bishop authored the Canada Chapter of The Technology Mergers & Acquisitions Review 2nd Edition.Overview from the Canada Chapter:Deals in the… -
Mergers and Acquisitions
The Technology Mergers & Acquisitions Review 1st Edition - Canada Chapter
Allan Goodman and Michelle Vigod authored the Canada Chapter of The Technology Mergers & Acquisitions Review 1st Edition.Overview from the Canada Chapter: Deals in the technology sector…
News & Events
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Mergers and Acquisitions
Chambers and Partners Once Again Honours Goodmans with Top-Tier Recognition
We are delighted to announce Goodmans LLP continues to receive top-tier recognition from Chambers and Partners in the Chambers Canada 2025 Guide.Recognition from Chambers and Partners is based on… -
100+ Goodmans lawyers recognized in The Best Lawyers in Canada: 2025 Edition
We are delighted to share Goodmans has once again been recognized in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada with 105 lawyers featured across 43 practice areas.Congratulations to Andrew Brodkin… -
Banking and Financial Services
Goodmans Lawyers Recognized in the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024
We are delighted to announce the Lexpert Special Edition: Finance and M&A 2024 once again features Goodmans lawyers among Canada's experts.Congratulations to our 33 featured lawyers:Alan…