John is Vice Chair of Clients and Industries, and head of the Bennett Jones private equity practice. He practises primarily in the area of mergers & acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance, primarily on behalf of US and Canadian financial sponsors and their portfolio companies. Before joining Bennett Jones, John formerly practised as a corporate lawyer with a New York-based law firm, and also was an investment banker focusing on mergers & acquisitions with Merrill Lynch in NY. John is a frequent writer and speaker on matters relating to private equity financings, M&A and valuation, and has served on the board of a number of portfolio companies. John received his BA (summa cum laude) from Northwestern University, his MA with a concentration in international finance from Yale University, and his LLB from the University of Toronto. John is a member of the law societies of Alberta and Ontario, and remains a member in good standing of the New York State Bar. John is also on the board of the Alberta Children’s Hospital and chairs the governance committee.