Taisha Lewis
Partner – Fasken

Description of field of expertise

I have a broad corporate commercial and securities law practice where I advise companies on a wide range of transactional matters.  Some of my work includes domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, private placements for public and private companies, public offerings such as IPOs, reverse takeovers and other prospectus offerings, and ongoing securities regulatory compliance. I also advise clients on corporate governance matters, such as shareholder arrangements and management fiduciary duties. The clients that I serve operate in a variety of industries, from technology and mining to investment banking and life sciences.

What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?

For those interested in doing corporate commercial or transactional work, I would suggest getting as much hands on experience as you can.  Much of the practice of law is just that – practice. If you are interested in transactional work, the more deals you do, the more familiar you will be with the flow of a transaction, the sooner you will be able to spot any issues, the more valuable your advice will be and the easier it will become overall.  Try to do deals of all types and sizes, and for clients at different stages and in different industries.  Each one will inevitably have its own unique issues that you can learn from and build upon.

It is also important to see a file through from beginning to end as often as you can.  Where possible, see if you can help with the negotiation of the term sheet or letter of intent to understand the considerations that go into structuring a transaction.  Assist with the due diligence stage to better understand the business that is being sold or invested in, and what issues may need to be negotiated among the parties or carved out of the definitive agreement.  Offer to draft parts or all of the definitive agreement to get experience with turning the term sheet into a binding agreement.  Help with the ancillary documents to understand how they work with the definitive agreement and what other purposes they serve in the context of the transaction.  Manage the closing to get familiar with the closing process and what is needed to finalize a transaction.  Each stage of a deal is critical to the success of the transaction, so being well versed in each stage is important.

I would also suggest being proficient in the applicable corporate and/or securities statutes and regulations.  This is important because it is the basis of a corporate law practice and the law can change from time to time.  Refer back to the black letter of the law frequently to confirm your understanding and to ensure that you are applying it correctly on a case-by-case basis.

Lastly, I would suggest staying abreast of the news and events taking place in the industries that your clients operate in, so that you can be in a position to serve them better.  For many clients, their industries can change quickly and they turn to their lawyers to navigate those changes.  Being aware of the current events that are relevant to your clients allows you to provide them with more tailored advice and ultimately provide more value.