
TORONTO, March 25, 2025 – Kingsdale Advisors, North America’s trusted strategic shareholder and governance advisory firm for 22 years, has advised on three successful mergers & acquisitions (M&A) that closed in Q1 2025. The cumulative value of these transactions exceeds CA$7.1 billion. The firm’s expertise in navigating shareholder engagement, corporate governance frameworks, and complex transaction structures proved instrumental in securing shareholder approval and subsequent closings for the firm’s clients.
“These M&A transactions are a testament to Kingsdale’s reputation as the go-to strategic advisor for the most complex and high-stakes deals,” said Wes Hall, Founder and CEO of Kingsdale Advisors. “Our ability to provide consistent strategic, hands-on support at every stage of a transaction – whether engaging shareholders, crafting the right narrative, or navigating corporate governance hurdles – continues to set us apart.”
Each transaction presented unique challenges. Two were cross-border deals spanning Canada and the United States. One transaction required approvals from multiple stakeholder groups, including Common Shareholders, Preferred Shareholders, and Limited Recourse Capital Note Holders. Another saw Kingsdale drive a 30% increase in shareholder participation to counter a “Vote No” campaign led by the target company’s largest shareholder.
The three transactions are:
- BANKING: Canadian Western Bank acquisition by National Bank of Canada
- METALS & MINING: Gatos Silver, Inc. merger with First Majestic Silver Corp.
- FINTECH: Payfare Inc. acquisition by Fiserv, Inc.
One of the transactions saw Kingsdale’s strategic advisory services retained by both the target and acquirer – an endorsement of the firm’s ability to support both sides of transaction approval while maintaining alignment between clients.
Across all three transactions, Kingsdale worked closely with financial and legal advisors, providing clients with deep insights into shareholder sentiment, risk mitigation strategies, and tailored engagement to drive shareholder approval.
Kingsdale’s unparalleled track record of delivering successful outcomes reinforces its position as the trusted leader in shareholder and governance advisory. With a proactive approach, Kingsdale ensures clients are not only ready to successfully engage shareholders but navigate and succeed in times of market uncertainty.
About Kingsdale Advisors
With offices in Toronto, Calgary and New York, Kingsdale Advisors is the leading advisor to public companies on all shareholder, governance, and transaction-related matters, having acted on the largest and highest profile proxy fights, transactions, and other special situations. For 22 years, public companies across North America have looked to the expertise of Kingsdale Advisors to secure the success of transactions or resolutions driven by shareholder votes. Trusted by business leaders for over two decades, Kingsdale Advisors boasts a multidisciplinary team offering an array of specialized services focused on strategic and defensive advisory, governance advisory, compensation advisory, strategic communications, and voting analytics.

Latest Insights
Kingsdale Memo: COVID-19 & Shareholders - What You Need to Know
Kingsdale releases a checklist of questions designed to help public companies prepare for and mitigate the evolving challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent market turmoil.
Kingsdale Advisors Unveils The New Abnormal: How 2020 Has Changed the Future of Corporate Governance
The New Abnormal examines the effects of COVID-19, social justice reform and other unexpected developments upon businesses and governance practices and how to best prepare for success in 2021.
Kingsdale Memo: Director-Shareholder Engagement While Maintaining Social Distancing
As social distancing becomes the 'new normal', at least for the forseeable future, Kingsdale offers insights and recommendations about keeping engaged with your shareholders.

When The Stakes Are Highest, Business Leaders Choose Kingsdale
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
* Source: Bloomberg Global Shareholder Activism League Tables FY2025 and LSEG Global Shareholder Activism Review FY2025.
#2025 and 2026 indicate proxy seasons: July 2024 to June 2026.
