Dan Steiner’s practice is a combination of mergers and acquisitions, private financings and corporate/commercial work.
Starting out at the bottom pushing a mail cart for a Toronto law firm, he has established a reputation as a “go to” lawyer in Vancouver for private-equity transactions and Canada-U.S. deals given his experience at a New York M&A firm and his call to the New York bar.
Since moving here in 2002, Steiner has been involved in several major deals, including leading the Canadian legal team for the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan in its acquisition of four container terminals for $2.4 billion.
Among the other transactions for which he was called for Canadian advice was the OTPP’s acquisition of an interest in a Birmingham, U.K., airport along with Victorian Funds for $918 million.
U.S. private-equity funds, managing in excess of a billion dollars, have contacted Steiner for advice on establishing new funds.
Steiner seeks opportunities that arise from new markets.
When U.S. alternative lenders eyed Canada, he became one of Accredited Home Lenders’ lead Canadian lawyers.
With the rise of fuel cells, he learned about the industry and became Methanex Corp.’s lawyer for fuel cell deals.
Obtaining his LLB degree with distinction from McGill University, Steiner also volunteers extensively.
Associates often seek his advice on how to develop business and how to juggle family and work as Steiner has been a single father of two young children since his wife died in 2005.
“Because of technology, I can log in from home in the evenings, so I can generally be at home for dinner, bedtime stories and all of that,” said Steiner. “In reality, what I’ve come to start doing over the last few years is I don’t use the out-of-office notification on my e-mail or my voice mail anymore, because you’re not truly out of the office these days, for better or for worse.” •
