VANCOUVER – July 7, 2026 – International law firm Cozen O’Connor today announced experienced corporate and securities lawyer Ashley Ainsley has joined its international Corporate Practice as counsel. Ainsley brings more than a decade of international legal experience to the firm, including five years as a senior listings manager at Canada’s TSX Venture Exchange, where she provided definitive regulatory guidance to enterprise-level clients on a range of listing applications, IPOs, RTOs, and complex public M&A transactions. She will be resident in Cozen O’Connor LLP’s Vancouver office.
As a senior listings manager at the TSX Venture Exchange, Ainsley spent the past five years working with public and listed companies and their advisers to assess their listing applications and transaction proposals to ensure securities law and exchange policy compliance. Prior to that, Ainsley worked at several major international law firms, regularly representing and counseling global issuers and underwriters on business-critical public and private securities offerings.
“The TSX Venture Exchange serves as a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies, primarily those with smaller market capitalizations that do not meet the requirements of larger exchanges, like the Toronto Stock Exchange,” said Larry P. Laubach, co-chair of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. “Ashley’s background — her ability to provide high-level guidance on exchange policies and positions of interpretation — will help our clients secure the financial resources needed to move their business forward. She’s a solid addition to our team, and I’m thrilled to welcome her aboard.”
In her new role, Ainsley will serve as a strategic adviser on exchange filings and the end-to-end "go public" process. She will provide high-level counsel to clients navigating complex exchange policies, structure public transactions from a regulatory perspective, and advise on sophisticated corporate and commercial matters. Additionally, she will serve as a technical resource within the practice group to help streamline compliance and filing strategies for the firm’s broader client base.
“Many of our clients in Western Canada are mining entities that go to the exchange seeking capital to advance their exploration, development, and product pipelines,” said Kathy Tang, office managing partner in Vancouver and a member of the firm’s Corporate Practice. “Over the past decade, Ashley has cultivated strong and ongoing professional relationships with a diverse range of important international capital markets stakeholders. That makes her a valuable legal resource for both the firm and our clients. I’m very happy to welcome her to the Vancouver office.”
Earlier in her career, Ainsley worked at several London-based law firms, advising UK and international investment fund managers on complex legal, tax, and regulatory issues affecting the establishment and operation of investment funds. Upon moving to Canada, she joined a major Vancouver-based law firm and worked with a team of capital markets/finance attorneys who have since moved to Cozen O’Connor LLP, including Rory Godinho, Tang, Lucy Schilling, and Brian Fast.
“I am thrilled to join Cozen O’Connor and reunite with many of my exceptional former colleagues,” Ainsley said. “At the exchange and in private practice, I’ve had the pleasure of advising and/or representing numerous up-and-coming enterprises from a range of global industries, and I know firsthand the complexities companies face when navigating the public markets. Now, with the legal resources of a major full-service firm behind me, I am eager to apply this unique insider perspective to bring strategic value to companies seeking a public listing.”
Ainsley earned her Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, a Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Law in London (UK), and a Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP University, also in London. She earned her B.A. in criminal justice and public policy, with minors in political science and philosophy, at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
About Cozen O’Connor LLP
Cozen O’Connor LLP, the Canadian affiliate of Cozen O’Connor, provides exceptional legal services across capital markets and securities, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital, commercial litigation, bankruptcy and restructuring, real estate, family law, and private client services. Together, the two firms offer clients access to more than 1,000 lawyers across 35 offices. With offices in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal, and supported by multi-disciplinary teams, Cozen O’Connor LLP delivers trusted counsel with seamless cross-border collaboration.
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