01
Corporate Structuring
Entity design, shareholder agreements and governance frameworks built to survive growth, investment and succession.
Private practice · Est. 2016JOHN
JOHN
CARTER
Corporate Attorney
“Protecting businesses. Building legacies.”
Twenty-four years advising founders, boards and family enterprises through the decisions that define them — quietly, precisely and with a very short client list.
Founding Partner
Carter & Associates
24YRS
24
Years in practice
$3.1B
Transaction value advised
160+
Boards and founders served
About
Counsel measured in decades, not billable hours.
John Carter founded his practice on a single conviction: that the best legal work is invisible. The agreement that never becomes a dispute. The clause that protects a family three generations from now. The transaction that closes on a Friday afternoon without a headline.
He advises a deliberately small roster of founders, boards and private holding companies — the kind of clients who expect their counsel to answer the phone personally and to know the business as well as they do. Before establishing the practice he led the corporate group at Whitmore Hale and served as senior counsel to a private investment house.
Education
J.D., Columbia Law School
B.A. Economics, McGill University
Admissions
Barreau du Québec · Law Society of Ontario
New York State Bar
Professional experience
A single, uninterrupted line of work.
2016 — Present
Founding Partner
Carter & Associates
Leads a boutique practice advising founders, boards and family offices on complex corporate matters, from formation through exit.
2010 — 2016
Partner, Corporate Group
Whitmore Hale LLP
Built and led the mid-market M&A desk, closing more than ninety transactions across technology, healthcare and industrial sectors.
2005 — 2010
Senior Counsel
Northbridge Capital
In-house counsel to a private investment group, structuring acquisitions, joint ventures and cross-border holdings.
2001 — 2005
Associate
Ellery & Stone
Litigation and commercial contracts, with a focus on shareholder disputes and governance advisory.
Areas of expertise
Six disciplines. One standard.
Each mandate is handled personally, from the first conversation to the final signature.
02
Mergers & Acquisitions
Buy-side and sell-side representation, from letters of intent and diligence through negotiation and closing.
03
Private Capital
Venture rounds, private placements and shareholder liquidity events, structured for clean cap tables and clean exits.
04
Commercial Litigation
High-stakes disputes resolved with discretion — settled quietly where possible, argued decisively where necessary.
05
Board & Governance
Advisory to boards and executive committees on fiduciary duty, conflicts, disclosure and crisis response.
06
Legacy & Succession
Ownership transition planning that protects the enterprise, the family and the reputation behind both.
Featured success stories
Outcomes, described only as far as discretion allows.
Cross-border acquisition
$480M
A three-country carve-out closed in eleven weeks
Advised a founder-led manufacturer on the divestiture of its European division, coordinating counsel in four jurisdictions and preserving the family's controlling stake in the remaining business.
Shareholder dispute
Resolved
A boardroom deadlock ended without a courtroom
Represented the majority holder of a healthcare group through a contested governance dispute, concluding with a negotiated buyout and no public filing.
Growth financing
$92M
Series C structured to protect founder control
Negotiated terms for a software company's growth round, retaining founder board control and a clean option pool through the next two rounds.
Client testimonials
In their words.
John is the person you call before the problem exists. He reads a deal three moves ahead and tells you the truth, even when it costs him the mandate.
Eleanor VanceChief Executive Officer, Vance IndustrialWe interviewed four firms. John was the only one who asked what we wanted the company to look like in twenty years before he discussed the transaction.
Richard BlytheChairman, Blythe Family HoldingsCalm, precise and completely discreet. Our round closed ahead of schedule and our cap table has never been cleaner.
Daniel OkadaFounder, Meridian SystemsAwards & recognition
Recognised by peers, not by advertising.
The practice has never run a campaign. Every distinction below was awarded on the basis of peer review, client reference or published outcomes.
- 2025Corporate Attorney of the YearNational Business Law Review
- 2024Top 50 DealmakersCapital Quarterly
- 2023Lifetime Excellence in GovernanceInstitute of Directors
- 2021Chambers Band 1 — Corporate/M&AChambers & Partners
Publications & media
Selected writing and appearances.
The Financial ReviewFeature interview
“The quiet deal is usually the better deal”
A long-form conversation on discretion, valuation discipline and why the loudest transactions rarely age well.
Harvard Business DigestContributed essay
Governance as a growth asset
Why founder-led companies that formalise governance early raise capital faster and at better terms.
Capital PodcastEpisode 214
Inside a founder-friendly exit
Anatomy of a nine-figure sale, from first approach to signature, told from the counsel's chair.
Global Counsel SummitKeynote
The next era of private ownership
Opening address to eleven hundred delegates on succession, capital and the changing shape of family enterprise.
Frequently asked questions
Before we speak.
How do you typically begin working with a new client?+
Every engagement opens with a private consultation — ninety minutes, no obligation. We discuss the situation, the outcome you want and whether this practice is genuinely the right fit. You leave with a clear view of your options whether or not we work together.
What size of matter do you take on?+
The practice is deliberately small. I accept a limited number of engagements each year so that every client receives senior attention directly, rather than being handed to a junior team.
How are fees structured?+
Most engagements are fixed-fee or retainer based, agreed in writing before work begins. Transactional matters may include a completion component. You will never receive an invoice you did not anticipate.
Do you work with clients outside the region?+
Yes. A significant share of the practice is cross-border, coordinated with trusted counsel in the relevant jurisdictions. Meetings are held in person, by video or wherever the matter requires.
How is confidentiality handled?+
Absolutely and without exception. Client names appear on this site only with written permission, and most engagements are never referenced publicly at all.
Contact
Schedule a private consultation.
Ninety minutes, in complete confidence, with no obligation. Share a short outline of the matter and you will receive a reply personally within one business day.
Office
1200 Avenue McGill College, Suite 2400 · Montréal, QC
Direct
+1 (514) 555-0184
office@johncarter.law
Consultations
Monday to Thursday · 9:00 – 17:00