Prasad Taksal

Counsel
About

Prasad assists clients in planning, structuring, negotiating and successfully implementing business and ‎commercial transactions, and achieving and maintaining regulatory compliance. Prasad’s practice spans ‎business and commercial law, corporate finance and securities and aviation law.‎

Prasad works with clients engaged in diverse industries and sectors, including air transportation, banking, ‎education, information technology, manufacturing, natural resources, private equity and venture capital. He ‎has represented clients on a broad range of corporate and commercial matters, as well as business ‎transactions such as acquisitions and sales of businesses, share transactions, private equity financings, ‎securities offerings, debt funding, joint ventures and international business ventures. Prasad is highly ‎experienced in advising clients on drafting and negotiating complex contracts, corporate governance ‎matters, intellectual property matters and privacy issues.‎

As a member of the firm’s Aviation Law Practice Group, Prasad represents clients on the purchase, ‎financing, and leasing of aircraft and aircraft engines, and has extensive experience in advising clients on ‎regulatory matters, certification and licencing issues and regulatory compliance matters before Transport ‎Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Prasad is also a member of the firm’s International Risk ‎Management Group.‎

Before joining DLA Piper, Prasad practiced at a top-tier law firm in India in the areas of mergers and ‎acquisitions, private equity investments and corporate and commercial law, and has extensive experience ‎in advising clients in relation to investing and doing business in India.

Prasad is actively involved with the Canadian Bar Association, and is currently the chair of the National Air ‎‎and Space Law Section and an executive officer of the Alberta branch of the Technology and Intellectual ‎‎Property section. In addition to participation in the firm’s pro bono programs, Prasad also volunteers as a ‎‎mentor with the Calgary Region Immigrant Employment Council‎.

Bar admissionsAlberta, 2012India, 2003

EXPERIENCE

  • Advising a US manufacturer and its Canadian subsidiary on a range of matters including regulatory ‎‎compliance, vendor and customer contracts, software licencing arrangements, government ‎procurement ‎matters and international trade matters
  • Represented Onex Corporation in its $5 billion acquisition of WestJet Airlines Ltd. in respect of aviation ‎regulatory matters, debt financing and creation of security package, third party approvals and corporate ‎matters
  • Advising an Alberta corporation on the restructuring its holdings in renewable energy projects and ‎energy management ventures
  • Represented a major commercial lender in credit, equipment finance and commercial mortgage ‎‎transactions with an aggregate value of $30 million, including the provision of credit facilities to a ‎Metis ‎community for land acquisition
  • Advised an investment manager on the formation of a USD 12 million private equity fund in Canada ‎‎focused on investment on investment opportunities in South America
  • Represented a publicly listed oilfield services company in its acquisition of a well intervention business ‎‎‎division and assets
  • Advising several international air carriers on the recently introduced Air Passenger Protection ‎Regulations, including in relation to revising tariffs, terms and conditions of carriage and internal policies ‎and procedures ‎
  • Advising the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology aircraft donations, intellectual property and ‎‎software licensing matters, compliance with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation and privacy legislation, ‎‎commercial real estate transactions and procurement of goods and services
  • Advised the Calgary Board of Education on regulatory issues, compliance monitoring, governance ‎‎matters and procurement matters
  • Advising a major Canadian aircraft lessor in aircraft and engine purchase, sale and leasing transactions ‎and financing matters
Languages
  • English
  • Hindi
  • Marathi
Education
  • Certificate of Qualification, National Committee on Accreditation, Federation of Law Societies of Canada, 2010
  • LL.B., University of Pune, India, 2003
  • B.S.L., University of Pune, India, 2001

Awards

  • The Legal 500 Canada (Transport: Aviation), 2024

Publications

  • Author, "Aviation Law", Legal Industry Reviews, Edition Number 3, October 2023
  • Co-author, "Canadian Chapter in The Aviation Law Review - Editions 1-3", Law Business Research, 2014–‎‎2019‎
  • Co-author, "Canadian Chapter in Getting the Deal Through: Air Transport", Law Business Research, ‎‎2013–2019‎
  • "Credible India: Why India's Sweeping Anti-Corruption Reform is Good for Business", Davis LLP ‎International Risk Management Bulletin (March 2014)‎

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Member, Law Society of Alberta
  • Member, Bar Council of Delhi, India
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Aviation Law Committee, International Bar Association
  • Member, Calgary Bar Association
     

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