Andre G. Poles

For more than 20 years, Andre Poles has focused his practice on corporate governance and corporate finance for public and private companies.  He has helped issuer and financial services clients work through the legal and compliance challenges that come with accessing Canadian capital markets. That includes public offerings, private placements, and the day-to-day questions that arise for Issuers and Canadian and foreign registrants operating here. He also advises fund managers, investment advisers, and distributors on mutual funds, exempt pooled funds, structured products, hedge funds, and other investment vehicles.

What sets Andre apart is his time on the client side. Before returning to private practice, he served as general counsel and chief compliance officer at Canadian wealth management firms and held senior roles at global bulge bracket financial services firms. He knows the pressures clients face — and that shapes how he practices law: practical, direct, and focused on what businesses are actually trying to achieve.

Andre also has a long history of military service, first joining the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve in 1984 with the 48th Highlanders of Canada — one of the Canadian Army’s most storied infantry regiments. His service also included time with the Ontario Regiment and the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment. He held command appointments with each regiment starting as a Platoon commander and subsequently serving as Adjutant, Operations Officer, Rifle Company Commander, Armoured Recce Squadron Commander, Combat Service Support Company Commander, Deputy Commanding Officer and Acting Commanding Officer before retiring in 2024 as Regimental Major. He is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College and has completed both the Canadian Securities Course and the Partners, Directors’ & Officers’ Course through the Canadian Securities Institute. Additionally, Andre serves as a director of three Canadian charitable foundations.

• Co-led a bought deal offering for a manufacturer of high-volume graphene powder, raising $46,000,000 in aggregate gross proceeds alongside a syndicate of underwriters, acting as joint book runners for a wealth management and capital markets firm.
• Advised a syndicate of securities dealers, led by a capital market company, in successfully closing a private placement of subscription receipts, generating $5,000,000 in gross proceeds.
• Led a public offering as sole book runner for a global manufacturer of compact MRI and spectroscopy products, representing a top-tier wealth management company.
• Provided legal counsel to the sole agent and book-runner in a marketed public offering, overseeing the full exercise of the over-allotment option.
• Acted as lead agent and book-runner for a restaurant acquisition and private placement offering of subscription receipts, including common share and convertible debenture subscription receipts, on behalf of a wealth management and capital markets firm.

• Co-Author, “New CSA Access Model: Key Considerations for Reporting Issuers,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, August 2026
• Co-Author, “Defence Innovation Meets Global Capital: Key Insights for Startups and Investors,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, June 2026
• Co-Author, “Lundin Mining v. Markowich: How the Supreme Court Is Shaping Disclosure Practices,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, April 2026
• Co-Author, “CSA Proposes Semi-Annual Financial Reporting Pilot for Eligible Venture Issuers,” Dickinson Wright Canada Blog, December 2025
• Co-Author, “Dissent Rights and Shareholder Agreements – New Ruling Provides Guidance,” Cross-Border & Canadian Business Blog, February 2024
• Co-Author, “Dealing with Your Obligations to Clients During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, April 2020
• Co-Author, “Temporary Exemptive Relief from Certain Securities Regulatory Filing Requirements during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” Dickinson Wright Client Alert, March 2020