Audra Dowless Email & Phone Number

I am an outside general counsel and strategic business partner with Am Law 100 and top-tier law firm experience managing sophisticated corporate matters for private equity (PE) firms and their portfolio companies, private and public companies, and venture capital (VC) firms in multiple industries across all phases (start-up, development, growth, and disposition). I am admitted to practice in New York, Washington DC, and Ontario, and bring a unique blend of experience as a trained US and Canadian attorney, giving me a global perspective for companies looking to expand their operations.➢ US Experience The first 11+ years of my legal career were spent working in New York and DC for two Am Law 100 firms (Goodwin Procter and Schulte Roth & Zabel). These experiences provided me deep M&A expertise and equipped me with the broad legal acumen to assess risk while providing pragmatic commercial advice focused on company growth and exit opportunities.I began at Schulte, handling M&A transactions, commercial, and governance matters for private equity firms, portfolio companies, asset managers, private companies, and nonprofits, across a broad range of industries and sectors. Over an 8-year span, I advanced from a junior associate into a senior associate (operating at junior partner level), where I had the opportunity to serve as outside general counsel to YP and led several of its major deals.Subsequently, I was recruited to Goodwin to strengthen, institutionalize, and grow its private equity practice. I represented PE sponsors, their portfolio companies, and other private companies across a range of industries in a variety of transactions. I also served as an outside general counsel to several private companies, advising on board and shareholder actions, governance matters, management incentive plans, and complex corporate reorganizations. I advanced from counsel to partner in under 2 years, and led recruiting and retention efforts to increase practical training, mentoring, and employee satisfaction. ➢ Canadian ExperienceIn March 2022, I was recruited to Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, one of the “Seven Sisters” law firms in Canada, as a partner, where I currently advise on PE transactions, M&A, and all aspects of corporate and commercial law, including a variety of cross-border transactions. I continue to serve as outside general counsel to corporate clients.Industry Sectors: Software/Technology, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Wellness/Consumer Goods, Climate Technology, Education, Marketing/Communications, Payment Processing

Listed skills include Corporate Law, Corporate Governance, Private Equity, Mergers And Acquisitions, and 1 others.