Experiences

Asad is an experienced business lawyer having advised a range of companies (i.e., multi-billion dollar global financial institutions to emerging fintech startups) on securities and corporate law matters. During his time as a senior associate (Corporate, Securities Regulatory, Investment Funds & Digital Assets Practice Group) at a leading Canadian law firm, he frequently advised clients on Canadian securities/financial services/derivatives regulatory matters, corporate matters, regulatory audits, investigations and compliance issues.

Prior to joining private practice, Asad spent over five years as counsel to the Ontario Securities Commission (the largest securities regulator in Canada). This included time in the Innovation Office, Compliance and Registrant Regulation, Derivatives and Corporate Finance branches. In these roles, he developed and led policy initiatives in Canada on innovative business models, including the regulatory framework for crypto asset trading platforms, digital asset custodians, digital asset investment funds and initial coin/token offerings.  

Representative Work

• Acted for numerous digital asset issuers, including preparing their offering document (e.g., prospectus) to qualify their initial distribution and their ongoing compliance under securities and derivatives legislation.
• Acted for digital asset custodians in obtaining necessary regulatory approvals to offer services to Canadian registered firms.
• Acted for more than half a dozen crypto asset trading platforms on their restricted dealer and marketplace registration applications.
• Acted for several category of registrants (e.g., portfolio managers, investment fund managers, exempt market dealers, CIRO investment dealers, etc.) on their ongoing obligations under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted as filing counsel for several novel exemptive relief applications under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for a large financial service company in its majority stake of a of a digital asset investment fund manager, including obtaining necessary regulatory approvals under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for large global financial services company in their proposed acquisition of digital asset investment fund managers.
• Acted for a large Canadian financial institution in its acquisition of an investment firm, including obtaining necessary regulatory approvals under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for a digital health company in its $2.9 billion acquisition by a large Canadian telecom, including obtaining necessary regulatory approvals under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for global portfolio managers in obtaining exemptive relief, registration and regulatory approvals under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for numerous high growth and emerging companies in obtaining necessary regulatory approvals under Canadian securities legislation.
• Acted for several market participants on their engagement with securities regulators on compliance/enforcement matters and their reintegration back into the Canadian capital markets.
• Lead OSC Staff reviewer for the first crypto asset trading platform in Canada to be registered under securities legislation.
• Lead OSC Staff reviewer for the first initial coin offering in Canada to receive exemptive relief from the registration and prospectus requirement under securities legislation.
• Lead OSC Staff reviewer for the first private investment fund in Canada that offers investors exposure to various digital assets.
• Lead OSC Staff reviewer for the first digital asset marketplace in Canada to receive exemptive relief from marketplace requirements under securities legislation.
• Principal drafter of several CSA staff notices, including: CSA Staff Notice 21-327 Guidance on the Application of Securities Legislation to Entities Facilitating the Trading of Crypto Assets, CSA Staff Notice 46-308 Securities Law Implications for Offering of Tokens and OSC Staff’s Investigative Report into QuadrigaCX
• Contributing drafter of several CSA staff notices, including: Joint CSA/IIROC Staff Notice 21-402 Proposed Framework for Crypto-Asset Trading Platform, CSA Staff Notice 46-308 Cryptocurrency Offerings, Multilateral Instrument 91-102 Prohibition of Binary Options, Multilateral Instrument 93-101 Derivatives: Business Conduct, Multilateral Instrument 93-102 Derivatives: Registration, National Instrument 94-102 Derivatives: Customer Clearing and Protection of Customer Collateral and Positions
• Advised OSC Enforcement Staff on multiple matters relating to potential breaches of Ontario securities and derivatives laws.

Speaking and Writing

Speaking Engagement

• Chair and Moderator: Growing Convergence of TradFi and DeFi: Alberta Technology Symposium (Calgary, Alberta 2023)
• Chair and Moderator: Crypto Assets and Fraud – Osgoode Hall Law School Investor Protection Clinic Conference (Toronto, Ontario 2022)
• Speaker on securities regulation and digital assets, Portfolio Managers Association of Canada (2023, 2022, and 2021)
• Guest Lecturer on securities and derivatives regulation, Queens Faculty of Law (2025), Osgoode Hall Law School (2023, 2022), University of Toronto, Faculty of Law and Masters of Financial Risk Management (2022, 2018), University of Windsor, Faculty of Law (2021)

Published Work

• Published paper referenced in the the Private Member’s Bill An Act Respect the Encouragement of the Growth of the Cryptoasset Sector, 2021
• OSC Staff Investigative Report of QuadrigaCX, April 14, 2020
• CSA Staff Notice 21-327 Guidance on the Application of Securities Legislation to Entities Facilitating the Trading of Crypto Assets, January 16, 2020
• Joint CSA/IIROC Consultation Paper 21-402 Proposed Regulatory Framework for Crypto-Asset Trading Platforms, March 14, 2019
• CSA Staff Notice 46-308 Securities Law Implications for Offering of Tokens,June 11, 2018
• Multilateral Instrument 91-102 Prohibition on Binary Options, December 12, 2017
• CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Cryptocurrency Offerings, August 24, 2017

Education

• Asad holds a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School. Asad received the Gordon F. Henderson Entrance Scholarship and was the runner up in the Fox IP Intellectual Property Moot (best respondent factum). During his time at Osgoode Hall Law School, he was a Senior Casework for the Osgoode Business Clinic where he helped provide legal guidance to small startups.
• Asad holds a Bachelors of Commerce (Hons with Distinction) from Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba and received the Program Excellence Medal for the highest final standing.