Key Takeaways
- • Ashley Ainsley, a senior listings manager at Canada's TSX Venture Exchange with five years of regulatory experience, has joined Cozen O'Connor LLP as counsel in the firm's Corporate Practice, effective July 7, 2026, based in Vancouver.
- • Ainsley brings over a decade of international securities law experience, including specialized expertise in IPOs, reverse takeover (RTO) transactions, complex public M&A, and regulatory compliance guidance for enterprise-level clients navigating exchange policies.
- • Her appointment strengthens Cozen O'Connor's capital markets capabilities, positioning the firm to advise clients on end-to-end "go public" processes and TSX Venture Exchange filings—critical services for smaller-cap companies seeking listing on Canada's venture capital marketplace.
- • The TSX Venture Exchange serves emerging companies with smaller market capitalizations that do not meet Toronto Stock Exchange listing requirements, making regulatory expertise from former exchange management a strategic asset for legal counsel advising in this segment.
Summary
Cozen O'Connor LLP has recruited Ashley Ainsley, a seasoned corporate and securities lawyer, to its Corporate Practice as counsel, with residency in the firm's Vancouver office as of July 7, 2026. Ainsley's appointment reflects a targeted effort by the international law firm to deepen its capabilities in Canadian venture capital markets and exchange compliance.
Ainsley brings more than a decade of international legal experience to the role, with the past five years spent as a senior listings manager at the TSX Venture Exchange. In that regulatory position, she provided definitive guidance to enterprise-level clients on listing applications, initial public offerings, reverse takeover transactions, and complex public mergers and acquisitions. Her responsibilities included assessing transaction proposals and listing applications for securities law and exchange policy compliance—work that positions her as an insider to the regulatory framework governing Canadian venture markets.
Prior to her tenure at the TSX Venture Exchange, Ainsley worked at several major international law firms, where she represented global issuers and underwriters on business-critical public and private securities offerings. This combination of regulatory-side and advisory-side experience creates a distinctive skill set for counseling clients navigating capital markets transactions.
Larry P. Laubach, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Corporate Practice Group, emphasized the strategic value of Ainsley's background, noting that her understanding of exchange policies and regulatory positions of interpretation will enable the firm's clients to "secure the financial resources needed to move their business forward." The TSX Venture Exchange operates as a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies, primarily those with smaller market capitalizations that do not qualify for larger exchanges such as the Toronto Stock Exchange. In her new role, Ainsley will serve as a strategic adviser on exchange filings and the end-to-end "go public" process, translating her regulatory experience into actionable counsel for corporate clients.
Ainsley brings more than a decade of international legal experience to the role, with the past five years spent as a senior listings manager at the TSX Venture Exchange. In that regulatory position, she provided definitive guidance to enterprise-level clients on listing applications, initial public offerings, reverse takeover transactions, and complex public mergers and acquisitions. Her responsibilities included assessing transaction proposals and listing applications for securities law and exchange policy compliance—work that positions her as an insider to the regulatory framework governing Canadian venture markets.
Prior to her tenure at the TSX Venture Exchange, Ainsley worked at several major international law firms, where she represented global issuers and underwriters on business-critical public and private securities offerings. This combination of regulatory-side and advisory-side experience creates a distinctive skill set for counseling clients navigating capital markets transactions.
Larry P. Laubach, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Corporate Practice Group, emphasized the strategic value of Ainsley's background, noting that her understanding of exchange policies and regulatory positions of interpretation will enable the firm's clients to "secure the financial resources needed to move their business forward." The TSX Venture Exchange operates as a public venture capital marketplace for emerging companies, primarily those with smaller market capitalizations that do not qualify for larger exchanges such as the Toronto Stock Exchange. In her new role, Ainsley will serve as a strategic adviser on exchange filings and the end-to-end "go public" process, translating her regulatory experience into actionable counsel for corporate clients.
Go deeper than the headline
Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.