Iñaki Gomez

Senior Associate

Vancouver
[email protected]
604.632.3408

Iñaki's dual practice focuses on securities registrant regulation, investment management and compliance matters, and on general corporate matters, corporate governance, mergers & acquisitions, and venture capital and private equity transactions.

He provides regulatory advice on topics such as emerging digital assets and financial services products, including cryptocurrencies, crypto asset trading platforms and blockchain, and has advised digital asset companies and other securities market participants on Canadian registration requirements and compliance. Additionally, he has helped digital asset companies become publicly listed in Canada.

Iñaki is a member of the firm's Cryptocurrency & Blockchain's group. He competed as a race walker, representing Canada at major international sporting events, including the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympic Games, the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto, and World Athletics' (formerly, the International Association of Athletics Federations) World Athletics Championships. Since his retirement from competition, he has remained an athlete advocate in the sport community, taking on leadership roles at various levels of national and international sport.

Experience

  • Advising and preparing applications on behalf of foreign and domestic securities market participants in respect of carrying on business in Canada and seeking registration as dealers, advisers and/or investment fund managers under provincial securities legislation, including participants in the digital assets space and crypto asset trading platforms.
  • Acted for WonderFi Technologies Inc. (and DeFi Ventures Inc.) in its reverse takeover acquisition of Austpro Energy Corporation (renamed "WonderFi Technologies Inc."), and on DeFi Ventures Inc.’s brokered private placement through subscription receipt financing for over $17.7 million.
  • Acted for EverGen Infrastructure Corp., a renewable gas infrastructure platform, in its $20.1 million initial public offering and listing on the TSX Venture Exchange.
  • Acted for Craft Ventures in connection with a $15 million Series A preferred share investment in the competitive intelligence platform Klue Labs Inc.
  • Allied Hotel Properties Inc. (TSX: AHP) in its $102 million acquisition by DVP Hotel Development LP.
  • Acted for First Coin Capital Corp. in its merger transaction with Galaxy Digital and Bradmer Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Represented First Block Capital Inc. in its registration as an investment fund manager and an exempt market dealer in order to operate a bitcoin investment fund (the first registration of an investment fund manager in Canada solely dedicated to cryptocurrency investments).
  • Acted for dealers, portfolio managers and investment fund managers with respect to registration and ongoing securities regulatory and compliance matters, including developing, reviewing and assessing compliance procedures and practices.
  • Acted for Canadian-based investment fund managers in the continuous offering of retail investment funds in Canada.

Beyond Our Walls

Professional Involvement

  • Member, Law Society of British Columbia

Community Involvement

  • Director (Athlete Representative), Canadian Olympic Committee's Board of Directors, 2020-present
  • Member, World Athletics Governance Commission, 2020-present
  • Member, World Athletics Athletes' Commission, 2017-2022 (former Chair, 2017-2019)
  • Member, Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission, 2016-present
  • Director, Athletics Canada, 2014-2018
  • Volunteer, BLG Business Venture Clinic

Bar Admission & Education

  • British Columbia, 2017
  • JD, University of Calgary, 2015
  • BA (international relations), University of British Columbia, 2011