London's deal flow is unusually deep in dental and medical practice sales for a city its size, alongside a steady main-street market in restaurants, retail and IT services. A practice sale runs on college approval timelines; a restaurant or retail sale runs on a landlord's calendar — we tell you which one you're in, and what it costs, before any work begins.
Part of London & Southwestern Ontario — one regional deal market, page by page.
Every figure below traces to a named public source — no estimates, no filler.
†Typical patterns across Ontario deals — not a quote or advice; every deal is confirmed on its own facts.
The same sequence underlies almost every owner-run London deal — what changes from deal to deal is how long each step takes.
Reaching an agreement
Buyer and seller agree on price and key terms, usually informally, before lawyers draft anything binding. We review before you sign — even a "non-binding" LOI can lock in terms you didn't mean to fix.
usually 1–2 weeks†The APS sets out price, structure (asset or share), conditions, and closing date. We draft or review it and negotiate the protections — reps, warranties, holdbacks — that actually matter for your deal.
1–3 weeks to negotiate†Corporate, PPSA lien, litigation, and licence searches confirm what you're actually buying. We chase the seller's lawyer, the registries, and any regulator whose sign-off your deal needs.
2–4 weeks, in parallel†Getting to closing
Landlord, franchisor, lender, and licensing-body sign-offs are chased in parallel with the paperwork. In London, this is usually where a dental or medical practice's college approval, or a retail lease renewal, adds the most time.
often the critical path†Funds, keys, and signed documents change hands. We coordinate directly with both sides' lawyers and the lender so nothing is left to a last-minute phone call.
1 day, once conditions are met†Registrations, licence transfers still in progress, and any post-closing deliverables — like a holdback release — get tracked to completion, not left for you to chase.
1–2 week tail†This is the first real decision in almost every deal — and it changes what you're buying, what you're taking on, and how it's taxed.
| Question | Asset purchase | Share purchase |
|---|---|---|
| What you buy | The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name. | The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes. |
| Seller's liabilities | Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation. | Generally come with the company, known and unknown. |
| Tax angle — seller | Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases. | May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares. |
| Tax angle — buyer | A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply. | Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer. |
| Licences & contracts | Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name. | Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change. |
| Employees | Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply. | Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change. |
| Typical use in London | Owner-run restaurant and retail deals. | Common across London's health-sciences-driven dental and medical practice sales, where a licensed buyer typically purchases the professional corporation's shares. |
The business's assets — equipment, inventory, lease, goodwill, name.
The shares of the company itself — everything it owns, and everything it owes.
Generally stay behind with the seller's corporation.
Generally come with the company, known and unknown.
Straightforward proceeds treatment in most cases.
May qualify for the lifetime capital-gains exemption on qualifying small business shares.
A stepped-up cost base on assets bought; an HST s.167 election may apply.
Cost base carries over from the seller — a different position for the buyer.
Must generally be re-issued or assigned into the buyer's name.
Usually stay in place, since the corporation itself doesn't change.
Employment Standards Act continuity rules typically apply.
Employment generally continues uninterrupted — the employer doesn't change.
Owner-run restaurant and retail deals.
Common across London's health-sciences-driven dental and medical practice sales, where a licensed buyer typically purchases the professional corporation's shares.
We tell you which structure fits — before you sign anything.
Different lists depending on which side of the deal you're on — both matter for how smoothly closing goes.
No open-ended hourly surprises — the cost is confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Type of work | Fee | How it's confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward purchase or sale | Starting from $3,388.87 Our charges · taxes included | Confirmed in writing once we see the agreement. |
| Larger or more complex deal | Quoted to scope | Short call → fixed written quote before any work begins. |
| Searches, filings & third-party fees | At cost | Itemized on your invoice, not marked up. |
A café or restaurant, a salon, a franchise unit, or a trades business in London — usually one buyer, one seller.
Start my file →A company with several owners or employees, bank financing, real estate, or a deal that needs negotiated protections before you sign.
Book a consultation →Not sure which you are? That's our job to figure out, not yours. As a rough guide, most deals under a couple of million dollars are the first kind — above that, you're usually in Mergers & Acquisitions territory.
Neighbouring pages in the same regional deal market.
The regional picture — consents, sectors and the full municipal web.
Mainly college approval — a professional corporation's voting shares typically can't be transferred to just anyone, so CPSO or RCDSO has to confirm the buyer's own standing as a licensed member before the corporate transfer can close. We build your timeline around that approval from the start, rather than a hopeful date.
Generally not for the professional corporation's voting shares — RCDSO rules bar holding-company ownership of a dental corporation, and CPSO has its own ownership requirements for medical corporations. We confirm what structure is actually available for your specific deal before you make an offer.
They generally stay with the practice and transfer to the incoming licensed owner, subject to PHIPA's rules on patient consent and record custody. We help structure that transfer so patients are notified appropriately and records stay compliant.
There's no single fixed method — retail sales typically use a physical count close to closing, valued at cost or an agreed formula, and this is usually one of the most negotiated terms in the agreement. We help you agree on a method early so it isn't a fight on closing day.
It can — non-solicitation and notice terms in an associate's agreement can affect what a buyer is actually acquiring, especially if patients are closely tied to that associate. We review associate agreements as part of due diligence so the value you're paying for is the value you're actually getting.
| Resource | Official link |
|---|---|
| City of London Municipal business licensing | Visit london.ca |
| CPSO — physicians Professional corporation & change-of-ownership rules | Visit www.cpso.on.ca |
| RCDSO — dentists Certificate of Authorization on a practice sale | Visit www.rcdso.org |
| AGCO Liquor sales licence transfers | Visit www.agco.ca |
| WSIB Clearance certificates | Visit www.wsib.ca |
Industries we cover
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Serving London's health-sciences, professional-practice and main-street business community.
Tell us about your London deal — we'll point you the right way and confirm the cost in writing before any work begins.