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Koker Christensen Toronto Lawyer

Koker Christensen

Partner | CO-LEADER, FINANCIAL SERVICES Fasken
Jurisdiction Ontario, 2002
Language(s) English
Office(s) Toronto
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Overview

Koker Christensen is Co-Leader of Fasken’s Financial Services Group and has over 20 years’ experience helping financial services businesses achieve their business objectives. His practice focusses on corporate, transactional, and regulatory matters for insurers, insurance intermediaries, banks, credit unions, payments businesses, and fintechs. Koker’s areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions (M&A), reinsurance transactions, corporate reorganizations, establishing and licensing of new financial services businesses, anti-money laundering, and corporate governance.

Koker frequently deals with the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) and other financial institutions regulators to obtain regulatory approvals and deal with compliance issues.

Koker is recognized by leading legal directories, including Chambers Canada, Who’s Who Legal Canada and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory in the areas of insurance and financial services regulation.

Achievements

  • Recognized nationwide as a Leading Individual in Banking and Finance, The Legal 500 Canada 2025 to 2026
  • Recognized in Banking and Finance Law in Toronto, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized as a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer, Thomson Reuters stand-out lawyers 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Regularly Recommended in Banking & Financial Institutions, Lexpert 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide in Canada in Banking & Finance: Financial Services, Chambers Global 2021 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as a Leading Individual in Insurance, The Legal 500 Canada 2020 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide in Banking & Finance: Financial Services Regulation, Chambers Canada 2018 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide in Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory, Chambers Canada 2017 to 2026
  • Recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Most Frequently Recommended in Financial Institutions Regulation - Ontario, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2016 to 2026
  • Recognized nationwide as Highly Regarded in Financial Services Regulatory, IFLR 1000 2021 to 2025

Experience

  • GATX Corporation and Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. completes acquisition of Wells Fargo’s rail operating lease portfolio., [Deal - GATX Corporation and Brookfield Infrastructure Group Inc.], GATX Corporation and Brookfield Infrastructure Group Inc. complete the acquisition of Wells Fargo’s rail operating and finance lease portfolios.
  • Export Development Canada enters into a C$2.1 billion loan to advance a landmark national connectivity initiative, [Deal - Export Development Canada], Unsecured financing secured to develop a national connectivity initiative.
  • Insurance brokerage sells warranty business, [Deal - Confidential], Subsidiary of international insurance brokerage divests its warranty business through sale of assets.
  • The Independent Order of Foresters in its subordinated debentures offering, [Deal - The Independent Order of Foresters], Fasken acted for The Independent Order of Foresters in connection with its offering of C$250,000,000 principal amount Series 2020-1 subordinated unsecured 2.885% fixed/floating debentures due October 15, 2035. Fasken advised The Independent Order of Forester with a team led by Richard Steinberg ...
  • Foresters acquires Canada Protection Plan, [Deal - The Independent Order of Foresters], On October 1, 2020, The Independent Order of Foresters Inc. ("Foresters") acquired Canada Protection Plan Inc., a leading distributor of No Medical and Simplified Issue life insurance. In the Canadian market, the new entity will be branded as Canada Protection Plan, A Foresters Financial Company....
  • Novacap Financial Services acquires interest in AGA Financial Group Inc., [Deal - Novacap Financial Services], Leading Canadian private equity firm makes third investment in financial services business using dedicated fund.
  • Foresters Asset Management acquired by Fiera Capital, [Deal - Foresters Asset Management Inc], Fiera Capital Corporation ("Fiera Capital") (TSX: FSZ), a leading independent asset management firm completed its acquisition of all the issued and outstanding shares of Foresters Asset Management Inc. from Foresters Life Insurance Company. Upon closing, Foresters Asset Management Inc. was rename...
  • The CUMIS Group, Cooperators, Desjardin Group and five Provincial Central Credit Unions merge their wealth management businesses to create Aviso Wealth with assets under management of US$55 billion, [Deal - Various], On December 12, 2017, The CUMIS Group, Cooperators, and Desjardin Group announced a deal to merge subsidiary companies with five Provincial Credit Union Centrals to form one of Canada’s largest independent wealth management firms. The new entity, Aviso Wealth, will be half owned by Desjardins and...
  • The Cooperators acquires the minority interest in the common shares of The Cumis Group which it did not already own from Central 1 Credit Union, [Deal - The Co-operators Group Limited.]

Career & Education

Education

  • JD University of Toronto
  • BA Simon Fraser University

Memberships & Affiliations

  • Member, Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Member, Canadian Bar Association
  • Member, Ontario Bar Association
  • Member, Board of Directors, Prosper Canada (2014)
  • Member, Board of Directors, a Canadian Chartered Bank
  • Past Member, Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance of the FSRA of Ontario

Knowledge

  • Federal Spring Economic Update 2026: Highlights Affecting Financial Services, 5/4/2026
  • FINTRAC Provides Information on Recent Changes to Canada’s AML Regime, 4/21/2026
  • Adopting AI in Financial Services: Key Takeaways from the Second Financial Industry Forum on AI, 4/9/2026
  • Budget 2025: The Bank of Canada’s Mandate Expands to Stablecoin and Open Banking Supervision, 3/31/2026
  • Financial Services Regulatory Updates: Streamlined Bank Applications and Much More, 2/17/2026
  • Changes to Canada’s Bank Regulatory Environment to Promote Efficiency and Competition, 1/19/2026
  • Payments Regulatory Year in Review and 2026 Outlook, 12/23/2025
  • Insurance Regulatory Year in Review and 2026 Outlook, 12/18/2025
  • Banking Regulatory Year in Review and 2026 Outlook, 12/11/2025
  • OSFI Quarterly Release: Capital Changes and Other Updates, 11/24/2025

Events

  • Financial Services Regulation: Annual Year in Review & Looking Ahead to 2026, 12/2/2025
  • Credit Unions - Growth, Mergers and Strategy, 1/23/2025
  • Financial Services: Annual Regulatory Year in Review & Looking Ahead to 2025, 12/3/2024
  • Financial Services Regulatory Developments - Looking Ahead to 2024, 11/28/2023
  • Insurance Law and Regulation Update, 5/31/2019
  • Insurance Regulatory Law Update, 5/30/2018
  • Blockchain Legal Breakfast: A Cryptocurrency Funding Revolution, 9/29/2017
  • Legal Update for Banks - What's New?, 1/17/2013

News

  • Three Fasken Partners Win 2020 Client Choice Awards, 2/13/2020
  • Seventy-Four Fasken Lawyers Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2019, 12/19/2019
  • Forty-Two Fasken Lawyers Ranked in 2020 Edition of Legal 500 Canada, 11/19/2019
  • Canadian Underwriter quotes Koker Christensen in an article on revised guidelines for fair treatment of customers, 11/12/2019
  • The 2018 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory recognizes 200 Fasken lawyers, 4/12/2018
  • Fasken Doubles Top Tier Rankings in Legal 500 Canada 2018, 12/7/2017
  • The Legal 500 Canada 2017: 63 Fasken Martineau lawyers ranked, 11/15/2016
  • Finance et Investissement quotes Koker Christensen in an article on the insurance-linked securities market, 11/15/2016
  • Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2016: 68 Fasken Martineau lawyers ranked, 11/4/2016
  • Chambers Canada 2017 Guide recognizes 83 Fasken Martineau lawyers and names us “Employment Law Firm of the Year”, 10/3/2016

Publications

  • MGA Regulation in Canada: A Call for Harmonization and Balance, 9/25/2025
  • Current Trends in the Canadian Credit Union Sector, 12/1/2017
  • FINTRAC fines Canadian bank with no name a fistful of dollars, 4/24/2016
  • The Canadian Insurance M&A Environment, 12/3/2015
  • Conversion of Mutual Property and Casualty Insurance, 3/3/2015
  • Federal Government Launches Consultation on Proposed Bail-in Regime, 10/1/2014
  • Financial Stability Board Releases Guidance on Risk Culture, 2/21/2014
  • Longevity Risk Transfer in Canada: OSFI's Draft Advisory on Longevity Insurance and Longevity Swaps, 12/1/2013
  • Cat Bonds - A Canadian Perspective, 10/4/2013
  • Insurance-Linked Securities: Developments and Prospects for a Canadian Market, 9/30/2013
Article, Co-Author Current Trends in the Canadian Credit Union Sector Banking & Finance Law Review, 22 B.F.L.R. 73
Article FINTRAC fines Canadian bank with no name a fistful of dollars White Collar Post

Speaking Engagements

  • Emerging Issues & Regulatory Hot Topics, 9/22/2022
  • Hot Topics in Corporate Governance and Securities Law, 1/1/2016
  • Insurance Reporting & Regulation – Update 2019, 10/22/2019
  • Open Banking, 10/3/2019
  • Emerging Issues & Regulatory Hot Topics, 9/24/2019
  • Emerging Issues and Regulatory Hot Topics, 10/12/2018
  • Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and ICOs: What’s It All About?, 11/10/2017
  • Hot Topics in Corporate Governance and Securities Law, 4/18/2017
  • Recent Amendments to Canada's Anti-Money Laundering Regime, 2/27/2017
  • Compliance Officers and the Board-Management Relationship, 11/23/2016
Presenter Emerging Issues & Regulatory Hot Topics National Insurance Conference of Canada (NICC) location location Halifax, NS, Canada
Speaker Hot Topics in Corporate Governance and Securities Law Canadian Corporate COunsel Association - Ontario Chapter location location Toronto, ON, Canada
Speaker Insurance Reporting & Regulation – Update 2019 2019 Acumen Insurance Conference location location Toronto, ON, Canada