CL Talk

Tracy Ross on how the RBC legal team executed Canada’s biggest bank acquisition over a weekend

Jun 18, 2025

In the latest episode of CL Talk, Canadian Lawyer’s podcast, Tracy Ross, senior vice president and deputy general counsel at RBC, unpacked the legal complexities behind RBC’s landmark $13.5 billion acquisition of HSBC Bank Canada. Ross shared a behind-the-scenes look at how her team executed the most significant banking transaction in Canadian history – over a single long weekend – while keeping the rest of the bank’s legal operations running at full speed. She also reflected on leadership, succession planning, and how RBC’s legal group is evolving alongside the bank’s broader innovation and growth strategies. RBC was awarded the 2025 M&A Deal of the Year, Banking & Financial Services Law Department of the Year and the Canadian Law Department of the Year at the Canadian Law Awards in May.