Public offerings were few and far between in 2008 and 2009, but in 2010, activity in the tech public markets seems to be picking up. According to media reports, seven Canadian tech companies are considering initial public offerings (IPOs) in the upcoming months, including Mitel Networks, Smart Technologies, ViXS Systems Inc., Avid Life Media and Glassbox Television.

In upcoming editions of the TLQ, we'll be featuring a number of articles on the ins and outs of going public. If your company is thinking about taking the leap, this primer will walk you through the IPO legal process, as well as provide an overview of some of the legal aspects related to running a company after its shares are listed on a stock exchange.