Lexpert reveals the best technology transactions lawyers in Toronto based on the results of our comprehensive annual peer survey. The complete list of the Ontario’s most recommended tech lawyers and law firms can be accessed via our practice area rankings.
In our survey, the practice of technology law involves working with
investors, start-up or later stage enterprises, venture capital
investors, technology lenders and technology-oriented investment dealers
in matters such as private and public financings, stockholder and
employment matters, strategic alliances, partnerships and joint
ventures, stock exchange listings and mergers and acquisitions. The
practice often necessitates working closely over a long period with a
technology business at all stages, from initial business and financial
start-up plans to an IPO and extends beyond high-end matters, including
corporate governance.
Most frequently recommended technology transactions lawyers
Year called to the Bar: 2002
Chad Bayne is a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. He
considered one of Canada’s best technology transactions lawyers. Bayne
practises corporate and securities law, with an emphasis on mergers and
acquisitions and corporate finance in the technology sector. As a
founder and co-chair of his firm’s emerging and high growth companies
practice group, Bayne advises some of the most notable Canadian emerging
and later-stage tech companies and venture capital investors that
finance them. He also advises several leading multinational technology
companies in connection with their Canadian M&A activities. Bayne
plays a central role in Osler’s efforts in Creative Destruction Lab,
Next 36/Next AI, Peerscale, C100 and League of Innovators.
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Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1993
Wendy J. Gross is a partner and the chair of Osler, Hoskin &
Harcourt LLP’s technology group. She specializes in outsourcing and
other complex corporate and commercial transactions relating to
technology products and services and business processes, and related
regulatory and other legal issues. These areas include payment systems
and networks, cloud computing, OSFI B-10 compliance, open banking,
artificial intelligence, fintech transactions, blockchain and other
distributed ledger technologies, public and private procurement
e-commerce, privacy and data protection, consumer protection,
intellectual property protection and licensing. Gross has extensive
experience advising financial services, retail, e-commerce,
transportation and energy companies in these areas. She is a registered
trademark agent and recognized as one of Canada’s top technology
transactions lawyers.
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Year called to the Bar: 1982
Barry B. Sookman is a senior partner McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s
technology law group. He is also the past leader of its intellectual
property group. Recognized as one of Canada’s best tech transactions
lawyers, Sookman boasts expertise in information copyright, internet,
privacy and anti-spam law. He acts in connection with complex IT and IP
transactions such as outsourcings, cloud computing, military defense
procurements and in IT and IP litigation. Sookman has argued numerous
precedent-setting intellectual property and Internet cases at all levels
of courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada. He has also authored
numerous books on computer and IT law.
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Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1985
George S. Takach is a senior partner in McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s
Toronto office. He advises clients on tech company mergers and
acquisitions and financing deals, sophisticated tech licensing and tech
procurement transactions and challenging e-commerce activities,
including work on cloud, SaaS and big data deals. Takach represents a
wide range of software, hardware and other technology companies on
commercial and financing and M&A matters. He has a national tech
procurement practice and regularly assists companies in all sectors of
the Canadian economy. Takach is one of the country’s top tech
transactions lawyers. He has authored the second edition of Computer
Law.
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Consistently recommended technology transactions lawyers
Year called to the Bar: 2003
Andrew C. Alleyne is a partner at Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. He
specializes in corporate and commercial transactions, particularly
technology and mergers and acquisitions matters. Alleyne serves on the
Steering Committee of the firm’s technology practice group and
frequently works in the IT and outsourcing space. He advises clients on
the challenges and complexities of commercializing, acquiring and
implementing technology solutions and works with private companies on
M&A transactions, frequently across borders. Alleyne also regularly
advises on IT and business process outsourcings, bancassurance
outsourcings, cloud and SaaS arrangements, software licensing and
commercial due diligence and the technology aspects of M&A
transactions, including transition services arrangements. His experience
also extends to a variety of internet and e-commerce matters and to the
legal and regulatory aspects of online gambling in Canada. Alleyne is
considered among the country’s leading technology transactions lawyers.
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Year called to the Bar: 1998
Adam S. Armstrong is a partner at Torys LLP. He also serves as
coordinator of the firm's corporate department, head of the technology
contracting practice and co-head of the payments and cards practice.
Armstrong specializes in technology licensing and outsourcing, and
corporate and securities law. On the technology aspect of his practice,
he advises clients on outsourcing transactions and licensing and
conveyancing of hardware, software and other intellectual property. On
the corporate and securities side, Armstrong focuses on public and
private financing, including initial public offerings, shareholder
arrangements, and mergers and acquisitions. He is considered one of the
best technology transactions lawyers in Canada.
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Year called to the Bar: 1985
Richard Austin is a partner at Deeth Williams Wall LLP. He devotes
his practice to privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud
computing, IT and business process outsourcing, applications development
and licensing, software audits and Canada’s anti-spam legislation
(CASL). Austin represents technology users in the public and private
sectors as well as domestic and international service providers. Before
joining the firm, Austin spent 18 years as general counsel of EDS
Canada, one of the country’s largest technology service providers. He is
a sought-after speaker on technology law issues, including on privacy
and security, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, social media,
identity management and professionalism in the digital age. Austin is
recognized as one of the country’s top technology transactions lawyers.
Year called to the Bar: 1989
Michael G. Beairsto is a partner at Dentons Canada LLP, where he
heads the firm’s technology law group in Toronto. Beairsto specializes
in corporate and commercial law, with a focus on technology, e-commerce
and internet matters. He has extensive experience in technology and
corporate transactions, including software licensing and development,
technology acquisition, service agreements and outsourcing arrangements.
Beairsto advises on intellectual property licensing matters and
protection of intellectual property and information. He regularly
advises clients on e-commerce matters and internet-based channels of
business, including privacy-related issues and internet law matters.
Beairsto represents clients on technology acquisitions, financing and
corporate mergers and acquisitions in the technology field. He is
considered among the Canada’s leading technology transactions lawyers.
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Year called to the Bar: 1998
Eric Boehm is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s corporate
commercial group. He focuses on technology law and is considered among
the best tech transactions lawyers in Canada. Boehm has extensive
international experience in Toronto and Paris, France advising on
complex commercial transactions, including technology and business
process outsourcings, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions and other
strategic relationships. He also boasts significant expertise in
financial services, intellectual property, e-commerce, cloud services,
privacy, open source, trademark and patent licensing, manufacturing and
consumer protection issues. Boehm is a prolific writer and speaker on
technology law issues. He is past chair of the Information/e-Commerce
section of the Ontario Bar Association and a member of the ITech Law
Association, Toronto Computer Lawyers' Group and l'Association des
juristes d'expression française. Boehm is a registered trademark agent.
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Year called to the Bar: 1992
Richard F.D. Corley is a partner and heads the cleantech and
outsourcing practice groups at Goodmans LLP. Corley boasts more than 25
years of experience advising clients on complex outsourcing
transactions, technology mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures,
cleantech and other technology-related matters. He recognized as one of
the country’s leading outsourcing and IT lawyers, and has led the
procurement, negotiation, implementation, renegotiation and resolution
of disputes in many complex outsourcing transactions. Corley has
pioneered the use of standardized tools and real-time issue resolution
to facilitate the efficient preparation and management of outsourcing
agreements based on well-developed precedents. He is a frequent speaker
at professional conferences and seminars on outsourcing, technology and
cleantech-related topics. Corley is also considered among the Canada’s
top tech transaction lawyers.
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Year called to the Bar: 1992
Perry N. Dellelce is a founder and managing partner of Wildeboer
Dellelce LLP. He practises in the areas of securities, corporate finance
and mergers and acquisitions. Dellelce offers a unique blend of legal
and corporate finance experience combined with hands-on business
management experience across a wide range of sectors including
technology, natural resources and financial services. He is the chair of
the NEO Exchange, Canada’s newest stock exchange, and a director of
Mount Logan Capital Inc. and Mind Medicine, Inc. Dellelce is actively
involved in the community and charity. His current mandates include
being past chair and current member of the board of directors of the
Sunnybrook Foundation and the chair of the board of directors of the
Canadian Olympic Foundation. Dellelce is recognized as among the
country’s leading tech transaction lawyers.
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1993
Michael G.G. Fekete is the national innovation leader and commercial
group chair at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where he practises as a
member of the technology group. He is also a partner at the firm. As
one of the Canada’s best technology transaction lawyers, Fekete
represents industry leading and emerging information technology service
providers, software publishers, hardware manufacturers, online vendors
and other technology-focused enterprises. He has extensive experience in
all areas of IT, with sub-specialties in cloud computing, government
procurement and privacy. Fekete is actively involved in numerous public
policy initiatives related to technology and data, including Canada’s
national data strategy, artificial intelligence, procurement
modernization and privacy. He works closely with the Information
Technology Association of Canada on many of these initiatives.
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Year called to the Bar: 1997
K. Vanessa A. Grant is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
LLP’s Toronto office. Her practice focuses on public and private
corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions and private equity. Grant
advises issuers, investors and underwriters on financings, initial
public offerings, public and private M&A, corporate governance,
joint ventures, and licensing and distribution agreements. She also
designs, structures and negotiates complex collaborations, licensing,
commercial arrangements and M&A transactions. Grant provides ongoing
general corporate and commercial legal advice to several clients and
works with national and international clients across all industries,
with a particular focus on technology, including fintech and artificial
intelligence, and life sciences companies, including digital healthcare,
therapeutics, devices, diagnostics and agribusiness. Grant also
represents private equity and venture capital funds investing in those
industries. She lectures regularly on topics related to M&A,
securities law, corporate governance and industry-specific issues. Grant
is the co-director of the Osgoode Hall LLM program in business law and
teaches a course in corporate finance for the program. She is considered
one of the best tech transactions lawyers in Canada.
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Year called to the Bar: 1987
Christopher A. Hewat is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon
LLP. He specializes in the areas of securities and business law, with
particular focus on mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and
private equity transactions. Hewat has also been involved in the
development of securities regulation in Canada, having advised the
Ontario Securities Commission in connection with its rules reformulation
project and the Toronto Stock Exchange in its review of rules governing
listed companies. His M&A experience includes advising the
Toronto-Dominion Bank on its acquisition of artificial intelligence firm
Layer 6 Inc. and institutional asset manager Greystone Managed
Investments Inc., FLIR Systems, Inc. on its acquisition of drone maker
Aeryon Labs Inc., BlueCat Networks Inc. on its sale to Madison Dearborn
Partners LLC, the Special Committee of Callidus Capital Inc. on its
going private transaction and The Descartes Systems Group Inc. on its
acquisition of Visual Compliance. Hewat also has extensive experience
acting for issuers and underwriters in public offerings, including
offerings by Stelco, OpenText, Descartes and Shopify. He is considered
one of the top tech transactions lawyers in Canada.
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Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1995
Christine Ing is partner and co-leader of the technology law and
fintech groups at McCarthy Tétrault LLP. She is recognized as among
Canada’s leading tech transactions lawyers. Ing has more than 20 years
of experience in strategic commercial transactions and collaborative
arrangements involving technology, intellectual property and data at
their core. She boasts extensive experience in all aspects of
information technology law, including outsourcing, systems and software
acquisitions, systems and software development, licensing, various ASP
and SaaS arrangements, complex services agreements and distribution and
reseller agreements. Ing is passionate about and a well-recognized
leader in open banking, alternative data, payment systems, artificial
intelligence, blockchain, cybersecurity, cloud services, technology
development and innovative collaborations. She also has significant
experience in the payments space and has led large payment network deals
on behalf of issuers.
Read more about McCarthy Tétrault LLP on competition and foreign investment
Year called to the Bar: 1978
Donald B. Johnston co-chairs the technology law and privacy and data
security groups at Aird & Berlis LLP. He is also a partner and a
member of the firm’s corporate and commercial and intellectual property
groups. As one the country’s top technology transactions lawyers,
Johnston boasts diverse experience in all kinds of technology,
intellectual property, mergers and acquisitions, procurement, privacy
and data protection and health law, and new technologies, including
blockchain and autonomous vehicles. He provides strategic advice to
clients on licensing transactions, financing and development projects,
negotiating and settling agreements and distribution arrangements.
Johnston has lectured extensively on outsourcing, technology law,
e-health law, procurement, privacy and data security.
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Year called to the Bar: 1995
W. Ian Palm is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office. He devotes
his practice to corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and private
equity. Palm regularly acts for Canadian and international clients in a
variety of industries, including technology, energy and infrastructure.
He represents private and public companies, major corporations, pension
funds, and private equity and venture capital investors. Palm has acted
for issuers, investors and underwriters, advising them in a range of
corporate finance and M&A transactions. He speaks frequently at law
schools, institutes and conferences on M&A, private equity and
securities law. Palm is recognized as among the best technology
transactions lawyers in Canada.
Read more about Gowling WLG on how artificial intelligence is changing the world
Year called to the Bar: 1977
Barry J. Reiter is a corporate partner and the chair of the Bennett
Jones LLP’s technology, media and entertainment, and corporate
governance and director protection groups. His corporate practice
involves advising on corporate development and finance. This includes
representation of founder and other shareholders, executives,
businesses, investment banks and private equity sources, shareholder,
executive and employee arrangements, privacy and cyber security,
distribution arrangements, strategic alliances, partnerships and joint
ventures, licensing and other commercial arrangements, private and
public financings, mergers and acquisitions and international tax
planning. Reiter’s governance practice involves advising boards, board
committees, independent directors and management on compliance,
effectiveness and protection issues. Reiter is the lead director at
Baylin Wireless Technologies and director at RIMES Technologies. He is
also a member of the Advisory Council of StarTech.com. Reiter is
recognized as among Canada’s leading technology transactions lawyers.
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Law firm: Gowling WLG
Year called to the Bar: 2000
Parna Sabet-Stephenson is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office.
She specializes in all aspects of outsourcing, technology law and
e-commerce. Sabet-Stephenson has assisted domestic and international
customers and service providers in a variety of industries. She boasts
extensive experience in structuring, negotiating, drafting various
outsourcing (BPO and ITO), joint venture, technology acquisition,
technology development, licensing, supply, cloud services and complex
services agreements. As one of the Canada’s best tech transactions
lawyers, she has published extensively and frequently speaks on
technology law topics. Sabet-Stephenson has also presented at various
industry and legal associations.
Read more about Gowling WLG on the new world of stakeholder engagement
Law firm: Bennett Jones LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1985
Gary S.A. Solway is the managing partner of the technology, media and
entertainment group at Bennett Jones LLP. His practice focuses on all
aspects of corporate commercial, corporate governance and securities
work for companies at all stages, from startups to mature public
companies. Solway advises on mergers and acquisitions, private and
public financings, including IPOs, cyber security governance, special
committee matters, shareholder arrangements, executive and employee
compensation arrangements, licensing and distribution agreements,
international corporate structurings, corporate reorganizations and
private equity and venture capital fund formation. He regularly
represents US and Canadian private equity and venture capital investors
and foreign buyers acquiring Canadian businesses. Solway serves
secretary of the CVCA, Canada's venture capital and private equity
association. He is considered one of the top tech transactions lawyers
in the country.
Read more about Bennett Jones LLP on IP protection in the agribusiness and cannabis sectors
Law firm: Deeth Williams Wall LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1980
Amy-Lynne Williams is a partner and one of the founding members of
Deeth Williams Wall LLP. She devotes her practice to information
technology law. Williams is recognized as among Canada’s leading tech
transactions lawyers. She advises clients on systems acquisitions,
outsourcing, privacy, payments, internet issues and tech transfers.
Williams is a past president of the International Technology Law
Association and the Canadian IT Law Association.