Lexpert presents the top computer and IT lawyers in Ontario based on our extensive annual peer review. Check out the complete list of the province’s leading lawyers and law firms in the practice in our practice area rankings list.
Computer and information technology (IT) law is a branch of the legal profession that governs all matters relating to the transfer, use and storage of electronic information. The practice includes a wide range of areas, including security, intellectual property rights and even constitutional law.
Most frequently recommended computer and IT lawyers
Richard F.D. Corley
Law firm: Goodmans LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992
Richard F.D. Corley is a partner and heads the cleantech and outsourcing practice groups at Goodmans LLP, one of Canada’s largest full-service business law firms. 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 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.
Wendy J. Gross
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 considered as one of Canada’s top computer and IT lawyers. Her firm specializes in business law and has offices across the country and in New York.
Christine Ing
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 full-service business law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP. She has over 20 years of experience in strategic commercial transactions and collaborative arrangements involving technology, intellectual property and data at their core. Ing 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. She 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. Ing also has significant experience in the payments space and has led large payment network deals on behalf of issuers. She is among Canada’s best computer and IT lawyers.
Barry B. Sookman
Law firm: McCarthy Tétrault LLP
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 top computer and IT 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.
George S. Takach
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 leading computer and IT lawyers and has authored the second edition of Computer Law.
Amy-Lynne Williams
Law firm: Deeth Williams Wall LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1980
Amy-Lynne Williams devotes her practice exclusively in information technology law. She advises clients on systems acquisitions, outsourcing, privacy, payments, Internet issues and tech transfers. Williams is partner and one of the founding members of Deeth Williams Wall LLP, a Toronto-based firm specializing in intellectual property and technology law. She is a past president of the International Technology Law Association and the Canadian IT Law Association. Williams is recognized as one of Canada’s best computer and IT lawyers.
Consistently recommended computer and IT lawyers
Richard Austin
Law firm: Deeth Williams Wall LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1985
Richard Austin is a partner at Deeth Williams Wall LLP. His areas of practice include privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IT and business process outsourcing, applications development and licensing, software audits and Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL). He represents technology users in the public and private sectors, and 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. Recognized as one of the nation’s top computer and IT lawyers, 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.
Michael G. Beairsto
Law firm: Dentons Canada LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1989
Michael G. Beairsto is a partner at Dentons Canada LLP, one of the country’s largest full-service law firms. He heads the firm’s technology law group in Toronto. Beairsto devotes his practice to corporate and commercial law, specializing in 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. As one of Canada’s leading computer and IT lawyers, Beairsto represents clients on technology acquisitions, financing and corporate mergers and acquisitions in the technology field.
Michael G.G. Fekete
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 nation’s top computer and IT lawyers, Fekete represents industry leading and emerging IT 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.
Simon H. Hodgett
Law firm: Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1992 (ON); 1996 (NL)
Simon H. Hodgett is a partner at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP. He devotes his practice to technology outsourcing, complex services arrangements and procurement. Hodgett also advises technology suppliers from established software providers to early-stage technology companies. As one of Canada’s leading computer and IT lawyers, he has been lead counsel on projects in the banking, pension, investment, healthcare, energy and other sectors. His practice includes advising on fintech, artificial intelligence-related agreements, data agreements, outsourcing arrangements, software licensing, government contracting, e-commerce and payment systems. Hodgett writes and lectures on various areas of technology law, both in public forums and client education venues.
Donald B. Johnston
Law firm: Aird & Berlis LLP
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 corporate and commercial and intellectual property groups at the Toronto-based full-service business law firm. As one the country’s top computer and IT 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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James Kosa
Law firm: WeirFoulds LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2006
James Kosa is a partner at WeirFoulds LLP, a leading business law firm based in Ontario. He devotes his practice to information technology and intellectual property law and is considered among the top computer and IT lawyers in the nation. Kosa offers his clients a wealth of knowledge and experience in technology issues, including the protection and exploitation of computer and software technology, IT and IP licensing, privacy, security breaches and dispute resolution. Kosa acts as technology counsel to technology companies in a wide variety of high-technology fields. He also represents consumers of technologies with procurement and negotiation of technology services.
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Lisa R. Lifshitz
Law firm: Torkin Manes LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1995
Lisa R. Lifshitz is a partner at the business law group at Torkin Manes LLP, a Toronto-based full-service firm. She is also the leader of the firm’s technology, privacy and data management group, where she specializes in information technology and privacy and cybersecurity law. Lifshitz has particular expertise in preparing and negotiating technology agreements, especially cloud-related matters, and providing guidance on IoT, AI and open source matters. She is considered one of the nation’s top computer and IT lawyers.
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Wesley Ng
Law firm: Stikeman Elliott LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2000
Wesley Ng heads the technology group and is chair of the diversity committee in Stikeman Elliott LLP’s Toronto office. He specializes in information technology, e-commerce and biotechnology transactions, and privacy-related matters, including compliance with Canada’s new anti-spam legislation (CASL). Ng regularly advises on business process outsourcings, service arrangements, technology exploitation, including development, commercialization and licensing, transformational procurements, and domestic and cross-border acquisitions and divestitures involving technology companies, businesses or assets. He has significant experience assisting clients on technology issues across a broad range of industries, including financial services, insurance, mining, telecommunications, postal services, manufacturing, oil and gas, retail and healthcare. Ng also advises clients on privacy and social media issues, including privacy complaints, privacy breaches, notifications and working with the relevant regulators in connection with privacy investigations. He provides guidance on all aspects of CASL compliance, including interpretation of the law, review and analysis of e-marketing practices, providing relevant training, and advice with respect to consent outreach campaigns. Ng is considered one of Canada’s leading computer and IT lawyers. His firm among the nation’s largest business law firms.
Robert L. Percival
Law firm: Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Year called to the Bar: 1998
With more than 25 years of experience in the sector, Robert L. Percival is nationally recognized as among Canada’s leading computer and IT lawyers. He is a partner at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Percival advises clients on a wide array of technology transactions, including outsourcing, cloud computing, SaaS, strategic alliances and technology development such as agile methodologies. He also advises them on system procurement and implementation, technology licensing and transfer, distribution, open source software, privacy and data protection, cybersecurity, e-commerce and Internet-related matters. Percival is active in the development and adoption of emerging technologies, including distributed ledger technologies, smart contracts, artificial intelligence, big data analytics and the application of such technologies to emerging market segments, including fintech. His firm is one of the nation’s largest law firms with offices overseas.
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Joel Ramsey
Law firm: Torys LLP
Year called to the Bar: 2007 (ON); 2004 (New York)
Joel Ramsey co-heads the payments and cards and technology contracting practices at Torys LLP. He is also a partner at the international full-service business law firm. Ramsey specializes in technology contracting and outsourcing and payments and cards. He assists clients on corporate transactions and on matters involving offshoring, procurement, privacy, consumer protection, mobile payment systems, IT strategy, data distribution, cloud computing and e-commerce solutions. Ramsey’s clients include financial institutions, technology service providers, retailers, pension funds and companies in the asset management, energy and securities sectors. He is considered among Canada’s top computer and IT lawyers.
Peter D. Ruby
Law firm: Goodmans LLP
Year called to the bar: 1996
Peter D. Ruby is a partner and co-chair at Goodmans LLP’s technology group. He has a national and international practice focused on business and IT-based dispute resolution, including software, telecommunications, film, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, television, privacy and data protection and breach, intellectual property, e-commerce and Internet litigation, arbitration, mediation and advice. Ruby represents large multinational organizations and some of Canada’s most entrepreneurial IT companies in proceedings before arbitrators, the Supreme Court of Canada, the courts of Ontario, Canada’s national telecommunications and broadcast regulator,and other tribunals. He recognized as one of the country’s leading computer and IT lawyers.
Parna Sabet-Stephenson
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 nation’s best computer and IT lawyers, she has published extensively and frequently speaks on technology law topics. Sabet-Stephenson has also presented at various industry and legal associations. Her firm is a full-service business law firm with offices across the globe.