Baker McKenzie

Ajanthana Anandarajah is a member of Baker McKenzie’s Employment & Compensation Law Practice Group in Toronto. She joined Baker McKenzie in 2019, after completing her summer and articling term with the Ministry of the Attorney General, Ministry of Labour. Ajanthana advises employers in a wide range of labour and employment law matters, providing practical legal and business advice to both domestic and international private and public sector clients. Ajanthana has appeared before administrative tribunals and the Ontario Court of Justice in Ontario.

Andrew Shaw

Andrew Shaw is a partner in the Firm's Employment & Compensation Law Group. Prior to attending law school, Andrew held labour relations/human resources positions at both private and public sector companies. In these roles, he managed workplace disputes and grievances to an appropriate resolution, assisted internal clients with the interpretation of employment-related legislation, and provided counsel to senior management as required. Andrew assists clients with all aspects of the employment relationship, both unionized and non-unionized, in the province of Ontario and throughout Canada. He advises and represents employers in matters regarding employment standards, wrongful dismissals, human rights, labour relations/arbitration, union organizing, collective bargaining, occupational health and safety, pay equity, and workplace investigations.

Andrew Morreale

Andrew Morreale is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Tax Practice Group in Toronto. Prior to joining the Firm, Andrew clerked for the judges of the Tax Court of Canada, was a corporate tax instructor at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law and practiced in the international tax services group at a major accounting firm.

Arlan Gates

Arlan Gates practices commercial and regulatory law as a member of Baker McKenzie's Global International Commercial & Trade and Antitrust & Competition groups. He leads the Canadian Antitrust, Competition and Foreign Investment Practice, which has been ranked by The Legal 500 and Chambers Canada. He is also ranked by Chambers Canada and by Best Lawyers in the area of advertising, marketing and data protection law and leads the Canadian Advertising, Marketing and Regulatory Practice, providing support to domestic and international businesses on regulatory aspects of market entry and ongoing commercial operations in Canada and abroad. Arlan joined Baker McKenzie as a summer associate in 1999 and has also worked in the Firm's Sydney office.

Conrad Flaczyk

Conrad is an IP/Tech Transactions and Privacy lawyer. He works closely with engineers and in-house legal teams to commercialize, protect, and ensure that the most cutting edge ideas and technologies are rolled out lawfully and efficiently. He attended law school at McGill University, where he graduated with a medal and was an editor on the Law Review. He has advised clients in the transportation, retail, government, and emerging technology sectors, and has previously worked at two leading corporate law firms. He has authored thought leadership pieces in peer reviewed journals, including the Canadian Journal of Law and Technology and Defense Counsel Journal. He also has experience as a tech entrepreneur and founder, including with North America’s most reputable start-up accelerators.

David Gadsden

David Gadsden represents global clients in complex commercial disputes. He is the Chair of Baker McKenzie's Canadian Class Actions Group and is known for his sound advice on commercial class actions, competition and antitrust matters, arbitration, fraud cases and product liability matters. Clients value David's pragmatic and determined approach to disputes and have described him as "absolutely terrific at bringing across the finish line the most complex and multidimensional issues". David has been recognized by Benchmark Litigation, Legal 500, Best Lawyers Canada, and Lexpert’s annual Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers. He has previously been recognized by Lexpert as a Rising Star.

David Palumbo

David Palumbo is a partner and Chair of the Corporate Transactions Practice Group in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. David is a member of the Firm's North American Capital Markets Steering Committee and Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Committee. He serves as Chair of the Board of the You Can Play Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the inclusion of all in sports. In 2023, David was named as one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer Magazine.

Emmanuel Sala

Emmanuel Sala is a partner in North America's Tax Practice Group in Toronto. He has broad experience advising Canadian and foreign companies on complex domestic and international tax matters with respect to mergers, tax reorganizations, financing transactions and acquisitions. He also represents taxpayers at all stages of tax disputes with the Canadian tax authorities. Since 2012, Emmanuel has been teaching at the Master of Laws (taxation) program jointly sponsored by HEC Montréal and the Faculty of Law of the University of Montreal. He has also written and presented papers on a number of income tax subjects at various conferences and seminars across Canada. As Emmanuel is a lawyer as well as a chartered professional accountant (CPA), his clients have the benefit of leveraging his ability to provide thorough legal tax analyses and to discuss financial, accounting and economic principles on any tax-related matter.

Haran Viswanathan

Haran Viswanathan is a partner in the Corporate Transactions Practice Group in Baker McKenzie’s Toronto office. Haran is a member of the Student Recruitment Committee for the Toronto office and an active participant in the Firm’s Pro Bono initiative.

Jacqueline Rotondi

Jacqueline Rotondi practices commercial, regulatory, competition and international trade law as a member of Baker McKenzie's Global International Commercial and Trade Group.

Jacqueline Chan

Jacqueline Chan is an intellectual property lawyer focused on advisory, transactional and litigation matters. Jacqueline co-chairs the Inclusion, Diversity & Equity Committee in the Toronto office, and regularly advises on pro-bono matters. She also sits on the Executive Committee of the Group of Racialized Ontario Women Litigators (GROWL). Jacqueline holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. Prior to law school, she worked as a process improvement analyst at a major teaching hospital and a business analyst at a global technology consulting firm, where she advised clients on information privacy and security compliance.

Jacques Bernier

While leading Baker McKenzie's Canadian tax practice, Jacques Bernier assists clients in resolving their Canadian tax controversies and litigating them before the courts. With his vast experience, Jacques handles large, complex and sensitive cases — sometimes "bet the company" cases — often bringing exceptional results to clients. He also provides strategic advice to a number of multinationals in their dealings with the Canadian tax authorities and is the relationship partner to many Firm clients meeting their tax needs in Canada and abroad. He is singled out for his transfer-pricing expertise and recognized as a leading practitioner in Chambers Global and Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Transfer Pricing Advisors, as well as being consistently recommended for corporate tax litigation by Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory. According to Chambers Global, Jacques is "very determined, pragmatic and knowledgeable" and the "go-to-guy" in Canada. Sources also say, "He's thoughtful, he's calm, he thinks of the entire journey and the objective. He's responsive, very professional and easy to talk to."

Jennifer Bernardo

Jennifer Bernardo is a partner in the Employment & Compensation Law Practice Group in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. As a litigator, Jennifer represents clients in labour, employment, and corporate/commercial law matters before a variety of administrative tribunals, labour arbitrators, and all levels of court in Ontario. Jennifer has been recognized as a "Rising Star" by Legal 500 and "One to Watch" by Best Lawyers in Canada. Jennifer is a frequent contributor to Baker McKenzie's Canadian Labour and Employment Law blog, and co-author of the Employment Contracts Handbook (4th ed.). She co-chairs the Toronto office's Pro Bono Committee, is a member of the Toronto office’s Inclusion & Diversity Committee, and is the Toronto office chair of the North America Baker Asian Lawyers Network.

Jim Holloway

Jim Holloway joined Baker McKenzie after graduating from law school in 1991. He is a recognized and ranked leader in the areas of intellectual property and technology, a skilled and experienced trial and appellate advocate, and a trusted strategic advisor. Jim was formerly the Managing Partner of the Toronto Office, a member of the Firm's Global Executive Committee, a member of the Firm's Policy Committee, and served as Chair of the North America region.

Jing Xu

Jing is an associate in Baker McKenzie's International Commercial Practice Group and the Global Antitrust & Competition Group in Toronto. Prior to joining the Firm, Jing was an associate in the Toronto office of a leading Canadian law firm.

John Pirie

John Pirie leads the Firm's Litigation and Government Enforcement Group in Canada. He acts for clients in complex business disputes and white collar matters. John is widely recognized as a leading trial, arbitration and appellate lawyer. He is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation, and ranked by Chambers as a leading individual in both the Corporate Litigation and White Collar categories. Clients interviewed by Chambers have said: "John Pirie has a sterling reputation in the legal community and is regarded as a powerful litigator" and "He is a recognized expert when it comes to handling cases involving allegations of corporate fraud or corruption." John has a long record of success acting for a range of clients. He has acted for corporations, banks, officers and directors, a securities regulator, a stock exchange, investors, public officials, members of the judiciary and a variety of professionals.

Julia Webster

Julia Webster is a disputes and international trade lawyer. She advises companies on trade remedies, free trade agreements, blocking measures, customs compliance, anti-corruption laws, economic sanctions, AML compliance, supply chain ethics, and cross-border M&A.

Matthew Cook

Matthew is an intellectual property and technology lawyer in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. He joined Baker McKenzie in 2022, after working at a large multinational firm where he also specialized in intellectual property and technology law. He received his JD from the University of Toronto. Matthew helps large and emerging businesses protect and commercialize their brands, ideas and technology. He has experience working with businesses, both new and established, to prosecute, manage and enforce their intellectual property. He also works closely with businesses to ensure that their IP and technology is properly commercialized at all stages of inception, development and use, by providing regulatory and licensing guidance in a number of fields, providing advice related to privacy law, and providing transactional support from an IP and privacy perspective.

Matthew Latella

Matthew Latella has over 25 years of experience as a trial lawyer and a track record of success in high-stakes matters, both acting for plaintiffs and defendants. He heads the Firm's Canadian international arbitration practice and has been lead counsel on several of the leading Canadian court cases involving international arbitration, successfully arguing precedent-setting cases up to the Supreme Court of Canada. He has been recognized by Legal 500 Canada as an "outstanding professional" and described by clients as "a brilliant advocate and cross-examiner." One client told Benchmark Legal: "Matthew is adept at identifying and nailing the core issues to successful conclusion. I’ve seen him simply out-work and out-strategize opposing counsel”, while another advised Legal 500: he “is an effective and calm presence in an arbitration hearing or in the courtroom.” Another client added: “He is always willing to help and positive, even after a long and exhausting day. He is always quick to respond and to the point.” Matthew has been named one of the 2025 Best Lawyers in Canada - Corporate Commercial Litigation, named a "Litigation Star" by Benchmark Legal and was the recipient of the National Impact Case of the Year Award in 2024 by Benchmark Litigation. He frequently litigates and arbitrates multijurisdictional disputes, including ground-breaking asset recovery and enforcement matters. Matthew is a frequent author of multiple publications regarding commercial litigation and arbitration topics ranging from fraud and asset recovery to the enforcement of foreign judgments and arbitral awards, as detailed below.

Michael Garellek

Michael serves as the head of the Financial Services Regulatory Practice for Canada and is a Transactional Partner in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office. His practice focuses on Canadian financial regulation and compliance for fintechs, financial institutions and financial market participants, online marketplaces, blockchain and web3 devs. Michael has assisted many global companies establish and grow their businesses in Canada. He is a co-author of Baker McKenzie's Doing Business in Canada, the Annotated Bank Act (2025-2023 editions) and the Jurisclasseur en valeurs mobilieres, a long leading treatise on securities laws in Canada.

Mike Rubinger

Michael Rubinger is an associate in Baker McKenzie's Intellectual Property Tech group. He regularly advises clients in connection with IP transactions and/or litigation, and assists clients with managing and enforcing their IP portfolios. Mike was recently recognized as a 2022 Rising Star in IPStars by Managing IP. He is on the Executive Committees for the Intellectual Property group of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) and is co-chairing the Transactional IP subcommittee. Additionally, Mike is on the CBA's Legal Futures subcommittee, working with the team to maintain the Canadian legal profession in the face of change. Prior to law school, Mike received a Masters of Management of Innovation from the University of Toronto and a Bachelors of Engineering Science (Mechanical Engineering) degree from the University of Western Ontario.

Nancy Hamzo

Nancy Hamzo is a principal in the North American Transactions Group. Nancy regularly advises clients in connection with mergers and acquisitions and complex corporate transactions including multi-jurisdictional reorganizations across a variety of industries, with a particular focus on the life sciences and technology sectors. She further advises on Canadian antitrust and foreign investment matters. Nancy has been recognized as a Lexpert Rising Star: Leading Lawyer Under 40 and as a key lawyer in Legal 500 Canada 2021 for M&A. She has practiced in the Firm's Amsterdam and Chicago offices working on cross border transactions. She serves on the Firm's North America Transactions Steering Committee and sits on the steering committee for Cross-Border Transactions and Integrations. She also co-chairs the Women's Networking Initiative in the Toronto office.

Sepideh Nassabi

Sepideh Nassabi is a counsel in Baker McKenzie's Intellectual Property Practice Group in Toronto. She has been a Trademark Agent for over a decade and has significant experience in trademark prosecution. Sepideh graduated from the University of Windsor Law School and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson University.

Stephanie Vaccari

Stephanie Vaccari heads Baker McKenzie's Intellectual Property Tech Practice Group in Toronto. She leads the Toronto office Industrial Design and Transactional IP team and co-leads its IP Portfolio Management and Trademark Enforcement teams. Stephanie also serves as co-chair of Baker McKenzie's Toronto Consumer Goods and Retail Group, its Baker Women's Networking Group and is spearheading the Toronto office's Luxury and Fashion Group. Stephanie is described in the 2018 World Trademarks Review as a lawyer who has “complete mastery of the law and is practical and commercially minded.” She graduated from the University of Western Ontario Law School and received a Bachelor of Sciences degree (Biology Specialist) from the University of Toronto, where she graduated with distinction.

Theo Ling

Theo Ling heads Baker McKenzie's Canadian technology and data practice and is a member of the Commercial, Data, IPTech, and Trade Practice Group, as well as the Technology, Media & Telecoms and Financial Institutions Industry Groups. Recognized for his expertise in artificial intelligence, data privacy, cybersecurity, information governance, technology media communications, and procurement law, Theo's practice lies at the intersection of technology, data, and law. Theo is ranked by several legal directories, including Chambers, Legal 500, and Best Lawyers, where he is described as "a knowledgeable technology lawyer, with a practical, 'can-do' attitude who is excellent at getting things done." Named by the Financial Times as one of the Top Ten Most Innovative Lawyers in North America, Theo founded the legal industry's first global legal innovation lab focused on multidisciplinary collaboration.

Usman Sheikh

Usman Sheikh is Chair of the Blockchain, AI & Fintech Practice (Canada). He is a Partner in Baker McKenzie's Toronto office, a member of the Firm's Transactional Practice Group and is also a member of the Litigation and Government Enforcement Practice Group. He leads the Firm's blockchain team (consisting of over 150 lawyers) globally, and co-leads the Firm's artificial intelligence (AI) team in North America. A highly regarded thought leader on emerging technology, Usman is often called upon globally by heads of governments, as well as key regulatory and governmental bodies, to provide insight and strategic input on legal and regulatory developments relating to emerging technologies, including FinTech, blockchain technology / digital assets, artificial intelligence (AI), Web2/Web3, quantum computing and the internet of things (IoT). Usman was named as one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers" by Canadian Lawyer (2018) and he is the only lawyer in Canada to be ranked Band 1 for FinTech by Chambers for five consecutive years (2020 - 2024). He was also recognized in Toronto Life's The Influentials 2021 list, an annual feature that highlights Toronto's most influential people over the last 12 months. Author of over 25 legal and academic publications, Usman is set to publish The Law of Blockchain Technology (Thomson Carswell) in 2025. As a global thought leader on emerging technology and digital transformation, Usman has addressed the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the Financial Stability Board (FSB), the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). He has also co-lectured with the heads of blockchain for Nasdaq and the TMX, and has also presented to the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO) (then, IIROC and the MFDA), the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA), and several other regulatory and industry organizations on a range of topics including AI regulatory / legal developments, AI governance frameworks, decentralized finance (DeFi), crypto custody, digital wallets, NFTs, crypto exchanges (crypto asset trading platforms), the metaverse and more. Since 2019, Usman has also been serving as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Toronto (Faculty of Law), teaching a course entitled "Blockchain, Digital Assets, and the Law."

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