Shaping Technology for Society

Abigail Smithis a life sciences generalist who leads the legal function at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Canada. She was previously legal counsel to Hoffmann-La Roche and worked as a pharmaceutical IP litigator and regulatory lawyer at Smart & Biggar LLP. She received her JD from the University of Ottawa and clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal. Abigail completed an MSc in Biochemistry, during which her research was published in a major scientific journal.

Dr. Alana Maurushat is Professor of Cybersecurity and Behaviour at Western Sydney University, with joint roles in the Schools of Computers, Data and Mathematical Sciences and Social Sciences. She directs Western CACE (mycace.org) and researches ML/AI automation of legal and risk processes, payment diversion fraud, ransomware, cyber reputation risk, money-laundering tracking, Indigenous data sovereignty, and ethical hacking. Holding IT and Law degrees, she was Senior Lecturer in Law, CRC Data to Decisions researcher, and Senior Fellow at the Australian CyberSecurity Centre at UNSW. Alana is NSW Cyber-Ambassador, ARC expert reviewer, advisor to Cybertrace, IFW Global, and Gridware, and volunteers with the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and NSW Crimestoppers.

Dr. Alex Cameron is a partner and leader of the Privacy and Information Protection Group, Fasken Martineau. He completed both his LLM (with concentration in Law and Technology) and LLD at University of Ottawa. While at uOttawa, he was a Researcher for the “On the Identity Trail Project,” an intern at the Electronic Privacy Information Centre, and one of the earliest students at CIPPIC.

Dr. Alexandra Mogyoros JD, BCL (Oxon), DPhil (Oxon) is an Associate Member of the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society and an Assistant Professor within the Faculty of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University. She is a trademark law scholar with a specialty in certification marks, standards, and ethical logos. Her current research explores issues arising at the intersection of brands, trust, intellectual property and expression.  

Amy Awad is the Director General of Digital and Creative Marketplace Frameworks at Canadian Heritage.

Andy Kaplan-Myrth is Vice President, Regulatory & Carrier Affairs at TekSavvy, an independent Canadian broadband, Internet, TV, and voice services provider. Andy Kaplan-Myrth was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006 and has experience working in areas of law and policy concerning telecom, the Internet, copyright, and privacy. He holds an LL.B. (Law & Technology) from the University of Ottawa; an M.A. (Linguistics/Cognitive Science) from Yale University; and a B.A. (Mathematics and Philosophy) from McGill University.

Anthony McIntyre is Senior General Counsel and Vice-President, Legal Services at the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. He leads a team of professionals providing strategic legal advice at the intersection of law, technology, and policy, developing new legal approaches to address emerging digital challenges while supporting a robust communications system for Canadians. Since joining in 2007, he has led complex files in all areas of the Commission’s jurisdiction. Anthony previously served as Senior Counsel to the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions and holds law and commerce degrees from the University of Ottawa and McGill University.

Chauntae De Gannes is an Associate at Aird & Berlis LLP and a member of the Corporate/Commercial, Technology, and Privacy & Data Security Groups. Her practice focuses on private M&A transactions and regulatory matters in the areas of privacy and communications law. She earned her law degree from the University of Ottawa with a specialization in technology law. During law school, Chauntae  De Gannes  participated in the Technoship Research Program and worked on the eQuality Project. Chauntae De Gannes interned with Wealthsimple Inc. and Dentons Canada (Ottawa), gaining experience in-house and in regulatory law. She also contributed to consultation submissions to the CRTC and Competition Bureau as part of her advanced communications law coursework.

Colin Lachanceis principal at PGYA Consulting where he assists law firms and legal departments on their AI journey, and through which he designed and delivered AI programs for the Ontario Bar Association as their Innovator in Residence for 2024/2025. As founder and CEO of LawQi, Colin has scaled and developed for the benefit of State, County and Specialty bar associations a version of the "AI Academy" model he designed for the Ontario Bar Association.

Cynthia Khoois a technology and human rights lawyer at Tekhnos Law, specializing in how the Internet and emerging technologies mediate and impact the equality, privacy, and free expression rights of historically marginalized groups. Cynthia Khoo is also a Senior Fellow at the Citizen Lab, and previously a Senior Associate at the Center on Privacy & Technology at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C. Cynthia Khoo is called to the Ontario Bar. During her LL.M. at uOttawa, she worked as junior counsel at and represented the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic as an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada.

Dr. Greg Hagen is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary.  

Hannah Draper directs PayneRoutledge.com, an international consulting firm committed to advancing the internet in the public interest through multidisciplinary research, project implementation, compliance support, and strategic advice for a diverse portfolio of clients. Hannah Draper is also a Visiting Scholar at FGV University in Rio de Janeiro, where she researches consumer rights in the context of BRICS+ digital payment systems. Previously, she managed the global digital rights portfolio at the Open Society Foundations. In 2018, she co-founded INDELA.fund, a regional initiative that strengthens Latin American digital rights organizations.

Janet Lo is the Assistant Commissioner, Legal, Regulatory & Stakeholder Affairs at the Commission for Complaints for Telecommunications-television Services (CCTS). Her interest in technology law was sparked during her student internship with the University of Ottawa’s Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC). As part of the CCTS’ executive team, Janet Lo works to shape the CCTS’ strategic direction, innovate service delivery, and stakeholder initiatives. Janet Lo has served in a variety of roles in the telecom industry for over 15 years, including as VP, Privacy & Consumer Legal Affairs at TekSavvy Solutions Inc. and Legal Counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC). 

Jason Young is Associate General Counsel at PayPal, where he leads legal strategy and oversees regulatory compliance across 42 markets in the Americas. He brings deep expertise in payments, fintech innovation, data privacy, and cross-border risk management in highly regulated global environments. Jason earned his law degree from Queen’s University and an LL.M. in Law & Technology from the University of Ottawa, where he was a Gowlings Fellow. He contributes regularly to industry forums on technology and financial policy and served as a member of the Bank of Canada’s Retail Payments Advisory Committee.

Dr. Katie Szilagyi is an Assistant Professor of Law at Robson Hall, University of Manitoba and an Associate Member at the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society. She studies the intersection of technology law and legal theory with artificial intelligence. She focuses on transdisciplinary research, combining her educational backgrounds in engineering and law with her experience in legal practice. Dr. Szilagyi holds a BSc in Engineering, as well as JD, LLM, and PhD degrees in law. She has published and presented on the transformative impacts of blockchain technology on the legal landscape, as well as the international humanitarian law implications of autonomous weapons systems on the battlefield. Some of her recent research projects include smart agriculture, social robotics, science fiction and the law, ethical frameworks for automated mobility, and conceptualizing the impacts of generative AI on the law.

Dr. Kristen Thomasen is an Associate Professor and the Senior Chair of Law, Robotics and Society at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law and an Associate Member of the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society. Her research agenda focuses broadly on a critical analysis of the legal, social, and ethical implications of robotic and automated technologies. She’s especially interested in the role that law and regulation play in how automated technologies shape shared and public spaces and information. She teaches courses on Law, Robotics, & Society and Tort Law.

Dr. Laura Garcia currently drives the operations and curation at Edgelands, a pop-up institute combining research and art to facilitate conversations about the growing digitalization of security and our ability to coexist in an increasingly connected society. A passionate advocate for regulatory and policy solutions that foster social innovation, protect human rights, and empower communities in the digital age. She firmly believes in facilitating technology discussions among key stakeholders to ensure its positive social impact. Dr. Laura Garcia holds an LLB from Los Andes University, Colombia, an LLM in Law and Technology, and a PhD in Law from the University of Ottawa, where she recently defended her PhD. 

Dr. Loris Mirella is the Director of Intellectual Property, Digital Economy, and Innovation division at Global Affairs Canada.

Meika Ellis is a lawyer and trademark agent practicing on the unceded and unsurrendered territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation (Ottawa), and a proud member of the Gwich’in Fort McPherson Band. Her practice spans a range of topics, including: trademarks, copyright, Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Expressions, and emerging tech. Meika Ellis has had success in all levels of Canadian courts, including Ontario Small Claims Court, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court of Canada. She’s been named in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Canada, and was the inaugural recipient of the Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award, recognizing her work with IPIC’s Indigenous IP Committee.

Milana McCullagh, a 2004 University of Ottawa law graduate, has dedicated over two decades to the dynamic intersection of technology, law, and innovation. She has built and led high-performing legal teams at Google, Coinbase, and Reddit, adeptly navigating the intricate legal landscapes of user-generated content, AI, advertising, and crypto industries. Currently serving as Vice President and Head of Legal at Reddit, Milana McCullagh spearheaded the legal efforts for Reddit’s groundbreaking 2024 IPO. Her extensive experience at some of the world’s top tech companies makes her a compelling voice for discussions on the evolving challenges in tech law.

Oline Twiss provides strategic leadership and advises on matters of law, policy, and organizational governance as Deputy Commissioner at the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) and as Deputy Registrar at the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists (ORL) in BC, Canada. She previously worked at the House of Commons of Canada doing law and policy work on digital issues (including privacy and copyright), international trade, immigration, and indigenous matters and completed law articles at the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic. Deputy Twiss holds civil and common law degrees from McGill University, was called to the bar in Ontario in 2011, is currently a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, and is a Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP) with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (CIPP/C, CIPP/E and CIPM).

Sara Shayan is a senior associate at Stikeman Elliott LLP in Toronto, specializing in information technology, privacy and data protection, e-commerce, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate/commercial law. A proud alum of the University of Ottawa (J.D., 2018), she previously worked as a legal intern at the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) and Shopify Inc. and contributed research to The eQuality Project. She regularly advises clients in connection with complex technology matters and is a co-author of The Practitioner’s Guide to Privacy in M&A (LexisNexis, 2024).

Sinziana Gutiu is the Director, Data Strategy and Partner Services at TELUS, where she leads global data risk initiatives and programs involving third-party risk management and mergers and acquisitions, focusing on privacy, data governance and responsible AI compliance. She supports a team of skilled professionals who enable innovation across TELUS' business units' operations, acquisitions and offerings through industry-leading privacy, responsible AI and data governance best practices. Sinziana Gutiu is a published author on law and technology topics, including robotics, data privacy and cyber liability. She is also a past two-term IAPP Canadian Advisory Board member and former Chair of the Canadian Bar Association National Privacy & Access Law Section.

Suzie Dunn is an Assistant Professor of Law at Dalhousie University and an Associate member of the University of Ottawa Centre for Law, Technology and Society. She is also a PhD in Law candidate at the Centre. She is the Director of the Law and Technology Institute at Dalhousie University and her research centers on the intersections of equality, technology and the law, with a specific focus on technology-facilitated gender-based violence, artificial intelligence, and deepfakes. She is a research partner on a SSHRC funded research project on young people’s experiences with sexual violence online, DIY Digital Safety. She is also a Senior Fellow with CIGI, where she led phase one of CIGI’s Supporting Safer Digital Spaces project, and a member of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund technology-facilitated violence committee.

Talitha Nabbali has an undergraduate degree in Computer Science from Western University and a law degree from the University of Ottawa. At the University of Ottawa, Talitha was lucky to get to dive into technology law issues and to spend a summer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. After graduating in 2006, she clerked for Justice Simon Noël at the Federal Court and shortly thereafter joined the Department of Justice Canada. She was a litigator until 2021, when she joined Canadian Heritage Legal Services.  She is now Director and General Counsel at the Privy Council Office Legal Services Sector.  

Tamir Israel is Director of the Privacy, Surveillance & Technology Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Prior to his current role, he was a staff lawyer at the Samuelson-Glushko Canadian Internet Policy & Public Interest Clinic (CIPPIC) at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society at the University of Ottawa.

Timilehin Ojois a dual-trained legal practitioner with diverse legal experience spanning dispute resolution and commercial law, including technology advisory, policy drafting and review. He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) with a concentration in Law and Technology from the University of Ottawa. Timilehin Ojo currently serves as the Privacy Surveillance and Digital Rights coordinator at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and is the Program Manager for Surveillance and Digital Rights at the International Network of Civil Liberties Organization (INCLO). Outside work, Timilehin Ojo is a sports enthusiast and would always welcome a chance to play football, among other sporting activities.

Dr. Tracey Doyle is a lawyer and founder of Arbor Law. Prior to being a lawyer, Dr. Doyle was a scientist. Notably, she achieved her Ph.D. at Health Canada for developing universal antibodies to the influenza virus and for her vaccine research. Dr. Doyle is now a litigator and practices in the areas of intellectual property, class actions, medical malpractice, general torts and Aboriginal law. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Ottawa where she teaches property law. Prior to opening her own law firm, Dr. Doyle practiced intellectual property law at various prominent firms in Toronto. Dr. Doyle loves to teach, is an advocate for queer rights and enjoys spending time with her family and dogs.