CONFERENCE CO-CHAIRS

Julia Johnson is Senior Director, Legal and Privacy at Assent, a technology company focused on supply chain compliance solutions, where she leads the company’s global legal and privacy team. She brings extensive experience advising high-growth technology companies on privacy, AI, and complex commercial matters.

Prior to Assent, Julia was Director of Legal and Privacy at Ada, an AI customer service company, where she played a key role in the company’s shift to generative AI after joining full-time in 2022. She first advised Ada as outside counsel in 2017 and guided the company through major enterprise deals and global compliance initiatives.

Earlier in her career, Julia practiced at McCarthy Tétrault and LaBarge Weinstein, advising scaling technology companies on IP, data protection, financings, and M&A. A certified privacy professional (CIPP/C) and trademark agent, she brings deep expertise at the intersection of AI, law, and innovation.

Jennifer Davidson is a Partner and Co-Chair of Deeth Williams Wall’s Technology and Privacy Law Practice Group. Jennifer advises clients on all aspects of the digital risk management lifecycle, including incident preparedness, risk assessment, response, ransomware negotiations, emergency management, and regulatory compliance. Jennifer acts as breach counsel for clients in both the public and private sectors, managing security incidents on local, national, and international levels. Her technology practice encompasses a wide range of technology-related transactional matters, including procurement, data protection, S/I/PaaS solutions, IP protection and commercialization, particularly with respect to emerging technologies and machine learning algorithms. Jennifer is the Chair of the Data Protection Committee at the International Technology Law Association (ITECHLAW), Past President of the Canadian Technology Law Association (CAN-TECH), Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association’s IP&IT Law Section, and faculty at Osgoode Hall Law School’s Drafting and Negotiation IT Agreements certificate program. She was recently recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as Repeatedly Recommended as a Leading Lawyer for Data Privacy & Cybersecurity / Technology Transactions / Information Technology, Best Lawyers Canada: Ones to Watch in the practice areas of Technology Law, Privacy & Data Security Law, Information Technology Law and Intellectual Property Law. Jennifer is a frequent speaker and writer on technology, cybersecurity, privacy and intellectual property law as well as matters pertaining to equality, diversity and inclusion in the legal sector.

SPONSOR THE CONFERENCE

Thank you to our platinum sponsor

CONFERENCE HOST VENUE

The conference will be hosted at the Fairmont Château Laurier, a historic castle of unmatched splendor in the heart of Canada's capital. Located in the downtown core, poised between ByWard Market and the Rideau Canal locks, Fairmont Château Laurier is Ottawa's grand icon: a soaring historic château playing host to political leaders, film stars, and royalty for over a century.

1 Rideau Street K1N8S7 OTTAWA Canada

Please note that our hotel room block is now fully booked and no more rooms are available at the preferred rate.

Alternate options for accommodation:

The Westin (Marriott) Ottawa - Please contact the hotel directly at 289-565-5166

DoubleTree by Hilton Ottawa - Please contact the hotel directly at 613-230-3033

Le Germain Hotel Ottawa - Please contact the hotel directly at 613-691-3230

This conference will provide an opportunity to learn about the most recent and significant developments in Canadian and international technology law, to benefit from an analysis of such developments as provided by leading practitioners and government officials, and to network with leading practitioners.

This program contains 2 hours and 0 minutes of Professionalism Content

This program contains 1 hour and 0 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content

This program contains 13 hours and 40 minutes of Substantive Content

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CONFERENCE PROGRAM

DAY ONE (October 15)

8:00 to 9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION

9:00 to 9:55 a.m. OPENING REMARKS AND KEYNOTE

DRAWING ROOM

Federal Privacy Commissioner Keynote Address: Commissioner Philippe Dufresne

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne will discuss the impact of technology on privacy in today’s rapidly evolving digital marketplace, including his investigations into OpenAI, Grok, and TikTok. He will also touch on his work to advance efforts to better protect children’s privacy, effective approaches to compliance and how privacy can be an enabler to trust in the digital environment.

10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

DRAWING ROOM

Regulating the Algorithm: Child Safety, Addictive Design, and Platform Responsibility

Featuring:

Kalvin Sie, Spin Master Ltd.
Jade Buchanan, McCarthy Tetrault
Dustin Moores, Innovation

Moderator: Basia Walczak, Airbnb

Governments around the world are scrutinizing digital platforms for addictive design practices and harms affecting minors. This session examines emerging litigation and regulatory trends related to child safety online, algorithmic design choices, platform accountability, and chatbot liability.

11:00 to 11:30 a.m. NETWORKING BREAK

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

TRACK 1: AI Literacy for Lawyers 2.0: Understanding the Systems You Advise On

Featuring:

Carole Piovesan, INQ Law

Marc-Anthony Di Biase, KPMG Canada

Amy Grubb, Spellbook

Moderator: Dev Thain, Spellbook

Effective legal advice increasingly requires an understanding of how AI systems actually function. This session will cover the latest terminology, emerging AI technology, and introduces key technical concepts—including model training, benchmarking, agentic systems, and emerging architectures—so technology lawyers can engage more confidently with engineers and business leaders.

MACDONALD ROOM

TRACK 2: Quantum Computing and Post-Quantum Security: Preparing for the Next Cryptographic Shift

Featuring:

Nike Dattani, HPQC Labs
Sam Smagala, MNP Digital
Laith Sarhan, Sarhan Data Law

Moderator: Olalekan (Wole) Akinremi, WeirFoulds LLP

Quantum computing promises transformative capabilities—but also significant risks to today’s encryption systems. This session provides a practical overview of post-quantum threats, the implications for financial institutions and digital infrastructure, and how legal teams can help organizations prepare for the coming shift in cybersecurity standards.

12:30 to 1:00 p.m. LUNCH: DRAWING ROOM

1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

The Legal AI Demo Lab

See legal AI in action. This track will feature practical, hands-on showcases from leading technology providers, highlighting how AI is already being used to transform legal work—from drafting and research to workflow automation, knowledge management, and agentic tools. We’re pleased to feature live 30-minute demos from the following conference sponsors:

2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

When the Agent Goes Rogue: An AI Incident Response Table-Top

Featuring:

Jeremy Gordon, Thoughtworks
Rob Hester, Anthropic

Moderator: Jennifer Davidson, Deeth Williams Wall LLP

What happens when an AI agent acts outside its intended scope and causes reputational, legal, customer, and business harm? In this live table-top exercise, panellists will be presented with a fast-moving AI incident involving unauthorized agent activity, inaccurate customer communications, possible confidential-data exposure, and public scrutiny. Acting as the response team, the panel will work through detection, containment, privilege, communications, regulatory assessment, customer trust, recovery, and lessons learned—showing what effective AI incident response looks like under pressure.

3:00 to 3:30 p.m. NETWORKING BREAK

3:30 to 4:25 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

Contracting in 2026: New Rules, Tools, and Risks

Featuring:

Andrew Alleyne, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Gisele Salazar, LaBarge Weinstein LLP
Candice Hévin, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG)

Moderator: Lisa Danay Wallace, WeirFoulds LLP

Contract negotiation is changing fast. New consumer protection, transparency, privacy, and platform accountability rules are reshaping commercial terms, while AI tools are changing how contracts are drafted, reviewed, and negotiated. This session will examine the key contracting trends for 2026, including how legal teams are responding to emerging regulatory international or cross-border obligations, how AI-assisted drafting is affecting negotiation strategy and risk allocation, and how contracts should address AI use by vendors, customers, and internal business teams. Panellists will discuss practical updates to representations, warranties, audit rights, data-use clauses, liability, indemnities, disclosure obligations, and governance provisions for an AI-enabled contracting environment.

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

Global Tech Law Update: What Canadian Lawyers Need to Know

Featuring:

Julia Jacobson, Squire Patton Boggs
Sam De Silva, CMS UK
Diego Fernández, Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal

Moderator: Lisa R. Lifshitz, Torkin Manes

Stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving global landscape. This session offers Canadian technology lawyers a practical, comparative overview of emerging tech laws and regulatory frameworks across key jurisdictions, including developments relating to the EU Data Act and evolving U.S. approaches, and broader trends in AI regulation, platform governance, and cybersecurity. Hear from international experts on how these changes are shaping compliance, risk, and opportunity—and what they mean in an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory landscape for your practice. Gain actionable insights to advise clients operating globally with confidence.

5:30 to 5:35 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS: DRAWING ROOM

5:35 to 6:30 p.m. COCKTAIL RECEPTION

7:00 to 10:00 p.m. DINNER (ticketed event)

DAY TWO (October 16)

8:30 to 9:25 a.m. BREAKFAST (not available to virtual attendees)

DRAWING ROOM

Career Guidance Mentorship Round tables

Kick off Day 2 of the Fall Conference with coffee, conversation, and valuable connections. Join fellow conference attendees for an informal, roundtable discussion with experienced technology law practitioners and leaders. Grab breakfast from the buffet and take a seat with mentors to exchange insights, discuss career development, explore emerging issues in technology law, and expand your professional network. Whether you're a law student, junior lawyer, or seasoned practitioner looking to share your experience, all attendees are welcome. Conversation prompts will be available to help spark discussion and ensure engaging dialogue throughout this interactive networking opportunity.

Confirmed mentors:

Richard Austin, Deeth Williams Wall LLP
Hashim Ghazi, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Ariel Laver, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Wole Akinremi, Weirfoulds LLP
Rachael Glassman, Solink Corporation

Kristal Allen, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Krista Matthews, Snyk
Thomas Prowse, Solace
Philip Koopmann, ISED
Jacqueline Tsai, Paybilt

9:25 to 9:30 a.m. OPENING REMARKS: DRAWING ROOM

9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

DRAWING ROOM

TRACK 1: Top of the Headlines: Legal Perspectives on the Latest Hot-Button Issues

Featuring:

Maya Medeiros, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Michael Geist, University of Ottawa
David Reevely, The Logic

Moderator: Catherine (Cat) Lovrics, Marks & Clerk

This session will examine the latest AI headlines and hot-button issues through a legal lens, with a focus on what lawyers need to understand as developments unfold in real time. Drawing on perspectives from leading experts, the panel will explore the legal and regulatory implications of the stories currently shaping public debate. The discussion will be designed to be timely and practical, helping attendees connect fast-moving news developments to concrete legal risks, client advice, and compliance considerations.

TRACK 2: Québec, AI and the New Compliance Playbook

MACDONALD ROOM

Featuring:

Nancy Cleman, Lapointe Rosenstein Marchand Melançon L.L.P.
Cédrik Pierre-Gilles, Gowling WLG
Ayse Gauthier, DWF Canada

Moderator: Claire Mazzini, Microsoft Canada

AI adoption is raising distinct legal and contracting challenges in Québec. This panel will explore how organizations can navigate Law 25, automated decision-making, privacy impact assessments, vendor accountability, and AI governance, while also managing Québec-specific contracting issues such as Bill 96 French-language requirements and civil law approaches to liability and risk allocation.

Panellists will share practical strategies for structuring AI initiatives, negotiating vendor protections, and aligning commercial contracts with Québec’s evolving privacy, language, and technology compliance obligations.

10:30 to 10:45 a.m. NETWORKING BREAK

10:45 to 11:45 a.m.

DRAWING ROOM

TRACK 1: The Agentic Legal Department

Featuring:

Sahil Zaman, McCarthy Tetrault
Phil Lamothe, GC AI
Julia Johnson, Assent

Moderator: Dustin Paterson, Torys LLP

Agentic AI is moving legal teams from manual workflows to intelligent, automated operations. This panel will explore how in-house departments and law firms are using AI agents for contract review, matter intake, regulatory monitoring, knowledge management, litigation support, and client service delivery. Panellists will also tackle the hard questions: supervision, privilege, accountability, vendor selection, governance, and how lawyers can lead this transformation responsibly.

MACDONALD ROOM

TRACK 2: Code, Models & Control: Open Source Governance in the AI Era

Featuring:

James Gatto, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Simon Hodgett, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Patrick Masson, Apereo Foundation

Moderator: Thomas Prowse, Solace

Open source licensing remains foundational to software innovation, but AI models and training datasets are testing the boundaries of traditional frameworks. This session explores evolving open source models, including business source licensing, model distribution, and the legal implications of training and deploying AI systems built on open technologies.

11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. LUNCH: DRAWING ROOM

12:15 to 1:15 p.m. PLENARY

DRAWING ROOM

The Inside Story on AI Use in Court: A Fireside Chat with the Honourable Justice Alexandre Kaufman

Featuring: Honourable Justice Alexandre Kaufman, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario

Moderator: Honourable Peter Ruby, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario

In this fireside chat, the Honourable Justice Kaufman of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice will discuss the judiciary’s exploratory use of AI and how emerging technologies could transform the delivery of justice. The conversation will explore AI’s potential to improve access to justice, enhance courtroom efficiency and support judges and court staff, while examining the critical questions of potential misuse, accuracy, accountability, transparency and the role of human judgment. A fireside chat not to miss.

1:15 to 2:10

DRAWING ROOM

ROUND TABLES (not available to virtual attendees)

This session will involve dynamic and engaging roundtable discussions. Pick the topic that interests you the most and join a table of your colleagues. A facilitator will get the conversation with a ice-breaker, then delve into the theme. The discussion that ensues will be lively, interactive and thought-provoking, giving attendees the chance to connect, share perspectives, make new friends and dive into the issues that matter most.

Roundtable Discussions will feature:

Negotiating with difficult counterparties: Jade Buchanan, McCarthy Tetrault
Open banking: Christine Jackson, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
Government procurement for emerging technology: James Kosa, Weirfoulds LLP
Ownership of AI Slop: David Fewer, nNovation LLP

AI risks in financial services: Jacqueline Tsai, Paybilt
Novel and future state transition/continuity arrangements: Julie Antonelli, Escode
Brain- Computer Interfaces, & their implications on bodily autonomy: Gerardo Lebron Laboy and Philip Koopmann, ISED
Privacy law reform in Canada: Ethan Plato, OIPC (Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner), BC

2:15 to 3:15 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

WIT Presents: The Relevance of Online Harms and Cyberfeminism in 2026

Featuring:

Jane Bailey, University of Ottawa
Molly Reynolds, Torys LLP
Saad Gaya, St. Lawrence Barristers PC

Moderator: Dr. Nasreen Rajani, Independent Researcher

Deepfakes, data mining, and technology-facilitated gender violence are raising urgent questions about privacy, accountability, and online safety. As legal response frameworks continue to evolve, what role does cyberfeminism play in shaping a more inclusive digital future? This panel will explore the evolution of cyberfeminism in the 2026 landscape, tracing its origins, core principles, criticisms, and influence on conversations around technology, privacy, and gender. Speakers will also examine emerging legal and regulatory responses to online harms.

Join us for a timely conversation on how feminist perspectives are influencing the future of technology law and digital governance.

3:15 to 3:45 p.m. NETWORKING BREAK

3:45 to 4:45 p.m.

DRAWING ROOM

AI on Trial: Red Teaming in a High-Stakes Game Show

Featuring:

Frederique Horwood, Cohere
Jey Kumarasamy, ZwillGen

Red teaming has emerged as a core technique for identifying vulnerabilities and unintended behaviours in AI systems. This interactive session introduces the concept of adversarial testing, how organizations evaluate model safety and performance, and how legal and compliance teams can participate in responsible AI assurance.

4:45 to 5:00 p.m. CLOSING REMARKS: DRAWING ROOM

Thank you to our sponsors

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Canadian Technology Law Association

1-189 Queen Street East

Toronto, ON M5A 1S2

contact@cantechlaw.ca