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Daniela Bassan, K.C.

Partner & Trademark Agent

Queen’s Marque
600-1741 Lower Water Street
Halifax, N.S.
B3J 0J2

+1.902.420.3354

+1.902.420.1417

dbassan@stewartmckelvey.com

Language(s) spoken: English, French, Italian, Spanish

Bar Admission(s): Ontario, 1998; Nova Scotia, 2003

Legal Assistant(s): Arabella McKimm

Working with clients such as retailers, manufacturers, entrepreneurs, service providers, financing companies, technology firms, and energy companies, Daniela helps her clients navigate the complicated worlds of intellectual property disputes, arbitration proceedings, corporate commercial disputes, and class action suits. She has:

  • Acted in one of the most high-profile intellectual property cases brought in Atlantic Canada over famous trademarks and related copyrights.
  • Acted for an international energy firm in a large-scale, clean tech project to address environmental, regulatory, and stakeholder disputes at federal and provincial levels.
  • Acted in cross-border, multi-jurisdictional proceedings in consumer and wholesale sectors – involving trade, marketing, and competition disputes.
  • Acted for a European-based multinational company in a dispute over the manufacture and supply of large-scale industrial equipment from Italy to Canada.
  • Acted for a Nova Scotia company and its affiliates as part of an international, multi-firm legal team in connection with disputed assets and transactions of over $1 billion.

Education & Career

Education

Harvard Law School, LLM, 2002

Osgoode Hall Law School, LLB, 1996

University of Toronto, BA (high distinction), 1993

University of Siena (summer term), 1991

Activities

Member, Canadian Bar Association

Chair, Patent Acquisition Committee, Innovation Asset Collective, since 2021

Chair, 2b theatre company, 2021 – 2023

Chair, IP/IT Practice Group, Stewart McKelvey, since 2017

Chapter Leader, Eastern Canada, ChIPS global network for women in IP & tech law and policy, 2022 – 2024

Member, The Bretton Woods Committee, Future of Finance Working Group – Digital Finance Project Team, since 2022

Director, Innovation Asset Collective, since 2021

Director, Canadian Commercial Corporation, 2014 – 2020

Director, Neptune Theatre, 2012 – 2016

Member, LegalBizDev Project Management Advisory Board, 2012

Member, Advisory Board for the International Arbitration Law Project of the Uniform Law Conference of Canada, 2012

Panelist interviewing candidates for CEO of Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, 2011

Director, Young Canadian Arbitration Practitioners, 2009 – 2012

Member, Partnership Board, Stewart McKelvey, 2008 – 2012

Chair, Intellectual Property Section of Canadian Bar Association – Nova Scotia, 2009 – 2011

OTHER

President, Harvard Club of Atlantic Canada, since 2010

Chair, Harvard Law School Reunion & Gift Committee, Spring Reunion 2022

Director, McGill University School of Continuing Studies and Intellectual Property Institute of Canada – Copyright Master Course, 2023 – 2024

Associate Director, McGill University School of Continuing Studies and Intellectual Property Institute of Canada – Copyright Master Course, 2022 – 2023

Class Agent, Harvard Law School, since 2008

Participant, Royal Canadian Navy Canadian Leaders at Sea Program, 2018

Certified Legal Project Manager Program (LegalBizDev), 2011

Law Clerk, Supreme Court of Canada (Justices La Forest & Bastarache), 1997

Accolades

Best Lawyers Intellectual Property Law “Lawyer of the Year” – Halifax, 2022, 2025

Appointed King’s Counsel – Nova Scotia, 2020

Best Lawyers: Class Action Litigation, 2021 – 2025

Best Lawyers: Intellectual Property Law, 2021 – 2025

Lexpert rating: Intellectual Property Law, 2010 – 2024

Lexpert rating: Litigation – Intellectual Property, 2019 – 2024

Benchmark Canada, local litigation star (Intellectual Property), 2014 – 2022

Lexpert 2013 Guide to the Leading US/Canada Cross-border Litigation Lawyers in Canada, Corporate Commercial Law

LAW SCHOOL:

University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review National Prize

J.S.D. Tory Research and Writing Award

F.W. Minkler Scholarship Trust Fund (academics & activities)

Fraser Milner Prize (academics & activities)

Celanese Canada Internationalist Fellowship

UNDERGRADUATE:

University of Toronto Arbor Scholar

University of Toronto Alumni Association Scholar

University College Literary and Athletic Society Honour Award

Government of Italy Scholarship

Thought Leadership

Publications

Presentations

Moderator, “ADR Strategies for Technology Disputes: Creating Efficient Resolutions”, Webinar hosted by CBA Skilled Lawyers Series

May 23, 2024

Moderator, “What is Fair? A Comparative Look at Fair Use vs. Fair Dealing”, Webinar hosted by Intellectual Property Institute of Canada

January 17, 2024

Panelist, “Transforming Copyright Cases for 2023”, Annual Conference hosted by Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, Winnipeg

October 13, 2023

Moderator, “Canadian Innovation and IP Policy”, IP Policy Forum hosted by Innovation Asset Collective, Ottawa

May 10, 2023

Speaker, “What is Happening with Injunction Jurisprudence at the Competition Tribunal?” (CBA Competition Law Online Symposium)

May 17, 2022

Panelist, “Transforming Your Approach to Document Automation with AI: Advanced, Time-Saving Methods for Litigators”, CBA Skilled Lawyer Series webinar

April 12, 2022

Panelist, “A Conversation with the CEO of Moderna”, Harvard Business

January 20, 2021

Panelist, Copyright Panel and Career Q&A, Webinar Series hosted by Toronto Intellectual Property Group (TIPG)

May 27, 2020

Presenter, “Mandates, By-Laws, and Governance Policies: Takeaways on Establishing Consistency Through Elections and Board Succession/Changes”, Canadian Institute Conference on Crown Corporate Governance

January 21, 2020

Presenter, “Copyright Case Law Update – 2019”, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada Annual Conference

September 27, 2019

Presenter, “E-Discovery and Technology: Why you can’t have one without the other”, Legal Innovation & Technology on the Atlantic Coast – A Conversation with people at the Forefront of Change in the Legal Industry, Hosted by EPIQ Global

September 19, 2019

Presenter, “IP and Contract Law: Need to Know”, Canadian Bar Association IP Section, Annual IP Day

May 30, 2019

Co-presenter, Need to Know: Norwich Orders, CBA Nova Scotia Winter Conference

December 07, 2018

Co-presenter, “The Do’s and Don’ts of Parallel Litigation and Prosecution”, CBA IP Day

May 11, 2017

Panelist, “The Road to E-Discovery: More Garden Path, Less Mountain Climb?”, CBA Nova Scotia Mid-Winter Conference

January 28, 2016

Co-presenter, “Top 10 Licensing Tips for Music Owners”, ALIS conference

February 28, 2015

Presenter, “E-Contracts: Hip to be Square”, CBA Nova Scotia Mid-Winter Conference

January 29, 2015

Presenter, “Counterfeit Goods”, CBA Privacy Law Session

October 01, 2014

 
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