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Supporting Atlantic Canada’s future in technology & innovation

Our Firm

As one of the country’s top law firms, Stewart McKelvey is pleased to support the growth and development of the tech and innovation sector. With a focus on innovation and diversity, equity and inclusion, Stewart McKelvey is committed to the vibrancy and long-term sustainability of this sector in Atlantic Canada. 

Our experience supporting tech and innovation

Stewart McKelvey is a large, full-service law firm providing depth of expertise across all areas of law.  With a local presence and our significant experience supporting businesses in the tech sector across all stages of growth, Stewart McKelvey is uniquely positioned to answer questions from tech participants and businesses on topics ranging from intellectual property, SaaS agreements, governance, privacy, labour & employment, commercial real property, financing and mergers & acquisitions.

With our own focus on innovation, Stewart McKelvey clients have access to our Practice Innovation infrastructure. This innovation infrastructure can help businesses through access to automated document assembly templates (for faster compilation of legal documents), software to organize, manage, and streamline commercial transitions, and step by step processes to help carry out routine legal processes – and much more.

Stewart McKelvey has offered the following topic-specific webinars and information sessions focused on key areas for tech and innovation start-ups:

Software Licensing – Focus on SaaS Agreements
This session covers key topics relating to SaaS Agreements such as scope of the license, data ownership, audit rights, service level commitments and remedies, SaaS management, and limitations of liability including tips on what to say and what not to say in your SaaS agreement.
Presented by Susan Norman, Partner & Trademark Agent

Cybersecurity and Privacy
This webinar covers the prevalence of cybersecurity threats, the legal liability arising from such threats and how to protect your organization.
Presented by Koren Thomson and Janet Carpenter

 

From Stock Options to Remote Work – Key Issues facing Tech Employers
This session covers a number of key issues facing employers in the Tech industry:

  • Tech employers may be finding that employees (or investors) are pressing for the implementation of stock option plans.  What the implications  – i.e., what are stock options, do they make sense for every organization and what pitfalls do employers need to consider before/when implementing a plan.
  • What do Tech employers need to know about employing remote workers in different jurisdictions?
  • How can employers best organize and supervise remote workforces? Do workers enjoy a “right to disconnect”?
  • What are the consideration of moving toward the “ROWE”: Results Only Work Environment – offering flexibility along with accountability
  • If remote doesn’t work for your organization – what must employers consider in getting their team back together in the office?
  • There have been new developments on non-competition agreements. Can Tech employers still use them?

Presented by Ruth Trask and Tauna Staniland

Our clients

The work we do with our clients shows the depth of experience we have to offer. Below are examples of our work with tech and innovation businesses, where we acted as lead counsel:

Vision33 Canada Inc. – Acted for a global tech company with offices in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K., in an asset purchase from U.K.-based computer software companies, Synantix Ltd. and Alphagen Holdings Limited.

 

ABK Biomedical Inc. — Acted for an innovative, medical device company dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of advanced imageable embolic medical devices, in connection with its Series B and Series C financing rounds totaling more than US$60 million.

   

Regional Health Authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador – Acted as counsel to the Regional Health Authorities in Newfoundland and Labrador in response to one of the largest cybersecurity incidents in Canadian history.

 

Sift Med Inc. – Acted for an Intelligent Document Processing (IDP)  company that uses artificial intelligence to automate the organization of medical legal files in its $2.7 million seed funding round, as well as in reviewing and drafting its SaaS agreements, providing advice with respect to data privacy and labour and employment matters.

   

Repairify Inc. – Acted for a U.S. company focused on remote diagnostic solutions and services in the automotive repair industry, in a significant and strategic acquisition of Newfoundland and Labrador based Root Four Imagination Inc./ BlueDriver, a provider of direct-to-consumer aftermarket diagnostic scan tools. Also led the follow-on acquisition of Ontario-based adasThink, a leading software company focused on artificial intelligence leveraging automotive collision estimating repair data.

 

DHX Media Ltd. (now WildBrain Ltd.)  – Acted for DHX Media Ltd. in connection with concurrent Canadian and U.S. public offerings totaling $65 million, its cross-listing on the TSX and NASDAQ, creation and listing of a dual class share capital structure designed to ensure compliance with Canadian ownership restrictions, and a $19 million overnight marketed offering of common shares.

   

Milk Moovement Inc. – Acted for a leading cloud-based dairy supply chain software in its U.S. $3.2 million funding round led by Dynamo Ventures, alongside Matchstick Ventures, Bread & Butter Ventures, and Better Food Ventures, and in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating its international SaaS agreements including with large enterprises in Australia, Europe, and the U.S., and in labour and employment advice.

 

Nutra Holdings Inc. – Acted for an e-commerce sports nutrition company headquartered in St. John’s in acquisitions, divestitures, intellectual property, labour and employment, and corporate and commercial matters from inception to its growth as a business spanning more than 100 products, millions of customers, and multiple brands such as Jacked Factory, Transparent Labs, and Cira Nutrition. The company had been recognized as one of Canada’s top growing companies by the Globe and Mail, a fastest growing company by Canadian Business, and its founder had been recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

   

Sobeys Inc. – Acted for Sobeys in connection with its $1 billion brokered private placement of unsecured debt.

 

Cority Software Inc. – Acted for a leading software provider in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating its international SaaS agreements including with large enterprises in Europe, the U.S., and China.

 

   

ClearRisk Inc. – Acted for a cloud-based risk management software company in the purchase of shares and debt held by GrowthWorks Atlantic Ltd. and related financing.

 


Focus Field Solutions Inc.
– Acted for a leading software provider with respect to software license reseller agreements, SaaS agreements, share purchase agreements and financing activities.

 

   

Solace Power Inc. – Acted for a company dedicated to the development of wireless power solutions in general corporate commercial, governance and employment matters.

 


Bluedrop Training and Simulation Inc. and Bluedrop ISM Limited –
Acted for an international technology pioneer and e-learning company, in reviewing and drafting SaaS agreements, privacy matters, labour and employment, and intellectual property matters.

 

   

ScreenScape Networks Inc. – Acted for the shareholders of an SaaS-based digital signage company, ScreenScape Networks Inc., in the sale of shares to Spectrio LLC, a U.S.-based provider of customer engagement and content management technology.

 


Tenera Care
– Acted for a real-time monitoring and analytics platform for senior care, Tenera Care, in equity raises and general corporate and commercial matters including advising on SaaS considerations, bridge financings, and intellectual property matters.

 

   

LifeRaft – Acted for a security intelligence company with over 200 clients in over 25 countries, in a range of matters including reviewing, drafting, and negotiating SaaS agreements, financing, and investment transactions.

 

AltoMaxx Technologies Inc. – Acted for  AltoMaxx Technologies Inc., a drone technology company, in corporate, commercial and employment law matters.

 

 

 

 

Venus Concept Ltd. – Acted for Venus Concept Ltd., an innovative global aesthetic technology leader (NASDAQ), in its acquisition of NeoGraft Solutions’ hair restoration business, one of the world’s most recognized brands of hair restoration devices and products with assets in Canada, the U.S. and France.

 

Trihedral Engineering Limited – Acted for the majority shareholders of Trihedral Engineering Limited, a SCADA and IIoT software company, in the sale of Trihedral Engineering Limited to Delta Electronics, a global leader in power and thermal management solutions for approximately $45 million.

   

PGHCapital Inc. – Acted for the shareholders of PGH Capital Inc. in the sale of subsidiaries (PanGeo Subsea Inc. and PanGeo Subsea Scotland Limited) to Kraken Robotics Inc., in a transaction valued at approximately $23 million. PanGeo is a 3D imaging specialist providing sub-sea imaging services. 

 

Empire Company – Acted for Empire Company in connection with its $1.844 billion public offering of subscription receipts, and its $1 billion transaction taking Sobeys Inc. private.

   

 

 

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