Communicating Legal Advice with Business Impact — and with AI

The CBA is a professional organization that provides educational and networking opportunities for lawyers. Representing more than 36,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada, the CBA is committed to enhancing the professional and commercial interests of a diverse membership and to protecting the independence of the judiciary and the Bar.

Brent J. Arnold is the founder of Capstan Legal and a seasoned litigator with over 20 years of experience specializing in cybersecurity, privacy, and commercial litigation. He has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has been recognized in Best Lawyers™ in Canada and the Lexpert Directory. Brent is a respected thought leader and speaker, serving as Chair of the Canadian Internet Society and holding leadership roles in multiple legal and technology organizations. His expertise lies at the intersection of law and technology, where he provides practical guidance on managing complex litigation, cyber risk, and data breach response.

Camille Aubin specializes in intellectual property litigation and advises clients in matters involving patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights and trade secrets, as well as contractual matters involving intellectual property. Camille has led some of the most complex intellectual property matters before the Canadian Courts in recent years. She pleads before all levels of provincial and federal courts as well as the Copyright Board. Working daily on the resolution of intellectual property disputes, Camille has also developed an expertise in the prevention of litigation via the development and implementation of contractual and intellectual property strategies. Camille is an active member of the Canadian IP Bar. She co-chairs the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Bar of Montreal and sits on the Liaison Committee with the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. She is a governor of the Quebec Bar Foundation and a member of the Board of Directors of the Fondation de l'École supérieure de ballet du Québec. She is often asked to sit on advisory committees on governance issues and gives dozens of pro bono hours yearly in intellectual property for EVOL, an entrepreneurship training program. Camille also teaches trial advocacy and intellectual property at the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Law. Author of more than 50 publications and presentations, her publications in the Développements récents du Barreau du Québec and the Cahiers de propriété intellectuelle have been cited by the Quebec Court of Appeal. Camille is also the author of the chapter on procedure and remedies in the National Judicial Institute's Patent Law Benchbook, prepared for Federal Court judges, and she is a regular speaker at various universities and associations on intellectual property and technology issues in Canada and the United States.

A University of Alberta Law grad (1997) and member of the Law Society of Alberta since 1998, Colin has pursued a diverse legal and business career that began in Edmonton and has continued in Ottawa since 2003. He joins us to accelerate our mission and values of leveraging technology in the service of client objectives. Colin has actively contributed to the advancement of legal AI in Canada and beyond through founding roles in a legal publisher, a legal data non-profit, a legal AI startup, and an education startup supporting the AI learning journey of lawyers across North America. As a consultant and speaker, Colin has worked with courts, tribunals, regulators, bar associations, legal insurers, law schools, tech companies and law firms of all sizes to advance their technology and AI understanding, policies and strategies. Executive roles have included serving as Innovator-in-Residence for the Ontario Bar Association, interim GM for North America of global legal publisher vLex, and as CEO of the Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) from 2011 to 2015. Previous roles included senior legal advocacy, marketing, and lobbying roles in the telecommunications industry, supporting national telecommunications and cable companies. He has been named one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers" by Canadian Lawyer Magazine, a "Legal Rebel" by ABA Journal and was also named a member of the Fastcase 50 class of legal innovators and visionaries. He is a frequent writer and speaker on legal tech/information/innovation topics, and is highly active in supporting the development of legal information and technology projects. A mediocre softball player who can hit the occasional dinger, and a wannabe cook, Colin probably makes more Simpson and Rocky references than he should, but is still a decent conversationalist if you sit across from him over coffee or dinner.

Geoff is the Co-Lead of the Blakes Intellectual Property Litigation group, with a practice that focuses on patent litigation in the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotech and oil & gas fields. Geoff is known for his pragmatic approach to sensitive disputes, providing strategic and business-savvy counselling on complex matters across various industries. Geoff is an experienced trial counsel who is adept at handling all aspects of patent litigation, from pre-litigation opinions to appearing before the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and provincial courts. He works closely with counsel around the world to coordinate the Canadian side of multi-jurisdictional lawsuits. His experience with proceedings under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations includes patent disputes related to innovative small-molecule drugs, biologics, formulations and dosage forms. Geoff's practice in trademark litigation and procurement includes providing opinions and advice on freedom to operate, brand strategy and general trademark litigation. He is a certified specialist in patent law and a registered patent and trademark agent. Geoff has spoken and written extensively on IP litigation and legal developments related to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices.

Hello, I'm Nicole, founder of Bird Bolt Law. My journey into law began at 17, when I started working in gender-based violence support as a volunteer at a rape crisis centre. By 18, I was taking overnight crisis calls, offering support to survivors of violence. My passion for advocacy led me to the criminal courts as a support person for crime victims, to the empathetic spaces of the Barbra Schlifer Clinic in Toronto, where I served as an intake counsellor and ran trauma groups for survivors. This path wasn't just a career trajectory; it has always been a calling. It propelled me across the ocean to England to study law, with a resolve to challenge failing systems, uphold rights, and ignite change where it was desperately needed. Even as a law graduate, my heart remained intertwined with gender-based violence advocacy, supporting pregnant people fleeing abuse and managing anti-human trafficking programs in a child and youth clinic in Toronto. At Bird Bolt Law, every ounce of this experience pours into how I practice human rights and employment law. My approach is not just about legal representation; it's about bringing kindness, validation, and insight to every client interaction. I believe in empowering my clients, guiding them through their journey for justice with a gentle hand and a firm resolve. Here, we do law differently – with empathy at our core and the lightning-fast efficiency of AI to achieve results without the need for adversarial harshness.