Wendy Gross

Wendy Gross

Wendy Gross is a partner in the Technology Law Group in Toronto, having joined the firm in April 2006. Ms. Gross' practice focuses on corporate and commercial transactions and intellectual property law relating to technology and other intellectual property, with an emphasis on complex strategic transactions for the outsourcing, development, acquisition, licensing, use or other exploitation of technology products and services.

Ms. Gross is recognized in the 2009 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of computer and information technology law and technology. She is also listed in the 2009 edition of Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business and identified by The Best Lawyers in Canada for 2008 in the area of information technology and is also listed in the field of information technology law and technology law for 2009.

Ms. Gross has extensive experience advising financial services, telecommunications, energy, life sciences, media and e-commerce companies in their outsourcing, joint ventures and other strategic relationships, including IT and BPO outsourcings (both onshore and offshore), development, licensing, distribution, support, ASP and other strategic arrangements. She advises clients on matters relating to the protection, exploitation and enforcement of intellectual property rights. In addition, Ms. Gross has extensive expertise in legal issues relating to privacy and data protection, security, consumer protection, domain names and other legal issues relating to the internet and e-commerce, as well as in legal issues relating to marketing, advertising and contests. She is a registered trade-mark agent in Canada.

Ms. Gross has recently represented:

· a major Canadian bank in a development and outsourcing agreement relating to its VOIP call centre technology platform;

· a major Canadian bank in connection with the outsourcing of its call centre operations to India;

· a major utility in connection with the development and implementation of its customer information system;

· a large cable company in its agreement to purchase a technology platform in support of VoIP and other voice and data services;

· a new Canadian retail bank in connection with the development, license and support of the various components of its retail banking platform;

· a leading international food retailer in connection with the development and launch of integrated payment systems for debit, credit and stored value cards;

· a leading international retailer in connection with the development and implementation of a social networking initiative;

· a leading Canadian life insurance company in a development, outsourcing and co-marketing agreement relating to a material part of its business; and

· a Canadian cable company in numerous transactions relating to its high-speed internet, video-on-demand and interactive television initiatives.

Ms. Gross has spoken extensively on legal issues relating to outsourcing, joint ventures, licensing and other technology transactions, commercialization of intellectual property, privacy, the internet and e-commerce.

Ms. Gross is published widely. Her recent articles and presentations include:

· "Tax Issues for Commercial IT Transactions," IT.Can and The Law Society of Upper Canada's Eighth Annual IT Law Spring Training Program, May 2, 2008.

· "Overview of Privacy Law in Canada," Federated Press Conference - Managing Privacy Compliance, April 23, 2008.

· "Online Contracting - The State of the Law: Internet Law, The Second Wave - New Developments, Challenges and Strategies", Insight Conference, March 27, 2008.

· "A New Trend in Liability for Security Breaches?" McCarthy Tétrault's Technology Law Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 4, January 31, 2008.

· "Advanced IT Commercial Contracting Issues," 11th Annual Canadian IT Law Association Conference, October 18, 2007.

· "FSF Releases Version 3 of GNU GPL," McCarthy Tétrault's Technology Law Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 2, July 31, 2007.

· "Committee Recommends Amendments to Canada's Federal Privacy Legislation," contributor, McCarthy Tétrault's Technology Law Quarterly, Vol. 3, No.2, July 31, 2007.

· "Getting Your Money's Worth from Outsourcing: Minimizing Value Leakage from Your Outsourcing Transaction," International IT Law Summit 2007, June 8, 2007.

· "Breach Reporting: Practical Tips for Responding to Privacy Breaches," contributor, McCarthy Tetrault's Technology Law Quarterly, Vol. 3, No. 1, May 29, 2007.

· "Privacy Breach Reporting: Practical Tips for Responding to Privacy Breaches," contributor, McCarthy Tétrault's Legal Update, April 30, 2007.

· "Responding to Privacy Breaches," contributor, McCarthy Tétrault's Legal Update, April 25, 2007.

· "Selected Issues in Data Processing Agreements," Third Annual Technology in Bloom Conference, March 6, 2007.

· "Managing Risks of Mobile Data," co-author, McCarthy Tétrault's Technology Law Quarterly, Vol. 2, No. 3, October 27, 2006.

· "Recording Industry Sues XM Satellite Radio over Recording Device," McCarthy Tétrault's Technology Law Quarterly, July 28, 2006.

· "The Click Fraud Debate Has Only Begun," McCarthy Tétrault's Legal Update, July 28, 2006.

· "IT Services Contracts," Sixth Annual IT Law Spring Training Program, May 2006.

· "Privacy Commissioner Releases Decision on Outsourcing and the USA Patriot Act," co-author, World Data Protection Report, December 2005.

· "Risks and Latest Developments in International Outsourcing," Transferring Personal Information Outside of Canada: Cross-Border and International Issues, OBA, Toronto, November 2005.

· "Reviewing the Impact of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (USA PATRIOT Act) on Corporate Canada," interview, Nymity.com, October 2005.

· "Corporate Practice Issues of 2005 and 2006," Tenth Annual General Counsel Quorum, October 27, 2005.

· "Canada's Privacy Laws versus the USA PATRIOT Act," co-author, National Banking Law Review, vol. 24, no. 5, November 2005. First published in CA Magazine,September 2005.

· "Latest Developments in Privacy Legislation," Tenth Annual Regulation of Financial Institutions, Infonex, Toronto, September 20, 2005.

· "The E-Commerce List Live: Technology Law and Debate," Information, Technology and E-Commerce, OBA, Toronto, June 2005.

· "Counsel's Perspectives on the Real Challenges of Outsourcing Here and Abroad," 2005 International IT Law Conference, Los Angeles, June 2005.

· "License Rights in Joint Ventures and Development Agreements," IT.Can Spring Training Program, May 10, 2005.

Ms. Gross is a member of the ITech Law Association, the Licensing Executives Society, the Toronto Computer Lawyers Group and the Information Technology and E-Commerce, Entertainment, Media and Communications and Privacy Sections of the Ontario Bar Association. She also sits on the board of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

In 1988, Ms. Gross received her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Computer Science from the University of Toronto, followed by her JD in 1991.