Biography: Internet & e-Commerce

Lisa R Lifshitz is a partner in Gowlings' Toronto office, practising in the areas of information technology and business law. A member of the firm's technology industry practice group, Lisa specialises in preparing and negotiating technology licences and agreements, including software licences; reseller/distribution, development, system acquisition, source code, maintenance and support agreements; joint venture agreements; outsourcing agreements; and confidentiality and professional services agreements.

Lisa has extensive experience in preparing and negotiating Internet-, e-commerce- and m-commerce-related contracts, including agreements for website development and maintenance, applications, online retail, cloud computing, web hosting, and website terms and conditions. Lisa advises on technology law matters for a diverse client base, from emerging companies to large institutions. She provides technology-related advice on financings and acquisitions, including export control and open source advice on cross-border deals. Lisa is also the founder and co-chair of the firm's national privacy and information management practice group, and advises both Canadian and international clients on Canadian privacy issues and compliance.

As a member of the firm's life sciences industry group, Lisa advises pharmaceutical companies in the areas of product licensing (including drugs and medical devices) and has extensive experience negotiating services agreements, supply agreements, distribution/reseller agreements, funding and promotion agreements, quality assurance agreements, clinical trial agreements and transition agreements. She also has extensive experience in the procurement of technology for health care providers and in assisting pharmaceutical companies in government tenders.

Lisa is currently the American Bar Association's business law section liaison to the science and technology section, and is a member of its international coordinating committee and its liaison to the meetings committee. She is the past vice-chair and past membership and public relations chair of the ABA's cyberspace law committee and remains actively involved in the committee.

Lisa is a former director of the Information Technology Law Association, the director and treasurer of the Canadian IT Law Association (IT.Can), and the past chair of the international technology and electronic commerce section of the Ontario Bar Association. She is also the past-chair of the IT.Can's ad hoc committee on e-commerce and is past-chair, vice-chair and treasurer of the Toronto Computer Lawyers Group.

Lisa has been listed as a leading lawyer in several legal industry publications, including The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Who's Who Legal: Canada, Chambers Global Guide and The International Who's Who of Internet, e-Commerce & Data Protection Lawyers.