ashlee@froeselaw.com

Ashlee Froese is a branding & fashion lawyer and trademark agent with over 14 years' experience. She is recognized by the Law Society of Ontario as a Certified Specialist in Trademarks Law; 1 of 6 female lawyers to carry that designation. Since 2017, Ashlee is consistently listed in the World Trademark Review as one of the top 1000 trademark lawyers in the world. In 2019, Ashlee was one of 39 lawyers across Canada to be granted the Lexpert Zenith Award, which recognizes her as a change maker in law. In 2021, Ashlee was granted the World Intellectual Property Review’s Diversity award as an Influential Woman in IP, one of only 69 lawyers worldwide. In 2022, Ashlee was an awardee with the Canadian Law Awards in the Female Trailblazer of the Year category. Prior to launching Froese Law, Ashlee was a partner on Bay Street. She fast tracked to partnership within 6 years.

Ashlee's scope of practice includes trademarks, copyright, contract, licensing, domain name, social media, marketing/advertising, packaging/labeling and start up corporate laws.

Ashlee holds numerous leadership and mentorship positions including, executive committee member (Ontario Bar Association), brand strategy council member (Canadian Marketing Association), advisor (Ryerson Fashion Zone), committee member (Intellectual Property Institute of Canada), committee member (International Trademarks Association), past co-chair (Fashion Group International), and past-chair (Toronto Intellectual Property Group), chair (City of Toronto's Fashion Industry Advisory Panel).

Ashlee is a frequent guest speaker and published author on branding and fashion law. She has lectured at law schools, universities, law societies and industry associations throughout North America. She has been published in magazines, academic publications and is a contributing author to a book. Ashlee frequently provides her commentary to the media on leading branding and fashion law matters.

Jurate Motiejunaite

GOVERNMENT GRANT CONSULTANT

Jurate is a writing professional with over 15 years of international experience in research, grant proposal writing, and project management. Her writing expertise involves grant application writing for Alberta Innovates, NRC IRAP, CanExport, and Business Plans. She has worked with a myriad of industries including software companies, Oil & Gas companies, small start-ups in Canada, and educational NGOs in Europe.

Anton M. Katz

 BUSINESS LAWYER

OF COUNSEL

Anton Katz is a business lawyer who has been practicing since 1996.  He brings his extensive experience to sophisticated business and commercial law matters.  He assists clients with asset and share purchase agreements, commercial leases, amalgamations, reorganizations, shareholder agreements, employment agreements, mergers and acquisitions, financing and business law disputes.

Anton has held several leadership positions within the legal community, including as an executive member of the Ontario Bar Association’s Business Law Section, as well as the Sole & Small Firm General Practice Section.  

Antonio Viera

CORPORATE LAW CLERK

Kara Allanch

GOVERNMENT GRANT CONSULTANT

Kara is a government grant consultant with 20 years of experience in research, research administration and project management, market assessments, strategic advising and proposal development coordination and support across a broad range of disciplines. Kara began her career in medical research, studying kidney transplant rejection. She then moved into university research administration where she first negotiated research funding and intellectual property agreements between the university and industry partners, and later became the Manager of Institutional Programs, where her team was responsible for the cradle-to-grave selection, development and administration of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) funding. Kara was the main point of contact between the CFI and the university for a portfolio of over 150 ongoing projects.  Since 2020 Kara has been working directly with start-up companies and academic researchers to provide strategic advice and to develop proposals for non-dilutive funding opportunities.

Antonio has been a law clerk since 2005. In addition to his years of experience with incorporations, amalgamations, continuances, dissolutions, and ongoing corporate maintenance matters, he has extensive experience in various areas of corporate law, franchise law, tax reorganizations, estate freezes, including share and asset purchase and sale transactions, due diligence reviews and trust work. Antonio also has extensive experience in the area of not-for-profit and charities law. He has assisted with charitable registrations, continuances and maintenance of private and public foundations and charitable organizations. Antonio is a member of The Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario and is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Salman Rana

COPYRIGHT LAWYER 

OF COUNSEL

Salman Rana is a Toronto based music, copyright and licensing lawyer working with musicians, artists and others in the creative industries who has been practicing law since 2006.

In addition to Salman's legal practice, he is also an Assistant Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University's Creative School (previously Ryerson University) where he teaches in the Creative Industries and Professional Music programs. He teaches and lectures on copyright law and policy, cultural studies of law, the sociology of law, celebrity, creativity and management principles in the creative industries.    

Salman was a performing artist and a founding member of the Hip Hop artist collective, The Circle, along with celebrated artists Kardinal Offishall, Saukrates, Choclair and Jully Black.

Salman studied law at Osgoode Hall Law School and holds masters degrees in law from McGill University and the University of Oxford. He is currently a doctoral candidate at McGill University's Faculty of Law where his work explores the intersection of artistic subcultures, law and normativity.

Drawing on his legal practice and academic research and teaching, Salman provides valuable insight into artists and entrepreneurs in the cultural industries sector.