Georgina Danzig

Intellectual Property Litigator, Partner

Overview

A seasoned litigator active before the Federal Courts and the Superior Court with years of experience dealing with complex litigation and extraordinary remedies. Reputation as a pragmatic and highly effective advocate who can assimilate complex facts and distill them into key points efficiently and strategically. Best known for her work in intellectual property protection, specifically anti-counterfeiting enforcement. Recognized globally as a thought leader on anti-counterfeiting legislation, policy, and practise. Wrote the Guide on Canadian Intellectual Property for European businesses for The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Market Access Programme.

Staunch protector of the intellectual capital of her clients, she designs proactive and defensive solutions to combat piracy, infringement, theft, and counterfeiting. She actively litigates all manner of counterfeiting cases including copyright piracy, trademark infringement and counterfeiting, and industrial design infringement, as well as cases involving theft of confidential information, trade secrets, corporate opportunities and tangible property by business competitors and/or former employees.

Agile practice management skills and extensive experience dealing in extraordinary remedies including, Anton Piller orders, preservation orders, and other forms of declaratory and injunctive relief, contribute to her success as an efficient, pragmatic and solution driven counsel.

She is often engaged as an Independent Supervising Solicitor in respect of the execution of Anton Piller orders in intellectual property and commercial disputes having served these orders in environments ranging from commercial and industrial complexes and shopping plazas to residential environments.

In addition to civil litigation, she has extensive experience working with law enforcement, customs, and other professionals to secure appropriate remedies for her clients that go beyond civil remedies.

She has expert facility with Canada’s border enforcement regime in relation to counterfeit goods, including enrolling clients in the border enforcement program and working with customs to protect her clients’ rights at Canada’s borders.

When the problem rises to the level of criminal counterfeiting, she has assisted brand owners in working with law enforcement to obtain criminal search warrants and participated at the execution of search warrants, further to a writ of assistance. After seizure, she interfaces between victims and the police to ensure the Crown has the necessary testimonial and evidentiary support.

Legal Education

Georgina graduated from the University of Windsor Faculty of Law with a Bachelor of Laws in 1988 and from the University of Detroit with a Juris Doctor in 1990. She also studied international law at Regents College in London, England.

She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1990. Following her call, she served as a clerk to the Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court, which was then known as the Ontario Court (General Division).

Rankings and Recognition

Georgina has been ranked as one of Canada's top three anti-counterfeiting lawyers by the World Trademark Review 1000 in their 2022 guide. For many years, she was a contributing author to the Canadian portion of their global guide on anti-counterfeiting laws, procedures and strategies. She is also recognized as a Trade Mark Star in the 2022 edition of IP STARS from Managing IP.

Georgina also received an Award in Recognition of Outstanding Contribution to the Toronto Police Services and the Community from the Toronto Police Service in 2014.

Involvement in Professional Associations

Leadership:

• Past Chair, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2021-2022)
• Chair, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2020-2021)
• Chair, Public Awareness Committee, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (2019-present)
• Co-Chair, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2018-2020)
• Chair, Anti-counterfeiting & Trade Offence Committee, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2013-2020)
• Vice-Chair, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2019-2020)
• Outreach Liaison Officer, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2018-2019)
• Secretary-Treasurer, Canadian Bar Association, National Intellectual Property Section (2017- 2018)
• panelist/speaker before the Senate of Canada, "Open Caucus on Countering Counterfeits", Ottawa, respecting recent amendments to the Trademarks Act and the Copyright Act, that created a border enforcement regime to address the import/export of Counterfeit Goods (2017);
• delivered oral & written submissions to the Senate of Canada on behalf of the Canadian Bar Association, IP Section, on Bill C-8, the Combatting Counterfeit Products Act (2014)

Membership:

• Law Society of Ontario (since 1990)
• Federal Court Practice Committee of the Canadian Bar Association (+ 5 years to current)
• International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC) (+ 5 years to current)
• Canadian Anti-Counterfeiting Network (CACN) (+ 5 years to current)
• Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) (+ 5 years to current)
• Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (2017 to current)
• Intellectual Property Rights Enforcement Working Group (from its inception, +5 years to current)
• International Trademark Association (INTA) (+ 5 years to current)
• Famous and Well-Known Marks Committee, International Trademark Association (2017 to 2019)

Publications

• “White Paper on Canadian Intellectual Property for The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) Market Access Programme” (author) published April 2021
• “Procedures and Strategies for Anti-Counterfeiting: Canada”, Canadian Corporate Counsel, Vol 26, No. 5, May/June 2017, Published by Canada Law Book, (co-author)
• 21st Annual Intellectual Property Law: The Year in Review (Toronto), Published by the Law Society of Upper Canada (2017)
• “Anti-Counterfeiting”, Lexis Practice Advisor ® Canada,www.lexisnexis.com/ca/guidance/ipandit/synopsis/96026:159738/Trade-marks/Anti-Counterfeiting (co-author/author) including: Practice Notes & Precedents (2017)
• Chapter 8, “Litigation of Counterfeit Goods” in Paul Lomic ed. Intellectual Property Litigation: Forms and Precedents (LexisNexis, 2016)
• Canadian Forms & Precedents – Debtor/Creditor, 2nd Edition – Chapter 5 Levying Execution, LexisNexis Canada (co-author)
• World Trademark Review– “The Global Guide on Anti-Counterfeiting Laws, Procedures and Strategies – Canada” (co-author) (2011-2020)

Selected Media

• TVO’s, “The Agenda, with Steve Paiken”, interviewed by Steve Paiken discussing, Amazon’s Counterfeiting Problem and the issue of fake goods online: https://www.tvo.org/video/amazons-counterfeit-problem (2019)
• Interviewed and quoted in article by Ann Macaulay, "CBA Suggests Copyright Law Amendments" (2019)
• Interviewed on “Power and Politics”, CBC National News, https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-seizing-few-shipments-of-fake-goods-despite-law-targeting-counterfeits-1.4577505 (March 2018)
• Quoted in article by Dean Beeby, CBC News, March 22, 2018, “Canada Seizing few Shipments of Fake Goods Despite Law Targeting Counterfeits” (March 22, 2018)
• Quoted in article for CBC News, “Canada in Talks with Trump officials over fresh demands to curb phoney goods” (December 4, 2018)

Recent Speaking Engagements

• "CETA's impact on Intellectual Property Rights in Canada: What SME's with IP rights Should Know", webinar, presenter (2021)
• “Pulling Back the Curtain on Domain Name Dispute Resolution: What Do Decision Makers Want? What Do Complainants Need to Prove?”, webinar, presenter (2020)
• "Primer on Anti-Counterfeiting Enforcement at Canada’s Border", Canadian Patent Practice Monthly Meeting (2020)
• “Injunctions, Damages, Profits, Oh My!” webinar, co-presenter, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (2019) Intellectual Property Institute of Canada,
• Annual Fraud and Anti-Counterfeiting Conference, moderator of various panels (2019 -2010) including: (i) “Fraud, Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Link”; (ii) “Anti-counterfeiting Border Enforcement Strategies”; (iii) “Maximizing Criminal and Border Enforcement Regimes: A Comparison of Criminal Law and Customs Regimes in Canada, The USA And Mexico”; and (iv) "Criminal Prosecution of IP Cases" • CETA Program Annual Workshop for EU Business, Achievements and Challenges of CETA Implementation, "IPR Achievements, Changes and Challenges", speaker (2018)
• “Dealing with Unrepresented Parties, Effective and Strategic Communication Skills to Help you Achieve Your Goals", Ontario Bar Association, speaker (2018)
• "Primer on Federal Court Jurisprudence Dealing with Unrepresented Litigants and Services of Anton Piller Orders by Independent Supervising Solicitors", Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, speaker (2018)
• "A Jurisdictional Comparison of Border Enforcement Practices and Procedures", IPR Enforcement Group, speaker (2018)
• Current Issues in Fashion Law, Entertainment Media & Communication Law Program, Ontario Bar Association, speaker (2018)
• Windsor Fashion Law Society, University of Windsor, Law School, panelist (2018)
• "21st Annual Intellectual Property Law Lecture: Trademarks - The Year in Review, 2016 (Toronto)", the Law Society of Upper Canada, speaker (2017)
• "Strategies and Policies Against Counterfeiting and Infringement Shanghai Group Lecture": "The Canadian Consumer Perceptions and the Effectiveness of Canada's anti-Counterfeiting Legislation", Asian Business & Management Program, York University, speaker (2017)
• "Counterfeit Luxury Goods - Product Identification and the 4 P's You Need to Know", Toronto Police College, Canadian Anti-counterfeiting Network speaker (2017)
• "Border Enforcement IP Regimes," A Comparison of Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, and the Ukraine", 22nd Annual Fraud & Anti-counterfeiting Conference, Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP (2017)