Stephen Selznick is a partner in the Intellectual Property, Sports & Entertainment, and Regulatory Groups at Cassels, and a leading member of the intellectual property and entertainment bars. Stephen’s practice focuses on structuring, reorganizations and litigation. A frequent speaker on IP and entertainment matters, Stephen represents clients in knowledge-based industries, including advertising, film, television, recording, theatre, publishing, social media, AI, computer software, telecommunications, air transport, shipping, and cannabis. He has extensive experience with the purchasing, financing, licensing and restructuring of intellectual and entertainment properties, including: branding and research and development agreements. Stephen is also an adjunct professor of law and has appeared before the Ontario Superior Court, the Commercial List of the Ontario Superior Court, the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal and numerous tribunals including the Trademark Opposition Board, CRTC, Canadian Transportation Agency, RECO, OREA, Ad Standards, Ontario Energy Board, and Travel Council of Ontario. In 2023, Stephen successfully completed the Stanford University Law School Advanced IP/Tech Mediation and Arbitration Course.
Stephen’s representative work includes having acted for:
- Oracle Corporation in the reclamation of its intellectual property rights in its retail and database management systems on the insolvency of the T. Eaton Company
- Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and the producers of this theatrical productions “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in both sit-down Toronto productions and subsequent North American tours, as well as successful litigation in the insolvencies of both Cineplex Odeon Corp. and Livent Inc. Livent Inc., Re (1998) 45 BLR (2d) 249 and Cineplex Odeon Corp., Re, 26 CBR (4th) 21, 2001 CanLII 28465 (ON SC)
- Energy supplier and retailer Summitt Energy Management Inc. in several defences of agent conduct claims before the Ontario Energy Board and the Ontario Divisional Court In Re Summitt Energy Management Inc. EB-2010-0221, In Re Summitt Energy Management Inc. EB-2011-0316 and Summitt Energy Management Inc. v. Ontario Energy Board, 2013 ONSC 318 (Ontario Div Court) (CanLII)
- Air Miles International Trading BV and LoyaltyOne, Co. in over 120 successful proceedings before the Trademark Opposition Board, the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Ontario Superior Court involving third party infringement use of the AIR MILES trademark
- Warner Home Video and its related entities in the negotiation, conclusion and securitization of its worldwide outsourcing of the disc and media production, packaging and physical distribution of its film, television and music library to Technicolor
- Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited in the defence of third-party patent and trademark infringement claims
- Invictus MD Strategies Corp. and Acreage Pharm in numerous commercial agreements including a significant wholesale cannabis medical supply agreement with Deutsche Medizinalcannabis GmbH
- The rights holder of Lord of the Rings in connection with the stage production of Lord of the Rings
