Upama Poudyal

Upama Poudyal is an associate in Gowling WLG's Waterloo Region office. She advises charities, not-for-profits and other tax-exempt entities on tax, governance and regulatory matters, and acts for technology companies and startups on corporate and commercial transactions. Her practice spans tax-exempt entities, corporate and commercial law, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial real estate.

Upama works with registered charities, foundations and not-for-profits at every stage of their lifecycle, from incorporation and charitable registration to ongoing governance, compliance, strategic planning, mergers, and dissolutions. She advises clients on Income Tax Act compliance, governance and strategic issues. On the corporate side, Upama often acts for venture-backed technology companies and startups on equity and debt financings, M&A, and general corporate and commercial matters. She also advises on commercial real estate transactions.

In her broad practice, she serves clients in a range of sectors, including industrial, financial, technology, health, long-term care, education, religion, recreation, community and social services, and associations.

Before joining Gowling WLG, Upama gained broad legal experience working for boutique law firms and in-house environments. She was a member of the first graduating class of the Lincoln Alexander School of Law, where she helped shape a number of clubs and initiatives. She was named champion and top oralist at the law school's second annual moot competition, arguing the Supreme Court of Canada case Toronto (City) v. Ontario (Attorney General). While in law school, she also created a partnership program between the school and a Toronto legal startup incubator that gave students hands-on experience with emerging tech companies. Before law school, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Honours Legal Studies, with distinction, from the University of Waterloo.

Outside the office, Upama enjoys travelling with friends, attending concerts, working out, and spending time with her golden retriever, Momo.