Yasmine Mekallach
Yasmine Mekallach is an associate in Gowling WLG's Montreal office and is a member of the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy Group, Blockchain & Smart Contracts Group and Financial Services Regulation Group.
As a regulatory and commercial lawyer, Yasmine provides guidance on various legal issues, including privacy, security and insurance matters. She regularly advises clients on how to position themselves strategically to thrive within Québec’s complex regulatory landscapes.
In the realm of privacy, she offers strategic and operational advice on a range of data protection and cyber security issues, focusing on the privacy requirements applicable to both public and private sector clients that handle personal information. With a keen interest in the field of biometrics, Yasmine regularly assists clients comply with both Québec and Federal privacy regulations when integrating biometric technologies in their operations.
In the area of securities, Yasmine assists a variety of companies with their financial regulatory questions in Canada, including the requirements to register as broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies, securities exchanges and money service businesses.
She regularly advises on complex cryptocurrency and blockchain matters, including those involving decentralized finance (DeFi), token and NFT offerings and crypto-asset trading platforms. Yasmine advises clients on the latest regulatory developments from Canadian securities regulators (such as the AMF, the OSC and the CSA) regarding cryptocurrencies, cryptocurrency derivatives and other digital assets to help structure their operations in compliance with local securities laws and AML requirements
In the insurance sector, Yasmine assists insurers and insurance intermediaries (agents, brokers, claims adjusters, etc.) in navigating and complying with Québec insurance laws and regulations, where she effectively liaises with the Autorité des marchés financiers (AMF) and the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI).
She initially joined the team as a law student in 2019 and holds a civil law degree and a Juris Doctor in common law from the University of Montreal. Before beginning her education in law, Yasmine obtained a bachelor of commerce from Concordia University. She graduated with great distinction and received numerous merit scholarships along the way, including the Centre Desjardins Scholarship in Corporate Financial Management and the George and Helen's Economides Scholarship.
She is fluent in both English and French.