Ryan Steeves

Ryan Steeves is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office, practising in the Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation Department.

Ryan's practice focuses on IP litigation, with particular emphasis on assisting and managing complex IP matters related to pharmaceutical patents, high tech patents, copyright, trademarks and trade secrets. Ryan also frequently provides clients with strategic advice related to the proactive enforcement and protection of their intellectual property assets.

Ryan has appeared on behalf of clients in all stages of litigation, in both federal and provincial courts, on a wide spectrum of issues, including actions under Canada's PM(NOC) Regulations, actions for Section 8 damages, technology disputes over copyright, matters involving the protection of trade secrets, and trademark disputes involving fashion and sports apparel. He is a passionate advocate for his clients, whether they are an individual creator, a local independent business or a large multi-national corporation.

Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Ryan served as the director of legal affairs for Music Canada, the national trade organization representing Canada's major record labels. In this role as instructing in-house counsel, Ryan worked closely with external counsel as Music Canada intervened in several seminal cultural industry and technology cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, and was a key contributor to the overall management of Music Canada's policy initiative. Ryan was the point-person for Music Canada's federal advocacy initiatives related to the strengthening of Canada's IP laws, and was influential in the development of Music Canada's ground-breaking report, The Value Gap: Its Origins, Impacts and a Made-In-Canada Approach.

Ryan was also previously an associate at a large national firm in Ottawa, practising primarily in the areas of pharmaceutical patent litigation, copyright litigation, and in the Trademark Prosecution department.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Ryan was a professional hockey player.