Alan Gahtan Gahtan Law Office Direct: 416.410.9020 www.gahtan.com/alan | <contact information>

Areas of Practice
Information Technology / Computer Law
E-Commerce
Outsourcing

Qualifications and Career Profile
Alan Gahtan practices primarily in the information technology and intellectual property law field. His practice emphasizes technology contracting, outsourcing, Internet and electronic commerce issues. As a former senior LAN Administrator and a former manager of a computer and telecommunications company, Mr. Gahtan brings strong technical expertise and business and technology industry insight to his legal practice.

In his practice, Mr. Gahtan drafts, reviews and negotiates technology-related agreements such as software licensing, software development, hardware acquisition and maintenance, consulting and professional services, database licensing, on-line services, joint venture, outsourcing, telecom (including IRUs), value-added reseller (VAR) agreements, and provides a wide range of other services for businesses involved in the development, distribution and use of information technology, healthcare technology and intellectual property assets.

Mr. Gahtan provides advice on electronic commerce, EDI and Internet-related issues including registration and protection of domain names, electronic formation of contracts, website content review, liability, jurisdictional and infringement issues, linking, affiliate, web hosting and development agreements. He also provides advice, in consultation with litigation counsel, in disputes relating to ownership of intellectual property and infringement claims. Clients include financial and healthcare institutions, consulting firms, web developers and emerging technology firms.

Recognition and Media Consultation
LEXPERT identifies Mr. Gahtan as a leading Toronto-based lawyer in the information technology and E-commerce law fields. He has also been identified in "An International Who's Who of Internet and E-Commerce Lawyers" (published by Law Business Research) as one of top Internet lawyers in the world and in Lexpert/Amercian Lawyers’ ranking of the top 500 of all lawyers in Canada (and in which he is cited as one of Canada’s leading Computer/Technology lawyers).  

Mr. Gahtan is frequently consulted by the media and has been interviewed on CBC’s Venture program (E-Commerce and the Law, April 2000) and the CBC National News, and quoted in The Globe & Mail, Wall Street Journal, The Toronto Star, The National Post, Law Times (Canada), The Lawyers Weekly (Canada), Canadian Lawyer, Advisor's Edge, The National Law Journal (US), Computerworld, PC World and other publications.

Publications
Mr. Gahtan is a frequent writer, speaker and conference chair on information technology law issues. He is author of Electronic Evidence and of The Year 2000 Computer Crisis Legal Guide, and co-author of Internet Law: A Practical Guide for Legal and Business Professionals and a contributing editor of E-Commerce Law (Carswell, 2002). He has also authored or co-authored contributions to numerous publications including "Overview of the Legal Framework for Electronic Commerce" in Law of International On-line Business: A Global Perspective and "Computer Technology during Trial" and "Discovery of Electronic Evidence" in The Expert: A Practitioner’s Guide. He has contributed articles to The Lawyers Weekly (Canada), Information & Technology Law, Law Times, Hospital Quarterly, Cyberspace Lawyer and The E-Commerce Law Report.  Mr. Gahtan is also a long time columnist on technology issues for Law Times.  A list of published articles is available at http://www.gahtan.com/alan/articles.  Copies of more recent articles are published on Alan Gahtan's Techlaw Blog.

Course Instructor and Speaking Engagements
Mr. Gahtan developed and taught Canada’s first computer law course at Osgoode Hall Law School (1988-1989), was an instructor for OHLS’ E-Commerce Law Course (2000) and a Course Coordinator for OHLS’ E-Commerce LL.M. Course (2002).  Mr. Gahtan is also a frequent chair and presenter at conferences dealing with information technology contracting, Internet law and e-commerce.  A list of select speeches and presentations is available at http://www.gahtan.com/alan/present.htm.

Associations, Memberships and Admissions
Mr. Gahtan is the founder and past-chair of the Information Technology and Electronic Commerce Section of the Ontario Bar Association; past chair of the Toronto Computer Lawyers’ Group (1998-1999) and a former Director of the Canadian IT/Law Association (2000-2002). He is a member of the American Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association, Computer Law Association, Law Society of Upper Canada, State Bar of California, and the Canadian IT/Law Association. He was the first Canadian lawyer to create a web presence and currently maintains a number of technology and legal related websites (see www.gahtan.com).