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Alan Gahtan, B.A., M.B.A., LL.B. |
Areas of Practice
Information Technology / Computer Law
Outsourcing
E-Commerce
US Securities Class Action Litigation
Qualifications and Career Profile
Alan Gahtan practices primarily in the information technology and intellectual
property law field. His practice emphasizes technology transaction contracting,
outsourcing, Internet and electronic commerce issues. As a former senior LAN
Administrator, former manager of a computer and telecommunications company and
former owner/operator his own computer related businesses, Mr. Gahtan brings
strong technical expertise and business and technology industry insight to his
legal practice, which allows him to provide relevant and practical advice and
focus on what’s truly important. It also better equips him to understand and
provide advice on the more technical components of technology related contracts
such as SOWs, SLAs and security and remote access policies.
In his practice, Mr. Gahtan drafts, reviews and negotiates technology-related agreements such as outsourcing, managed services, consulting and professional services, software licensing, software, application and/or web development, hardware acquisition and maintenance, database licensing, on-line services, hosting, data center, joint venture, telecom (including IRUs), value-added reseller (VAR) agreements, and provides a wide range of other services for businesses involved in the development, supply and/or use of information technology, healthcare technology and intellectual property assets and related services. On a more limited basis, Mr. Gahtan also 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 and related agreements.
Mr. Gahtan also provides advice and support for US securities class action litigation
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.
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).
More recently, Alan was part-time professor for several years at Seneca College
where he taught a technology law course and co-taught a privacy law course. Mr.
Gahtan is also a frequent chair and presenter at conferences dealing with
information technology contracting, Internet law and e-commerce.
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). Alan is a member in good standing with
the Law Society of Upper Canada and State Bar of California. He is or has been
a member of the American Bar Association, Canadian Bar Association, Computer
Law Association, 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.
Education
B.A, University of Toronto
M.B.A., York University
LL.B., Osgoode Hall Law School
Mr. Gahtan is admitted to the Bar in Ontario (1991) and California (1996).
Mr. Gahtan is the principal of Gahtan Law Office. Immediately prior to that he was a partner with the U.S. law firm of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP.