Jonathan M.S. Woolley

OVERVIEW

Jonathan Woolley is the Practice Group Leader of our Appellate Advocacy Group, and a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Advanced Education and Research Groups. He maintains a broad litigation practice, with particular emphasis on intellectual property and commercial litigation, as well as the representation of professionals before their regulatory bodies. He has appeared at all levels of court in B.C, the Yukon Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, as well as the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal and various professional regulatory bodies.

Jonathan’s intellectual property litigation practice focuses on copyright and trademark law, and he represents commercial clients in contract and shareholder disputes. Jonathan also has experience in professional negligence claims, insolvency, and administrative and regulatory law. Jonathan regularly acts for lenders in foreclosures and unsecured collections, having acted for major Canadian banks as well as private lenders.

Jonathan joined the firm in 2014, after having practised at a large litigation firm, and later a litigation boutique, in Vancouver. In 2011 he obtained Master of Laws degrees from New York University and the National University of Singapore while based in Singapore and Shanghai.

Jonathan was born in Newfoundland and grew up in Saskatchewan. He enjoys reading, music, travel, and spending time with his family.

Jonathan provides legal services through Jonathan M.S. Woolley Law Corporation.

REPRESENTATIVE CLIENT WORK

• Counsel for trademark owners in infringement actions
• Counsel for copyright owners in infringement actions
• Defence counsel for professionals in disciplinary matters before their regulatory bodies
• Counsel for a university in an arbitration with a pharmaceutical company, involving patent licensing and royalties
• Counsel for a trademark owner in an infringement action against a provincial government ministry, through summary trial and appeal
• Counsel for a plaintiff minority shareholder in a two-week corporate oppression trial and appeal
• Counsel for a group of physicians in a four-week trial involving allegations of breach of fiduciary duty as corporate directors in a specialist clinic
• Counsel for a rancher in a claim against a government ministry, on an appeal concerning the existence of a duty of care in negligence
• Counsel for a local business on an appeal concerning the B.C. Supreme Court’s jurisdiction over a foreign defendant
• Counsel for a creditor, on summary trial and appeal, in a case involving issues of contractual interpretation
• Member of a legal team in the defence of a tobacco company in a health care costs recovery lawsuit
• Defence counsel for a foreign corporation in a three-week trial in a derivative action brought by a minority shareholder
• Plaintiff’s counsel in a one-week trial relating to allegations of negligence and breach of contract in connection with a church fire
• Plaintiff’s counsel for a foreign judgment-creditor, in a summary trial resulting in the enforcement of a foreign judgment in B.C.
• Counsel for a franchisor in a two-week trial involving allegations of breach of contract and fraud
• Counsel for a plaintiff manager in a greenhouse business, in a claim of unjust enrichment against a majority shareholder, through summary trial and appeal
• Counsel for a teacher on a judicial review, and subsequent appeal, of a decision of the Teacher Regulation Branch, involving issues of res judicata and abuse of process by delay
• Counsel for a physician, on an administrative appeal to the B.C. Supreme Court, from a decision of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
• Counsel in the defence of a large insurance company in a seven-week trial relating to allegations of breach of contract
• Counsel for a plaintiff minority shareholder in an eight-week corporate oppression trial
• Counsel for a surgeon in a one-week trial involving allegations of medical negligence and battery
• Counsel for creditors in foreclosures and unsecured collections
• Defence counsel for insurance brokers in negligence claims

PRESENTATIONS

“Academic Misconduct in Online Learning” – Canadian Association of University Solicitors (CAUS) Conference, June, 2023

DIRECTORSHIPS

Director, Lawyers’ Inn Society