Deeth Williams Wall LLP
18 lawyers · City of Toronto
One of 2,345 law firms listed in Toronto, and one of 195 handling Intellectual Property.
About Deeth Williams Wall LLP
Deeth Williams Wall LLP is a small, specialized law firm based in Toronto's financial district at 150 York Street. It was founded over 30 years ago by four lawyers, Douglas Deeth, Gervas Wall, Marijo Coates, and Amy-Lynne Williams, who left larger firms to build something different. As the firm puts it, the founders believed "there had to be a better way to treat our clients, our lawyers and staff." The practice has grown from its original seven lawyers to about twenty.
The practice concentrates on intellectual property, technology, and regulatory law. That covers patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and industrial design work, along with information technology matters such as artificial intelligence, privacy, cybersecurity, and Canada's anti-spam law. On the regulatory side, lawyers at the firm advise on food and drug, medical device, natural health product, cosmetics, and telecommunications rules, and its litigators handle patent and trademark disputes, including pharmaceutical patent cases under Canada's Notice of Compliance regulations. Clients range from Canadian technology start-ups to multinational corporations, provincial government bodies, and healthcare institutions, across industries that include pharmaceuticals, food, chemicals, automotive, and retail.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- Founded over 30 years ago by four lawyers, Douglas Deeth, Gervas Wall, Marijo Coates, and Amy-Lynne Williams, who left larger firms to start a firm focused on intellectual property, technology, and regulatory law
- Grown from its original seven lawyers to about twenty
- In 2026, Best Lawyers named the firm a Best Law Firm 2026 in Canada and a Best Law Firm 2026 in Toronto, and included nine of its lawyers in Best Lawyers in Canada 2026
- Founder Douglas Deeth, called to the Ontario bar in 1976, is a registered Canadian and U.S. patent and trademark agent and a past president of FICPI International, FICPI Canada, and the Canadian Bar Association's Intellectual Property Section
- Founder Gervas Wall, called to the Ontario bar in 1981, is a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
- Founder Marijo Coates, admitted to both the Ontario (1983) and Nova Scotia (1986) bars, wrote the book Register Your Trade-mark in Canada
In the community
- Publishes E-TIPS, a newsletter on intellectual property, technology, and regulatory law developments, with an online archive of issues dating back to 2002
- Takes on one articling student and one to two summer law students most years, under Law Society of Ontario program guidelines
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 18
Amy-Lynne Williams
Founding Partner
Technology & Startups
Claire Bettio
Associate
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
Douglas N. Deeth
Founding Partner
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Elisabeth Symons
Counsel
Technology & Startups
Gary Daniel
Partner
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Gervas W. Wall
Founding Partner
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Gordon S. Jepson
Managing Partner
Administrative & Regulatory LawIntellectual Property
Hung Nguyen
Partner
Intellectual Property
Jennifer R. Davidson
Partner
Technology & Startups
Lauren Lodenquai
Partner
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
M. Imtiaz Karamat
Associate
Technology & StartupsIntellectual Property
Marijo Coates
Founding Partner
Intellectual Property
Michelle Noonan
Senior Associate
Intellectual PropertyCivil Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Nick Whalen
Counsel
Intellectual Property
Richard Austin
Senior Counsel
Technology & Startups
Steffi Tran
Associate
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
Thomas E. Feather
Partner
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
Victoria Di Felice
Associate
Intellectual PropertyTechnology & Startups
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 1976–2021 · median 30 years in practice 11 of 18 lawyers
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School (5), University of Toronto (4), University of Ottawa (2), University of Toronto Faculty of Law (2), Dalhousie University, McGill University and 3 more 18 of 18 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
The firm's office at 150 York Street is part of Adelaide Place, a two building office complex in the heart of Toronto's financial core that connects underground to the city's PATH walkway system. It's a fitting base for a firm whose clients are mostly institutional rather than local: multinational corporations, provincial government bodies, financial networks, and healthcare organizations, the kind of tenants clustered in the same downtown office towers rather than a neighbourhood main street. For a firm built around patent, trademark, and regulatory work rather than walk-in litigation, being embedded in that corporate core, steps from other law firms, banks, and head offices, matters more than proximity to a courthouse.
Frequently asked questions
- What areas of law does Deeth Williams Wall handle?
- The firm concentrates on intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright, trade secrets, and industrial designs), information technology law (including AI, privacy, and cybersecurity matters), regulatory law for industries like food, drug, and medical devices, and related litigation, including patent and trademark disputes.
- Can Deeth Williams Wall help a start-up protect a new product or app?
- Yes. The firm's client base includes Canadian technology start-ups alongside larger multinational corporations, and its practice covers patent and trademark protection as well as technology contracting and AI related legal issues that come up as a product develops.
- Does the firm handle privacy and data breach matters?
- Yes. Privacy, cybersecurity, and Canada's anti-spam law (CASL) are part of the firm's information technology practice, alongside broader technology contracting and cloud computing work.
- Does Deeth Williams Wall work with companies in regulated industries like food, pharmaceuticals, or medical devices?
- Yes. The firm's regulatory law practice advises on food and drug, medical device, natural health product, cosmetics, and telecommunications rules, and its litigators handle pharmaceutical patent disputes under Canada's Notice of Compliance regulations.
- How long has Deeth Williams Wall been practicing in Toronto?
- The firm was founded over 30 years ago by four lawyers who left larger firms to build a smaller, specialized practice, and it has grown from seven lawyers to about twenty while staying at its Toronto office.
- Where is Deeth Williams Wall located and how do I reach the firm?
- The office is at 150 York Street, Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S5, in the Adelaide Place complex in the financial district. The firm can be reached at 416-941-9440 or info@dww.com.
Where to find them
150 York St., Suite 400, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3S5, Canada · 416-941-9440
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