David Schnurr

Biography description

David Schnurr is a nationally recognized business and technology lawyer who combines his qualifications as a Registered Patent and Trademark Agent with extensive experience in corporate, commercial, mergers and acquisitions, contract law and IP rights enforcement to advise clients on complex, integrated legal issues at the intersection of business, innovation, technology, and enterprise growth, delivering pragmatic, commercially focused, and cost-effective solutions. David provides legal services to a diverse client base that includes multinational and mid-market corporations, startups and high-growth technology companies, universities and colleges, hospitals and healthcare organizations, Crown corporations, public utilities, school boards, municipalities and other government-affiliated entities, and charities and not-for-profit organizations

David maintains a broad and diverse practice and is routinely called upon as a trusted advisor to provide strategic and general counsel advice across all aspects of his clients’ businesses. His work includes advising on intellectual property, information technology, and sophisticated business transactions, including domestic and cross-border acquisitions and dispositions, investments, strategic partnerships, joint ventures, corporate restructurings and financings, and litigation and enforcement. He also advises on day-to-day commercial contracting, governance and shareholder matters, and risk management. As an associate, David completed a multi-year secondment with the in-house legal department of Canada’s largest technology company.

In his intellectual property practice, David has prosecuted hundreds of patent and trademark applications worldwide and manages significant global IP portfolios for multinational clients. His IP experience includes patentability and registrability opinions, IP due diligence in corporate transactions, enforcement and dispute resolution, trademark opposition and cancellation proceedings, and domain name disputes, as well as regulatory advice relating to privacy, CASL, and artificial intelligence.

Known for his strong client focus and commercially grounded approach, David brings particular strength in structuring and negotiating complex transaction agreements and aligning legal strategy with business objectives. He is frequently trusted by founders, boards, and senior executives to provide ongoing strategic advice on corporate and IP strategy, M&A, investments, litigation and enforcement and other transformational matters. Clients value his ability to distill complex issues, anticipate and manage risk, and deliver practical, high-quality advice with efficiency and decisiveness.

David is regarded as a leading Canadian authority on AI, computer and technology law. He regularly prepares and negotiates sophisticated commercial and technology agreements, including software licensing and distribution agreements, SaaS and cloud services agreements, master services agreements, IT outsourcing and strategic sourcing arrangements, software development agreements, joint venture agreements, privacy and data processing agreements, and complex commercial frameworks supporting enterprise-scale technology deployments. He has acted as lead negotiator on numerous multi-million-dollar IT outsourcing and sourcing projects for multinational corporations and public-sector entities and is the author of the Cloud Computing chapter in LexisNexis’ Social Media and Internet Law.

David is a leading startup and emerging-technology lawyer and a key member of Miller Thomson’s National MTech® Startup Team. As a regional MTech leader, he leads multidisciplinary teams providing legal advice and mentorship to early-stage companies through predictable and accessible billing models. He also leads the firm’s ElevateIP and Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON) service teams.

David has assisted a significant number of clients in defending software audit requests and related copyright infringement demands, including but not limited to those advanced by BSA (The Software Alliance). In this role, David has established proven and effective methods for managing software copyright disputes, with a view to mitigating both legal and financial consequences for his clients.

David is consistently recognized for excellence by leading legal directories, including repeated rankings in The Canadian Lexpert Legal Directory, The Legal 500 and the World Trademark Review 1000 (Silver Band Ranking), where he is praised for exceptional client service, strategic portfolio management, and practical, business-oriented advice.

David is a Registered Canadian and U.S. Patent Agent and a Registered Canadian and U.S. Trademark Agent, having passed the Canadian Patent Agent Examinations on his first attempt. In a given year, less than 5% of test-takers achieve passing grades on all four Patent Agent Examinations, placing David in elite company.

David’s commitment to education, public speaking engagements, and his standout publications underscore his passion for sharing knowledge and helping others navigate the dynamic world of business, intellectual property and technology law. David has presented on various legal topics to in-house counsel, foreign agents and attorneys, universities, startups, professional associations and other lawyers, including at seminars organized by the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) and the Law Society of Ontario.

For over a decade, David served as an Adjunct Professor at Western University’s Faculty of Law, teaching the Advanced Intellectual Property course, where he is a five-time recipient of the Faculty’s Teaching Award of Excellence. He is a frequent speaker and author on IP, technology, and business law, has presented nationally and internationally, and has been quoted by major Canadian media outlets.

David completed his law degree at Western University, where he was the recipient of the Dean of Law Entrance Scholarship and obtained highest standing in Advanced Patent Law. In his undergraduate career, David was the recipient of two Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Awards. David is a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC).