Harold-G.-Fox 2023 Intellectual Property Moot: a brilliant performance by our team

Faculty of Law - Common Law Section
Students
Professors
Awards and recognition

By Common Law

Communication, Faculty of Law

uOttawa Mooters Recognized for Prize-winning Performances at the 2023 Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot
Led by captain Daniella Febbraro, the uOttawa Common Law team featured Kaitlyn Margison and Alessandra Puopolo on the Appellant’s side, and Hannah Goold and Jordan Geist arguing the Respondent’s side. The team was coached by Professor Jeremy de Beer, Professor David Fewer, and Dr. Christian Clavette. 

The University of Ottawa’s Fox IP moot team enjoyed a successful and enriching weekend arguing at the Federal Court in Toronto, Ontario. Among twenty teams at the competition, our Appellant team reached the semi-finals after earning top seed in the preliminary rounds, while our Respondent team placed third on their side with their eloquent and compelling oral arguments. In recognition of their outstanding written submissions, uOttawa brought home first prize for best Appellant Factum and the runner-up prize for best Respondent Factum.  

In the first hybrid Fox moot, the uOttawa team argued in front of leading IP practitioners, as well as judges from the Federal Court and Ontario Superior Court in three preliminary rounds. Our Appellant team featured in the semi-finals, arguing in front of Justice Benjamin Zarnett of the Ontario Court of Appeal, Chief Justice Paul Crampton of the Federal Court, and Justice Gleason of the Federal Court of Appeal.  

The team’s success would not have been possible without the tremendous support of their coaches. Thank you for the hundreds of hours of calls and practice sessions, ongoing feedback, and unwavering confidence in our team.  

The team is grateful to the uOttawa IP community and our external IP experts for their time and support. The team is especially grateful to the school’s main IP moot sponsor, Ridout & Maybee LLP. Tremendous thanks also go to Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, Gowling WLG, and Fasken Ottawa for allowing us to visit and for providing outstanding feedback. The team is also grateful to Professor Steve Garland, Nicholas Wilson, Sanjit Rajayer, and Kelly Brennan for their time and input. Practice sessions with Justice Régimbald and Justice Grammond, both of the Federal Court, highlighted this year’s training.  

Kudos to the Fox Moot Committee and the organizers from DLA Piper (Canada) for a wonderful moot weekend. A huge congratulations to Queen’s University who took home the first-place win and multiple prizes for top oral submissions.