OBA Council Member Responsibilities
Council members serve as ambassadors and liaisons for the OBA, communicating with constituents, identifying regional issues, and advising the Board. Their key responsibilities include:
- Advocacy & Representation: Raise regional and professional issues that would benefit from OBA advocacy, judicial system improvements, and professional development needs.
- Board Elections: Annually elect the Board of Directors.
- Meetings & Communication: Attend four Council meetings per year, submit agenda items, review materials, and share updates with members.
- Engagement & Outreach: Regularly communicate via email/social media, participate in regional calls, organize local meetings, and promote OBA membership.
Council members ensure the OBA remains active and engaged within their regions, fostering meaningful connections and opportunities.
Adil Abdulla
Biography
Adil is a lawyer at Sotos, working on class actions, public interest litigation, and commercial litigation. His current cases include claims against governments for systemic discrimination against Indigenous children and students with disabilities, claims against Google for anticompetitive conduct in AdTech, and claims against McKinsey for enabling the opioid crisis. He has published textbook chapters on civil procedure; peer-reviewed articles on class actions, securities law, competition law, and legal theory; and shorter pieces on intellectual property, franchise law, and legal ethics. He has also lectured on privilege, privacy law, and consumer protection law. He is currently the Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Civil Litigation section and on the Young Advocates Standing Committee of The Advocates’ Society.
Brent Arnold
Biography
Brent J. Arnold is a partner at INQ Law with over 20 years of experience specializing in cybersecurity, privacy, and commercial litigation. He has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Supreme Court of Canada, and has been recognized in Best Lawyers™ in Canada and the Lexpert Directory. Brent is a respected thought leader and speaker, serving as Chair of the Canadian Internet Society and holding leadership roles in multiple legal and technology organizations. His expertise lies at the intersection of law and technology, where he provides practical guidance on managing complex litigation, cyber risk and data breach response. Brent is a sought-after public speaker and has been quoted in leading national newspapers, appeared several times on CBC television and radio, and hosts the Net Positive podcast. Brent has held leadership positions in the Canadian Bar Association, the Ontario Bar Association, the Advocates’ Society, the International Association of Defense Counsel, and the Defense Research Institute. He currently serves as the Chair of the Canadian Internet Society, a thinktank that advocates for open, accessible, affordable and secure internet access for Canadians. Recent Experience Technology, Cybersecurity & Privacy ? Breach coach for an international law firm Advised a nuclear power plant builder in connection with a data breach Breach coach and cybersecurity advisor for a provincial lottery and gaming corporation in connection with various ransomware and credential stuffing attacks Advised a U.S. telephone company in a privacy-related dispute with a former service provider Counsel to an energy sector technology company in connection with a privacy breach caused by a phishing attack Represented a Web3 technology company in a dispute following a failed metaverse platform project Defended a U.S. software company in an action by a customer following a failed software implementation project Breach coach and cybersecurity advisor for the Canadian entity of an international aid NGO Defended a subrogated claim against a digital infrastructure company in connection with a ransomware attack on a customer Advised on sales, cybersecurity, and privacy aspects of the asset sale of a public utilities SaaS Breach coach for a SaaS vendor in the utilities sector attacked by Qilin ? Litigation & Arbitration ? Represented Amazon Web Services in the Capital One data breach class action Counsel to a foreign cellphone manufacturer in a data privacy dispute Counsel for auto parts supplier in dispute with SaaS provider Advised an international bank in a dispute with its SaaS vendor Represented an online home rental marketplace in several arbitrations across Canada Advised a provincial regulator in a contract dispute with its cloud hosting provider Represented a Web3 technology company in a dispute following a failed metaverse platform project Counsel for a commercial real estate service company in arbitration against a Big Four consulting firm regarding a failed software implementation project Appeared in the Supreme Court of Canada in support of the federal government's constitutional reference regarding a national securities regulator Insights & Recognition Best Lawyers™ in Canada 2025 Ranked in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2025 Ranked in Lexpert Special Edition: Technology 2025 Mondaq Spring 2025 Thought Leadership Awards (Data Protection) 2025 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Data Protection & Privacy Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences 2024 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 2023 Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences for Data Protection & Privacy Mondaq Thought Leadership Award for Autumn 2023 (Intellectual Property) ? Quoted, A. Smith, “Not coming to you online anytime soon: As other jurisdictions race ahead on digital IDs, some say Canada is moving backwards,” CBA National Magazine, January 5, 2026 U. Bahr-Gedalia & B. Arnold, “Canada’s AI Crossroads – Why Sovereignty and Speed Must Define Our Future,” Innovating Canada, December 2025 Interview, “The Value of Your Data and How to Protect It,” CBC Radio’s Just Asking, August 9, 2025 Interview, “Genetic Testing Kits,” CBC Radio’s Just Asking, June 21, 2025 Podcast interview, “Verdicts and Voices: A troubling trademark scam, AI hallucination cases and the 1998 Secession Reference,” Modern Law, Canadian Bar Association, May 29, 2025 Podcast interview, Episode 9, Code and Country, April 8, 2025 Quoted, N. Stechyson, “What happens to your DNA data now that 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy?,” CBC News, March 25, 2025 Quoted, “23andMe customers urged to delete personal data,” A. Heydari, CBC’s The National, March 25, 2025 Quoted, J. Castaldo, “Changing U.S. relationship has thrust Canada’s data sovereignty into the spotlight,” The Globe and Mail, February 27, 2025 Quoted, A. Heydari, “DeepSeek seems to struggle with questions that would upset Chinese authorities,” CBC News, January 28, 2025 ? ?
Jody Berkes
Biography
Jody Berkes received his B.A. from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California and his B.C.L. and LL.B. degrees from McGill University’s Faculty of Law, where he was selected valedictorian by his graduating class. After articling and practicing in Vancouver, British Columbia, he moved to Toronto in 1999. In 2012, he formed a partnership with Apple Newton-Smith. Since her appointment to the bench, Mr. Berkes founded Berkes Law. Mr. Berkes practice includes the defence of individuals, as well as corporations, charged under the Criminal Code of Canada, as well as other Federal and Provincial criminal and quasi-criminal statues, and professionals charged before discipline and competency panels. He appears in all levels of courts in Ontario. Jody Berkes is the Past Chair of the Ontario Bar Association Criminal Law Executive Committee, the Legislation and Law Reform Liaison of the National Criminal Section of the Canadian Bar Association, as well as a member of the Criminal Lawyers Association. His cases have been reported in both Ontario and British Columbia. Mr. Berkes is certified as a specialist in Criminal Law by the Law Society of Upper Canada.
