Choose your CBA site:
  • National
  • Ontario
    • Alberta
    • British Columbia
    • Manitoba
    • New Brunswick
    • Newfoundland & Labrador
    • Northwest Territories
    • Nova Scotia
    • Nunavut
    • Prince Edward Island
    • Québec
    • Saskatchewan
    • Yukon
  • In-house Counsel
OBA Logo
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • Provincial Council
    • By-law and Policies
    • Accessibility Statement
  • News
  • Contact
  • Careers
    • Careers at OBA
    • Legal Career Centre
  • Login to MyCBA
Become a Member
OBA Logo
search
menu
  • Login to MyCBA
  • Become a Member
  • Our Impact
    • About Advocacy
    • Legislative Updates
    • Sector Updates
    • Submissions
    • Committees
    • Initiatives
    • Innovator in Residence

    LegUp Newsletter

    • View LegUp Newsletter
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer with OBA
    • Awards and Recognition
    • Lawyers Helping Lawyers
    • OBA Speakers Bureau
    • Sponsorship and Advertising
    • Pro Bono

    Build Your Profile

    • Learn More
  • Professional Development
    • Find a Program
    • Certificate Series
    • Webinars by Series
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Mentorship
    • Case Center Training

    On-Demand Professional Development

    • Learn more
  • Sections
    • Sections
    • Enroll in Sections
    • Section Constitution
    • Section Executive Nominations

    Make the most of your membership

    • Join Sections
  • Resources
    • Practice Tools
    • Publications
    • Podcasts
    • OBA Robe Bank
    • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Truth & Reconciliation
    • Well-being and Lawyer Assistance
    • Peer Support Network

    Real Intelligence on AI

    • View AI Resources
  • Membership
    • Joining the CBA
    • Membership Fees & Benefits
    • Member Savings
    • Member Directory
    • OBA Services

    Become a member

    • Join Now
  • Public
    • OBA Conference Centre
    • Making a Will
    • Working with a Lawyer to Buy a Home
    • Legal Health Checks
    • Legal Resources
    • Immigrating to Canada
    • Speakers Bureau

    Find a Lawyer

    • Search
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • Provincial Council
    • By-law and Policies
    • Accessibility Statement
  • News
  • Contact
  • Careers
    • Careers at OBA
    • Legal Career Centre
  • Our Impact
    • About Advocacy
    • Legislative Updates
    • Sector Updates
    • Submissions
    • Committees
    • Initiatives
    • Innovator in Residence

    LegUp Newsletter

    LegUp is your weekly window into what's happening at Queen's Park and beyond, with updates on regulatory and legislative changes, and much more!

    View LegUp Newsletter
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer with OBA
    • Awards and Recognition
    • Lawyers Helping Lawyers
    • OBA Speakers Bureau
    • Sponsorship and Advertising
    • Pro Bono

    Build Your Profile

    Lawyers helping lawyers is all about making lasting, impactful connections.

    Learn More
  • Professional Development
    • Find a Program
    • Certificate Series
    • Webinars by Series
    • On-Demand Programs
    • Mentorship
    • Case Center Training

    On-Demand Professional Development

    Access on-demand professional development, whenever and wherever it suits your busy schedule.

    Learn more
  • Sections
    • Sections
    • Enroll in Sections
    • Section Constitution
    • Section Executive Nominations

    Make the most of your membership

    Section renewal for 2024-2025

    Join Sections
  • Resources
    • Practice Tools
    • Publications
    • Podcasts
    • OBA Robe Bank
    • Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
    • Truth & Reconciliation
    • Well-being and Lawyer Assistance
    • Peer Support Network

    Real Intelligence on AI

    OBA’s Real Intelligence on AI is designed to demystify AI and help you to understand and mitigate its risks while enjoying its many benefits.

    View AI Resources
  • Membership
    • Joining the CBA
    • Membership Fees & Benefits
    • Member Savings
    • Member Directory
    • OBA Services

    Become a member

    Learn new skills, grow your network and make an impact.

    Join Now
  • Public
    • OBA Conference Centre
    • Making a Will
    • Working with a Lawyer to Buy a Home
    • Legal Health Checks
    • Legal Resources
    • Immigrating to Canada
    • Speakers Bureau

    Find a Lawyer

    Use our Find-a-Lawyer search tool to locate a lawyer who specializes in the area of law you need.

    Search
Home / Get Involved / Awards and Recognition / Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law / Award

Rising Star Award for the OBA Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law Section

Ontario Bar Association Celebrating Excellence graphic with a gold-edged circular emblem featuring scales of justice on a blurred light background.

About the Award

The Rising Star Award in Information Technology/Intellectual Property was established in 2022 by the Ontario Bar Association’s Information Technology/Intellectual Property section to recognize and celebrate exceptional junior members of the section for their achievements, ongoing service and contributions to the IT/IP bar(s).

  • Eligibility

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    To be eligible for the Rising Star Award, an individual must be a member of the Ontario information technology and/or intellectual property bar(s) within their first ten years of practice, and have made a significant contribution in at least one of the following areas:

    • developing and demonstrating leadership in their practice area(s);
    • maintaining the highest standards of professional competence, including integrity and civility; and
    • a commitment to promoting and advancing the interests of the bar(s) writ large.

    The Committee invites nominators to address diversity in their submissions, including but not limited to (i) how the nominee candidate is a member of an equity-seeking group and/or (ii) how they may have supported members of the bar(s) from such backgrounds. The OBA, as a diverse organization, values diversity and is deeply committed to honouring the entire profession. We therefore welcome nominations of individuals from such groups.

  • Application Requirements

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    Any member of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section of the Ontario Bar Association who is in good standing is eligible to nominate a candidate for the Rising Star Award by making a submission in writing. A nominator submitting a nominee for consideration must:

    • Complete a nomination form;
    • Provide a personally authored letter of recommendation of no more than two (2) typed pages, double-spaced, explaining the nominee’s qualifications, and contributions or achievements in the areas of information technology and/or intellectual property law, and any other relevant considerations, including those related to diversity;
    • Provide a copy of the nominee’s current CV; and
    • Confirm that the nominee has been advised of and consents to their nomination in advance of the nomination deadline.

    If the above noted application requirements are not followed, the nominee will not be considered.

  • Criteria for Selection

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    Nominees must meet the OBA’s Universal Minimum Criteria for Section Awards, which provide that:

    • All eligible candidates must be OBA members;
    • Eligible candidates cannot be members of the current OBA Information Techonology and Intellectual Property Law Section Executive; and
    • The award may be given to one (1) recipient only each year.

    In addition, a nominee cannot be a current member or a member of the previous years’ Award Selection Committee or the OBA Board of Directors, and cannot nominate another candidate for the Award (i.e., a nominee cannot also be a nominator).

    A nominator can only nominate one candidate each year, but a nominee can be nominated by more than one nominator.

  • Selection Process

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    The selection of the Award will be made by the Committee.

  • Award Selection Committee

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    The Award Selection Committee (the “Committee”) shall be comprised of:

    • the Chair of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section;
    • the Past Chair of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section;
    • the Vice Chair of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section; and
    • at least two, but no more than four, other members of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section Executive (such members to volunteer or be selected by the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section Executive, with a vote to be taken if there are more than four candidates).

    The Chair of the Information Technology/Intellectual Property Law Section Executive for the year shall act as the Chair of the Award Selection Committee.

    All Committee members must keep strictly confidential all selection process discussions and decisions.

  • Presentation

    remove_circle_outline add_circle_outline

    The award will be presented in Spring at a reception followed by a CPD program. It will be on the evening of Tuesday, April 22, 2025 this year at the OBA Conference Centre in Toronto. Save the date.

Janet Green

Section Executive Liaison

Janet Green

Ontario Bar Association
Coordinator, Sections

(416) 869-1047 x 312
Email


Award Winner

2025 Award Winner

Kassandra Shortt

Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Partner

Past Award Winners

2024 - Tamara Céline Winegust

2023 - Lisa Danay Wallace

2022 - Veronica Tsou

Become a Member

Become a Member

As the largest national association for legal professionals, the Canadian Bar Association delivers what you need to thrive in your career and to navigate life changes.

Logo CBA

Explore

  • Home
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • News

Stay Connected

  •  Visit our Facebook page.
  • Visit our LinkedIn page.
  • Visit our Twitter/X Page.
  • Visit our Instagram page.
  • Visit our Simplecast Podcasts page.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use & Disclaimer
  • OBA Accessibility Policy Statement
  • Supplier Code of Conduct
© Copyright 2025 Ontario Bar Association
Tracking Preferences
We use cookie and similar technologies in our web sites. For more information see our privacy policy page.