About Dawn
Dawn A. Deans is a versatile Canadian lawyer and U.S. attorney. Her practice focuses on cross border business law and intellectual property law.
Dawn’s comprehensive understanding of corporate and commercial law makes her a go-to advisor for designing corporate structures, governance, reorganizations and commercial transactions. She has a wealth of experience across many jurisdictions.
Dawn brings a strategic perspective to managing legal risks and opportunities, particularly within the technology sector. She negotiates and delivers master service agreements, SaaS agreements, cloud services agreements, AI platform services agreements. She protects and enhances her clients’ intellectual property assets with comprehensive privacy policies and data privacy, licensing and other intellectual property agreements.
Dawn guides businesses through screening, protection and enforcement of federal trademark registrations across Canada and the United States. She is skilled at trademark licensing, franchise and related agreements.
Dawn’s commitment to excellence and practical approach ensure that her clients, especially small businesses, receive tailored support to address immediate needs and advance broader business objectives. She is a trusted advisor on Canadian and U.S. business law and intellectual property law across various industries.
LLB University of Calgary
BSc. Biochemistry, University of Calgary
- Corporate counsel to a growing solar energy company including the development and management of a comprehensive employee stock option plan and shareholder agreements.
- Corporate and commercial transaction counsel to an engineering, procurement and construction firm, including the drafting and completion of several multimillion-dollar acquisition agreements of HVAC companies operating within the oil and gas industry.
- Corporate counsel to a geospatial technology company operating internationally, reviewing and advising on managing risks associated with master services agreements and intellectual property protection.
- External counsel to a national accounting firm advising within their corporate services division.
- Corporate counsel to a variety of software and AI platform companies, drafting master services agreement and SaaS agreements.
- Corporate and IP legal counsel to a variety of companies licensing their franchise systems throughout Canada and the United States.
- Corporate counsel to franchisee companies, providing guidance around complex franchise agreements and franchisees rights under provincial and state/federal law.
- Corporate counsel to hundreds of growing companies requiring complex corporate reorganizations and tax deferred rollovers.
- U.S. and Canada trademark legal counsel to a long established and expanding Pacific Northwest coffee company.
- U.S. and Canada trademark legal counsel to cross-border franchisors with numerous franchisees located throughout the U.S. and Canada.
- U.S. trademark legal counsel to a variety of small businesses negotiating trademark co-existence agreements with large multinational companies.
- U.S. trademark legal counsel to trademark owners enforcing and defending trademark rights through USPTO trademark opposition proceedings.
- Member – International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- Member – American Bar Association, Section of Intellectual Property Law and Business Law
- Past member – Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
- Volunteer Director on Board of Directors – New View Society, an organization dedicated to supporting the growth and recovery of individuals challenged by mental illness.
