Julie Couët
Julie has over 30 years of experience in commercial law, with a particular focus on intellectual property, gained within both public and private organizations, such as the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Desjardins General Insurance Group, National Optics Institute and the Government of Canada, and she also worked in private practice. She stands out for her ability to support senior management, lead strategic projects, and manage and prioritize legal and commercial risks.
Her personalized approach aims to deliver solutions tailored to each client’s specific needs, ensuring rigor, compliance, and efficiency in the management of legal, operational, contractual, and commercial matters.
Specialized in the management and valorization of intellectual property assets, she develops robust contractual frameworks, organizational policies, procedures, agreement templates, and compliance processes tailored to regulatory requirements, particularly in R&D, technology transfer, and ISO standards contexts.
She also supports her clients in contract management and regulatory compliance, as well as in team oversight and training. She has additionally supervised teams, coordinated large‑scale projects, and mobilized multidisciplinary stakeholders around coherent contractual and operational solutions.
For example, Julie has worked on the following mandates:
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Canadian representative on the European Space Agency’s international committee for the implementation of its intellectual property policy within its procurement process.
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Participation in the implementation of the ISO 9001 standard for the Meteorological Service of Canada across the country.
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Negotiation of memoranda of understanding, including with the United Kingdom, China, Korea, and the United States.
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Complete overhaul of national commercial partner contracts for DGIG.
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Negotiation and implementation of service agreements and R&D agreements with Canadian and foreign multinational companies.
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Due diligence on IP assets of various organizations to identify legal, financial, and commercial risks related to the chain of title, enabling informed decision‑making.
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Drafting and implementation of several decision‑support tools, including a comprehensive manual on the negotiation and management of contractual agreements — “A Collaboration Toolkit for MSC Program Staff.”
Geneviève Hallé-Désilets
Geneviève has been assisting her clients for over 10 years in managing and leveraging their intellectual property assets, as well as ensuring legal and regulatory compliance in their operations, particularly in the areas of advertising and marketing, labeling and packaging, and intellectual property. She has also acquired extensive experience in negotiating, drafting, and reviewing various complex commercial agreements, as well as in developing organizational policies. She advises innovative organizations of all sizes – from startups to multinational companies – across various sectors such as technology, pharmaceutical, consumer products, manufacturing and food and beverage.
Examples of key mandates include:
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Developing overarching intellectual property strategies to ensure to the protection, enforcement, management, and optimization of IP assets, as well as guidelines, tools and checklists, for high-tech start-up and multinational companies.
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Performing in‑depth due diligence (including chain-of-title reviews and audits) on the IP assets of diverse organizations, with a focus on assessing their relevance, strength, and risks in an investment context.
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Legal advice on the development and deployment of marketing and advertising campaigns (including e-commerce, privacy and Quebec French language considerations).
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Legal assessment of packaging and labeling for multinational brands in diverse highly regulated industries such as food and beverage, to ensure compliance with applicable laws and industry standards.
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Drafting, negotiation and interpretation of diverse commercial agreements (distribution, manufacturing, licenses, services, collaborations, research, material transfer, etc.).
She completed a bachelor's degree in business administration at HEC Montréal, as well as dual legal training in civil law and common law at the University of Ottawa. She practiced at the law firms Robic LLP and Norton Rose Fulbright LLP, then at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique. Her diverse background gives her a keen understanding of her clients' commercial objectives, enabling her to offer strategic advice rooted in their operational reality, while anticipating and managing risks.
She has provided several lectures and training sessions and has published various articles in the field of intellectual property, as well as advertising and marketing law. She excels at translating complex concepts into clear and concrete solutions, allowing her clients to navigate legal and commercial challenges with confidence.
Geneviève pays close attention to her clients' needs and perspectives and upholds high standards of quality and attention to detail, while keeping a simple, practical and solutions-driven approach. She is recognized for her efficiency, reliability, sharp analytical thinking and strong judgment.