The Honourable Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, today announced the following appointment under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.
Allyson Whyte Nowak, Senior Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP in Toronto, is appointed a Judge of the Federal Court. Justice Whyte Nowak replaces Justice S. Roussel, who was elevated to the Federal Court of Appeal effective April 19, 2022.
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"I wish Justice Whyte Nowak every success as she takes on her new role. I am confident she will serve Canadians well as a member of the Federal Court."
-The Hon. Arif Virani, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Biography
Justice Allyson Whyte Nowak was born and raised in Toronto. She received both her undergraduate degree and law degrees (B.C.L. and LL.B.) from McGill University. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1996.
Justice Whyte Nowak was a Senior Partner at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP having practiced at the firm for over 20 years. Her practice focused on intellectual property (IP) and related commercial litigation including patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, and disputes over the ownership and inventorship of IP. She has experience litigating at the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.
Justice Whyte Nowak was recognized as a leading practitioner in intellectual property law and life sciences. She participated as a guest lecturer in judicial education seminars on IP law organized by the National Judicial Institute. She regularly spoke and wrote on a variety of intellectual property topics, including co-authoring the chapter, "Best Practices in Litigating Complex IP Litigation" in Intellectual Property Disputes: Resolutions and Remedies (R. E. Dimock, Thomson Reuters). She was a long-standing committee volunteer at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and a member of the Board of Directors since June 2019.
Justice Whyte Nowak is grateful for the support of her family, her husband David, and their two incredible daughters, Sydney and Camryn.
