Before 3 of the United Kingdom’s best-known IP judges, Lord Justice Kitchin, Lord Justice Floyd and Mr. Justice Birss, uOttawa edged the defending champions from India, National Law University (Bangalore). In the semi-finals, uOttawa met mooters from George Washingon University Law School, with the Rt. Hon. Sir Justice David Keene, Rt. Hon. Sir Robin Jacob and Ms. Catriona Smith presiding. The quarter-finals had featured arguments putting uOttawa past Osgoode Hall Law School in front of renowned lawyers including “IP Hall-of-Famer” Frederick Mostert and others.
The moot capped off an incredible week overseas for our students. It began with a meeting in the chambers of the President of the Supreme Court and the UK’s highest-ranking judge, Lord Justice Neuberger. Their discussion preceded a behind-the-scenes tour of the Supreme Court, and a hearing where uOttawa students watched and learned from some of the UK’s most talented barristers arguing a case.
Lord Justice Neuberger, President of the UK Supreme Court, meets uOttawa students (left to right) Tracey Doyle, Laura MacDonald and Fred Wu in his chambers overlooking Parliament Square in London. Photo: CC BY Jeremy de Beer.
Numerous other Canadian teams fared very well at the moot too, making the country proud. uOttawa faced Osgoode Hall in one quarter-final, while Windsor was in the other. Windsor took prizes for a top-3 factum, a top-3 speaker and two honourable mentions, and UBC won 2nd prize for its factum.
The win continues a remarkable string of success for uOttawa in IP mooting generally, and at the Oxford IP moot specially. In the only 5 years uOttawa that has competed, the school has never failed to reach at least the quarter-finals, reaching the semi-finals twice, winning twice and regularly receiving accolades for having top oralists and/or factums.
Much is owed to supporters of uOttawa’s moot team, including long-term sponsors Ridout & Maybee. This year’s team was also generously funded by Dimock Stratton, through its prize to Fred Wu and Laura Macdonald, winners of last year’s Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot. The team also thanks uOttawa mooting alumni and practitioners from Deeth Williams Wall, Gowling WLG, Gilberts, Lenczner Slaght, Smart & Biggar, and all of their peers and professors who have taught them about IP and advocacy. Extra special thanks are due for the support of Justices Gauthier, Gleason and Stratas of the Federal Court of Appeal.
Students interested in IP mooting at uOttawa can get information on enrolling in Professor de Beer’s course, Intellectual Property Advocacy, by clicking here.