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About Sunny

Sunny is a Partner and National Practice Group Leader of both the Firm's Technology group and the Firm's Communications Law group. He has also played a leading role in the development and running of the Blakes national Cybersecurity practice. 

Sunny has a substantial practice in mergers and acquisitions of technology companies and also deals with information technology, intellectual property, communications (telecommunications and broadcasting), electronic commerce and cybersecurity matters, and a range of corporate/commercial matters relating to technology and communications businesses. He also provides corporate/commercial, technology and regulatory advice to leading companies in the defence sector, both in Canada and globally. 

In addition, Sunny acts as a senior breach coach and works with a large team of lawyers assisting clients in responding to data breaches and other cybersecurity incidents. He advises clients on developing and implementing strategies to minimize cyber threats and data breaches, including legal risk assessments, compliance, due diligence and data breach preparedness.

Sunny also has an active life sciences/health law practice and has worked extensively for some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies on a wide array of operational drug-related as well as corporate and commercial matters.

As National Practice Group Leader of the Firm's India Initiative, Sunny represents a number of Indian companies doing business in Canada, as well as Canadian companies doing business in India.

Sunny is fluent in English and French.

Select Experience

Corporate/Commercial

  • Mergers and acquisitions

  • Financing companies from start-ups to mature players

  • Complex commercial agreements, as well as intellectual property licensing schemes

  • Franchising agreements

  • A broad range of operational and corporate/commercial-related matters affecting technology companies

Communications Law

  • Broadcasting and convergence/new media issues and regulatory matters, including licensing matters

  • Telecommunications issues and regulatory matters, including advising foreign entities on entry into the Canadian market

  • Radiocommunications licences/clearances

Information Technology (IT) and Intellectual Property

  • Outsourcing arrangements and procurement

  • Intellectual property protection matters in general (patents, trademarks, copyrights, etc.)

  • Online copyright clearance issues and copyright board matters

  • Advising IT industry players, such as the video gaming industry, on a range of issues

  • The structuring of offshore operations, especially with respect to e-commerce and intellectual property-based businesses

  • E-commerce matters, including online set-ups and related agreements

  • Privacy (data protection) issues

  • Data retention and data handling

Cybersecurity

  • Managing cybersecurity risks issues for clients including post-attack management

  • Data breach response

  • Data breach preparedness

  • Corporate governance

  • Privacy and data protection

  • Due diligence

  • Cybersecurity in commercial contracts and M&A agreements

Life Sciences/Health/Biotech

  • Clinical trial agreements

  • The appropriate handling of patient and subject information

  • Contracting with government and hospitals

  • Developing of a number of key standard operating policies relating to privacy and the handling of information

  • Handling complex contracting arrangements, including manufacturing agreements and other pharmaceutical arrangements (e.g., distribution and wholesale arrangements)

  • Intellectual property issues

  • Pharmaceutical, health and regulatory advice

Awards & Recognition

Sunny has been recognized as a leading lawyer in several publications including the following:

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 (Most Frequently Recommended – Computer & IT Law, Telecommunications, Consistently Recommended – Data Protection & Privacy, Technology Transactions, Repeatedly Recommended – Life Sciences & Health)

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada 2024 (Communications Law, Health Care Law, Information Technology Law, Intellectual Property Law, Technology Law)

  • Best Lawyers: "Lawyer of the Year" 2024 (Health Care Law, Montréal)

  • The Legal 500 Canada 2024 (Hall of Fame – Technology, Telecommunications)

  • Who's Who Legal: Thought Leaders – Global Elite 2024 (Data – Information Technology)

  • Who's Who Legal: Global (2024: Data – Data Privacy & Protection, Data – Data Security, Telecoms & Media, Transport – Unmanned Aircraft Systems; 2023: IP – Copyright)

  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Information Technology, Telecommunications & Broadcasting)

  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business 2024 (Information Technology, Telecommunications & Broadcasting)

  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers 2024 – Independently Rated Lawyers (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada 2023 (Data – Information Technology)

  • Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars: Transactions Star 2022

  • Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences 2022

Professional Activities

Sunny is also a professor of law (adj.) at McGill University, where he has been teaching since 1994/95. He currently teaches the Communications Law course and has taught Complex Legal Transactions, Information Technology Law, Copyright and Trademark Theory, Copyright and Information Technology Law and Mergers and Acquisitions Law. He also oversees graduate students writing in the fields of intellectual property, information technology and communications law.

Sunny has been published widely in legal literature and has also authored and coauthored a number of books on information technology, communications law, copyright law and business. His writings have been quoted and cited with approval by courts across Canada, including by the Supreme Court of Canada. (View books by Sunny).

Publications
Professional Appearances
  • Moderator : Reimagining Justice: Artificial Intelligence (AI)’s Power for Redress and Division
    McGill Law Journal Symposium, Montréal, Quebec, February 9, 2024.
  • Speaker : Cybersecurity: Current Issues and Legal Concerns
    M&A Club Canada, M&A Forum Conference, Montreal, Quebec, November 29, 2022.
  • Speaker : Canadian Cybersecurity Trends Study 2022
    Blakes Business Class Webinar, June 8, 2022.
  • Panellist : Apocalypse des données : conjuguer technique et juridique pour atteindre la conformité en matière protection des données
    Canadian Bar Association Quebec - Cybersecurity Webinar, April 13, 2022.
  • Speaker : Cybersecurity Trends
    Blakes Webinar on Proactive Cybersecurity: What You Need to Know to Protect and Thrive, April 6, 2022.
  • Speaker : Interactive Business Interruption Scenario
    NetDiligence Cyber Risk Summit, Toronto, Ontario, April 5, 2022.
  • Co-speaker : Privacy and Data Breaches: Mitigation, Legislation and Litigation
    Episode 18, The Blakes Continuity Podcast, November 3, 2021.
  • Speaker : Blakes Cybersecurity Study: Pandemic a Perfect Storm for Cybercrimes
    Episode 16, Blakes Continuity Podcast, July 22, 2021.
  • Speaker : Canadian Cybersecurity Trends Study 2021
    Blakes Business Class Webinar, June 17, 2021.
  • Speaker : Cybersecurity and Data Privacy
    Blakes 2021 Canada/U.S. Legal Update Seminar Series: Cybersecurity and Data Privacy, May 18, 2021.
Media Activities
  • Quoted : Cybersecurity attacks in Canada hold steady, but things are getting worse
    Interviewed by Julius Melnitzer, Canadian Lawyer, July 18, 2023.
  • Quoted : Cyberattacks Continue Upward Trajectory
    Interviewed by Gail J. Cohen, Law.com, July 16, 2023.
  • Quoted : A national radio report on the rising cost of ransomware attacks on businesses
    Interviewed by Meegan Read, CBC Radio, July 5, 2023.
  • Quoted : Two-thirds of Canadian firms succumb to ransomware demands – survey
    Article by Mika Pangilinan, Insurance Business, July 5, 2023.
  • Quoted : The high cost of cyberattacks. Report finds most firms hit by ransomware pay up – and the price has risen dramatically
    Interviewed by Christine Dobby, Toronto Star, July 4, 2023.
  • Quoted : More than half of cyber attacks in Canada last year were ransomware attacks: study
    Interviewed by Lucy Saddleton, InHouse News, Canadian Lawyer, June 13, 2022.
  • Quoted : Blakes releases new report to help Ontario businesses navigate cybersecurity risks
    Interviewed by Annabel Oromoni, Canadian Lawyer, June 13, 2022.
  • Quoted : Cybersecurity risks to businesses show no signs of abating: report
    Interviewed by Daniel Escudero, The Lawyer's Daily, June 10, 2022.
  • Quoted : Cybercrime Is Skyrocketing, but the Legal Profession Isn't Keeping Up
    Interviewed by Gail J. Cohen, The American Lawyer and Corporate Counsel, Law.com, June 8, 2022.
  • Media : Sunny Handa's Holistic Approach to Law
    Interviewed by Claire Loewen, Law|Focus Online, McGill Publications, January 27, 2022.
  • Quoted : Good afternoon, we've stolen your corporate data. Please kindly connect with one of our customer service agents to arrange payment
    Interviewed by Christine Dobby, Business Reporter, Toronto Star, June 17, 2021.
Education

DCL, McGill University – 1998
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 1995
LLM, McGill University – 1995
LLB, University of Toronto – 1992
BComm, McGill University – 1989

 

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