Areesha Arshad is a third-year JD candidate at the University of Ottawa, Common Law Section. She recently completed her 2L summer at the Ontario Securities Commission, where she supports work in compliance and enforcement. With a focus on business law, securities regulation, and corporate finance, Areesha is passionate about helping individuals and organizations understand and navigate complex legal issues. Areesha values clear communication, practical solutions, and building trust with those she assists. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and hiking.

Tina Derak is a law student with a background advising MPs and Ministers on economic development files on Parliament Hill. She combines her public policy background with her passion for innovation to help startups navigate legal challenges. Tina is committed to helping businesses protect their ideas and grow confidently. 

Amy Fisher completed her Honours Bachelor of Commerce with a specialization in finance at the University of Ottawa. Prior to starting law school, Amy worked as a procurement officer in the Department of National Defence, supporting innovation and information technology procurements. This summer, Amy interned with a corporate/commercial firm in Calgary. She is looking forward to working with start-ups this fall, applying her professional experience to help start-ups achieve their vision. Outside of school and work, Amy enjoys reading, bicycling, and baking. 

Alexander Hnatovsky has a profound interest in entrepreneurship, law, and the area in which in these two topics intersect. He is currently studying in the combined JD/BCom program where he gets to educate himself about both fields and how they can complement each other. In his spare time, Alex enjoys playing tennis, rock climbing and working on his cosmetics business.

Daniel Kim is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa with a strong interest in startups and business law. Before law school, he spent six years resolving complex legal and insurance claims in British Columbia. He has published on AI and privacy, earned top academic awards, and mooted at a national level. Daniel brings practical experience, strong advocacy skills, and a commitment to making legal support more accessible to entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses.

Michael Leger

Tyler Li is a 3L at the uOttawa Law and an incoming articling student at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. At uOttawa Law, Tyler has pursued opportunities to expand his engagement with complex legal issues. He received an award for his research on digital assets, banking, and securities law at the Ottawa Law Review’s annual research colloquium. Tyler also excelled in the 2025 Adam F. Fanaki Competition Law Moot, earning awards for Best Faculty and Best Appellant Team, Factum, and Oralist (2nd Runner-up). Tyler previously worked at international law firms in Hong Kong and China where he developed financial services expertise.

Ella Lim is a 3L student who brings practical corporate law experience and strong research skills. As a Summer Student at Oziel Law, she gained experience incorporating startups, supporting M&A transactions, drafting employment contracts, and conducting trademark analyses. This work with emerging companies provided valuable insight into startup legal challenges. During law school, she interned with ISED, supporting Canada’s innovation ecosystem. She previously worked at the Schwartz-Reisman Institute for Technology and Society, researching AI’s impact on privacy and democracy. Ella completed a double major in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and Ethics, Society and Law at the University of Toronto.

Adam Mawji is an incoming third-year student at the University of Ottawa. Born and raised in Vancouver, he left home to obtain a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University. Before attending law school, Adam worked in legal and revenue operations for Fable, a tech startup in Toronto. Since attending law school, Adam has spent his summers working in firms in Guelph and Vancouver, becoming increasingly enthralled by the intersections of technology and the law. In his spare time, Adam enjoys exploring new music and trying out new recipes in the kitchen.

Mahdi Naimi is a second-year JD student at the University of Ottawa with a strong interest in intellectual property, technology and corporate law. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences from the University of Waterloo and has worked as a research assistant at several leading institutions. Driven by his entrepreneurial spirit, Mahdi spent nearly a decade managing business operations for multiple independently owned franchises in his hometown. Outside of work, he enjoys exploring local pizzerias, spending time outdoors, and playing recreational sports.

Sebastian Woo is a JD candidate at the University of Ottawa with a background in business technology management and experience in private equity, data mining, and advisory. During his 1L summer at DigitalBridge in New York, he supported fund formation, M&A execution, and built compliance tools. Previously, he led data-driven strategy roles at Manifold Data Mining, BDO, and Avasta Inc., and worked on cross-border IP and corporate matters at a Hong Kong law firm. Sebastian brings a strong foundation in legal research, financial modeling, and entrepreneurship to support early-stage ventures at the clinic.

Victoria Zbrzezniak is pursuing her JD at the University of Ottawa and is driven by how legal strategy can empower startups and fuel innovation. She brings experience from a summer student position at a corporate and securities litigation firm, as well as from her work as a student caseworker assisting injured workers. Her time in the Ontario Public Service prior to law school sharpened her ability to analyze legislation, distill complex information into actionable advice, and communicate persuasively in high-stakes, time-sensitive environments. Victoria is committed to helping early-stage ventures manage legal risk with clarity, creativity, and a practical, forward-thinking approach.