Success in the field of law is about versatility. Every case is different, and every client is unique—a good attorney must fill whatever role is necessary given the situation.
Toronto lawyer George Addy has learned this lesson many times over. His varied career has landed him on both sides of the fence and, as he says, "often sitting on top." From a private practice to positions as special counsel and Attorney General, as well as litigating on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants and later acting as both client and advisor for counsel, Addy eventually found his niche in antitrust and telecommunications. "The telecom business is highly competitive, and you have to plan your business moves in a dynamic marketplace," Addy says.
As senior partner of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg's Competition and Foreign Investment Review, Addy routinely works on many high-profile cases and is a top-requested attorney for regulatory and competition law.
His focus on communications has proven to be the most interesting part of his career. "One of the first cases I worked on," Addy recalls, "was where people were fighting for the right to plug a telephone they bought into a jack in their own house. Then, in 1985, I was involved with the first round of licensing issues for cellular phones."
Addy continues his telecom work by representing companies like Google that continue pushing the technology envelope. "It's been a fascinating sector because it's continuously evolving with new technology and new players," he adds.
"The battles in telecommunications we're seeing in Canada are similar to what is seen in the United States," Addy says. "These are issues like net neutrality, and access issues relating to companies like Netflix being able to access the networks of other participants. Even issues like how much consumers should be paying for the internet. Those issues are being looked at in Canada, in the United States by the FTC, and in Europe as well."
Addy also specializes in mergers, cartel defense work, and foreign investments. "Foreign investments of a certain type and size require approval that they're of net benefit to Canada. In addition to getting regulatory approval with antitrust agencies, I also assist foreign investors with closing their investments in Canada." Addy explains.
"One of the greatest learning experiences in my litigation career," Addy says in reference to an antitrust case he worked on as a junior lawyer, "was doing battle against the elite lawyers who were representing the oil companies on a daily basis over a period of four years. It taught me a lot about the art of advocacy and litigation. It was grueling at the time, but I smile about it now. I couldn't have asked for a better learning experience."
Since those challenging early days, Addy has steadily become more experienced, more adaptable, and more in-demand. His no-nonsense approach to litigation and advocacy continues to shape the Canadian antitrust and telecommunications landscape.
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