Meet the Team
Director of initio Clinic
Alayna R. Kolodziechuk
Photo credit Selena Phillips-Boyle
Alayna is a lawyer and Dalhousie alum with 10 years’ experience advising businesses and not-for-profits in the creative and tech industries. Most recently, she practiced at an entertainment and media law boutique in Toronto, ON where she oversaw the firm’s corporate practice and represented a range of clients including artists and creators, record labels and film production companies, software developers and industry advocacy groups.
Alayna provides advice to organizations across different stages of growth and development on their structuring as well as intellectual property and privacy/technology matters.
Junior Staff Lawyer
Léo Bourgeois
Photo credit Adam Deunk
Léo is a Junior Staff Lawyer at initio, where he is building a corporate and commercial law practice with a focus on startups, technology, privacy, intellectual property and social impact. Drawing on his prior experience as an Articled Clerk and Senior Law Student at initio, Léo approaches legal challenges with an entrepreneurial mindset to provide clients with a range of legal services to fit their unique needs.
Léo is passionate about increasing access to business law services across Atlantic Canada. He regularly advises entrepreneurs, startups, early-stage businesses, and social purpose organizations on incorporations, organizational structuring, privacy compliance, intellectual property strategy, contract negotiation, and commercial drafting. In addition to his practice, Léo is committed to clinical legal education. He enjoys guest lecturing at the Schulich School of Law on emerging technologies and helping to train incoming cohorts of Senior Law Students at initio.
Léo is actively expanding his work in the evolving field of artificial intelligence. During law school, he authored a directed research paper on the use of generative AI in legal education. As a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society’s Law Office Management Standards Committee - Technology Subgroup, Léo helped author the Society’s AI Guide for Lawyers.
Léo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Law from Carleton University and a Juris Doctor from Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law. He was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2025.
Outside of his legal work, Léo enjoys hiking in his family’s Cape Breton community, spending time with his cat Maizy, and creating personalized health and nutrition plans for friends and family.
Articled Clerk
Noah Davis
Noah is an articling clerk at initio and a recent graduate of the Schulich School of Law. He is passionate about supporting the growth of local start-ups, innovative businesses, community organizations, and technology ventures, by providing accessible business and technology law services. He is now developing a corporate, privacy, and technology law practice focused on supporting clients in commercial transactions, advising on compliance with Canada’s privacy regime, developing intellectual property strategies, navigating emerging technologies, and addressing complex contractual issues.
Noah brings a practical and solutions-oriented approach to supporting his client. He often draws on experience gained before articling at initio, including as a policy analyst at the Nova Scotia Department of Justice and the Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change, as a legal student with East Coast Environmental Law and The Armour Group Ltd, as an assistant with Nova Scotia Legal Aid, and as a consultant for various start-ups and not-for-profits as part of the Social Innovation Academy Fellowship. These experiences help Noah craft legal solutions for his clients that consider their business goals, legal requirements, potential risks, and social impact.
Outside of work, Noah enjoys reading, playing basketball, kayaking, hiking and camping, binging new shows, trying new recipes, and spending time with his family’s dog, Winnie.
Articled Clerk Alumni
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Léo Bourgeois | 2024/2025
Léo is building a corporate and law practice related to start-ups, technology, intellectual property, privacy, and social impact.
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Justin Broomfield | 2023/2024
Justin is excited to further develop his expertise in technology, privacy, and intellectual property by providing high-quality legal services to initio clients.
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Haley Maclean | 2022/2023
Haley has a keen interest and skill for solving the corporate and business legal needs of video game firms.
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Edward Wu | 2021/2022
Edward turned his legal- and technology-related expertise into a practice focusing on privacy and artificial intelligence.
Current Students
Fall 2025
Current Students
Summer Research Assistant
Cindy Doan
2025 Roman Elster Internship
Kimberly Gilson
Summer 2025 Art Law Mini Fellowship
Liam V. Sherlock
Clinic Alumni - Senior Law Students
Winter 2025
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Daniel Reid
Daniel is passionate about leveraging his legal skills to support sustainable and socially responsible businesses.
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Elliot Hernandez
Elliot has a keen interest in supporting the local start-up community especially with corporate and commercial law matters.
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Matthew Johnston
Matthew aims to work as an agent for professional athletes, incorporating his values of honesty, integrity, and hard work.
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Harneet Gill
With a keen interest in artificial intelligence and the space sector, Harneet is eager to navigate the legal complexities shaping tomorrow’s digital world.
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Taylor Green
Taylor is excited to assist entrepreneurs with their corporate and business needs, bolstered by her certificate in Business Law.
Fall 2024
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Noah Davis
Committed to accessible business and technology law services, Noah uses his private practice, non-profit and government experiences to deliver informed, clear advice to clients.
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Miya Gohill
Miya is interested in policy reforms surrounding technology and is eager to leverage her technical background to advocate for clients in a variety of forums.
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Hannah Lee
Hannah has an established understanding of the distinct needs of start-ups and is excited to assist science and technology innovators with business law and intellectual property matters.
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Krizelle Pascual
With experience in non-profits committed to access to justice, community building and advocacy, Krizelle has a keen interest in the intersections between art, innovation, intellectual property and social issues.
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Liam V. Sherlock
Seeking to bridge the gap between creators and the business world, Liam is excited about dispute resolution, corporate governance, copyright, artists’ rights, and other intellectual property aspects.
Winter 2024
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Nick Geringer
With a growing passion for finance and technology, Nick is eager to be assisting start-ups across the Maritimes on their business, intellectual property, and privacy law matters.
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Alex Hyndman
Alex brings a robust background in technology and business, with work experience spanning from software development to the Charlottetown Chamber of Commerce.
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Agha Saadaf
Agha is excited for practical experience working with businesses and not-for-profits in technology-based social enterprise, artificial intelligence, creative industry, and privacy.
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Chelsea Sprout
Chelsea has a keen interest in solving social problems using technology and is passionate about supporting local entrepreneurs.
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Priya Szymanski
Priya is building a practice that focuses on advertising and regulatory law related to food and beverage, cosmetics, natural health products, and pharmaceuticals.
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Eugene Wong
Eugene’s background helps clients get to the root cause of the issues they face, and allows him to support clients in achieving success.
Fall 2023
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Léo Bourgeois
Léo is building a corporate/commercial and charity/not-for-profit law practice related to start-ups, technology, intellectual property privacy, and social impact.
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Dominik Dabrowski
With an entrepreneurial mindset, Dominik is building a corporate-commercial practice, helping Canadian companies realize value and mitigate risk.
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Eslam (Essie) Mehina
Essie is keen to support science and technology innovators through her passion of intellectual property law. She provides insightful sector-specific legal analysis for clients in STEM and beyond.
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Meghan Recker
Meghan enjoys working with fellow artists on legal issues regarding contracts, negotiation, and intellectual property.
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Karina Scoggins
Karina’s unique perspective on healthcare issues drive her passion for intellectual property law and technological innovation within the healthcare sector.
Winter 2023
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Ronny Bao
Ronny works to offer excellent services to clients and understands that trust and accountability are essential to building and maintaining relationships.
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Justin Broomfield
Justin is working towards completing the Law & Technology Specialization and has developed a keen interest in technology, privacy, and intellectual property.
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Evelyn Hein
Evelyn is excited about supporting local entrepreneurs and innovators with their emerging businesses.
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Tommy Panther
Tommy is excited about developing his practice in corporate and commercial law, business law, intellectual property, privacy, and sports and entertainment law.
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Sierra Peterson
Sierra is passionate about intellectual property law and technological innovation in healthcare and beyond.
Winter 2021
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Mimi Gjelaj
Mimi holds a Bachelor of Science and Masters of Science (Analytical Chemistry). She will be representing Dalhousie in the 2022 Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot.
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Andrew Young
Andrew has developed a keen interest in emerging and disruptive technologies. Andrew summered and will be returning to article with Bennett Jones LLP.
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Angelo Merani
Angelo has a keen interested in social impact law after serving as Stakeholder Relations Coordinator and VP Finance with various not-for-profits.
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Shanna Stanley-Hasnain
Shanna is interested in healthcare innovation after working at the Toronto General Hospital for multiple large-scale research initiatives.
Fall 2021
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Sonja Gashus
Sonja spent her summer assisting with research in intellectual property law and and is excited to apply that knowledge to help startups at initio.
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Tiffany Leung
Tiffany is excited to collaborate with local entrepreneurs to solve legal issues related to corporate/commercial law and technology law.
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Haley MacIsaac
Haley's background in business and leadership informed her interest in initio. She is particularly excited to support entrepreneurs in solving intellectual property issues.
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Rob Law
Rob has experience advising on risk and cashflow management processes. He serves on the AthleteCAN Board of Directors, advocating to create a safe and inclusive sports environment.
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Hannah Mirksy
Hannah is excited to explore her interest in intellectual property and technology. She is proud to be representing Dalhousie at the 2022 Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot.
Clinic Alumni - Summer Students
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Taraneh Ashrafi
Taraneh is a third year at the Schulich School of law, she obtained a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta.
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Josie Bauman
Josie is a third-year law student with a specialization in Law and Technology.
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Miya Gohill
Miya received the 2024 Roman Elster Intellectual Property Internship before completing a clinic term in Fall 2024.
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Daniel Reid
Daniel Reid acted as the 2024 initio Research Assistant prior to his role as a Senior Law Student in Winter 2025.
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Eugene Wong
After completing his Summer 2023 Research Assistant role, Eugene joined initio as a Senior Law Student in Winter 2024.
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Harshini Arumugam
Harshini brought her expertise to initio in 2023 as a Summer Research Assistant.