Arshia Tabrizi

Founding and Managing Partner

Arshia is a technology lawyer: a business and intellectual property lawyer in one. As a Computer Engineer, former technology transactions attorney at the renowned Silicon Valley law firm of Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati, and former software engineer at IBM, he brings a unique and value-add perspective to his clients.  Arshia founded TLO in September 2002, and since then, he has provided strategic and practical advice to leading start-up and established knowledge-based companies, as well as angel investors and venture capitalists. 

Arshia specializes in technology law and transactions, licensing, start-up corporate matters, venture capital financings, Internet and e-commerce law, as well as intellectual property counselling and strategy.  His clients are drawn from various sectors including software, semiconductor, communications, mobile, semiconductor, nanotechnology, clean tech, green IT, Internet and e-commerce.

Arshia has been interviewed and quoted in numerous publications including The Globe and Mail, PROFIT Magazine and IT Focus Magazine. He has authored several papers and presented seminars for various organizations, including the MaRS Discovery District (IP Strategy), Rotman School of Management (IP Strategy, Venture Capital), the Ontario Bar Association (Technology Agreements) and the University of Toronto (Start-up Law). Arshia is also a past contributor to the Electronic Commerce Chapter of the O’Brien’s Encyclopedia of Forms for Computer and Information Technology.

Arshia is fluent in English, Spanish and Farsi, and conversant in French. 

Notable Experience

  • Negotiated and closed the sale of RedFlagDeals.com (One of Canada's leading Internet start-ups) to Yellow Pages Group, including term sheet, share purchase agreement and employment agreements 
  • Negotiated and advised on $20 million enterprise software license, support and services agreement with a tier-1 U.S. financial institution for one of leading Canadian software companies
  • Negotiated and advised on $6 million Series A financing with several tier-1 Canadian venture funds for a clean tech start-up, winner of Red Herring Top 50 Award and the Deloitte Technology Green 15
  • Counsel on $8 million equity financing involving complex capital and voting trust structure
  • Structured and negotiated strategic joint development, licensing and spin-in agreement with Cisco Systems resulting in $ 150 m. acquisition of client in a unique deal involving novel open source and IP joint ownership issues
  • Counsel to Canadian Internet start-up on structuring and negotiation of multi-million dollar cross-border acquisition by large market-leading US public company
  • Primary technology counsel to a group of affiliated venture-backed (US $100 m. from Mayfield and other leading Silicon Valley venture funds) optical communications companies, on various licensing, OEM, joint development, and confidentiality agreements; advised companies on structuring of IP ownership and trade secrets matters
  • Counsel to one of the first nanotechnology spin-outs from University of Toronto, including negotiation of IP spinout, corporate structure, stock option pool, and initial angel investment
  • Negotiated and drafted $5 m. strategic software OEM Agreement for NADSAQ-listed e-commerce company), subsequently acquired for $580 m. by large German software company
  • Advised on and negotiated strategic IP core (hardware) development and license agreement for Canadian start-up with a $1 billion California-based semiconductor company

Education

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.), University of Toronto, 1998
  • Honours Bachelor of Applied Science (Computer Engineering), University of Toronto, 1995
  • International Baccalaureate (I.B.) Diploma, Bilingual (Spanish and English), International College Spain, 1990

Professional Memberships

  • Canadian Venture Capital Association
  • Canadian Bar Association      
  • State Bar of California
    • Member, Intellectual Property Section
  • Law Society of Upper Canada

Boards and Community Involvement  

  • Arbor Award (2007), University of Toronto
    • This prestigious award from the University of Toronto is awarded to alumni whose loyalty, dedication and generosity have added substantially to the quality of the University of Toronto experience for students, faculty, staff and alumni.
  • Board of Directors, University of Toronto Alumni Association
  • Executive Member, BizSkule, University of Toronto, Faculty of Engineering
  • Advisory Board, Ryerson University, Department of Computer Science
  • Advisory Board, Parya Trillium Foundation
    • The Parya Trillium Foundation is the first such organization outside of Iran providing a community centre to meet the unique needs of Iranian-Canadians with a special focus placed on the elderly and youth.

When not practising law ...

Arshia is an avid soccer fan, and enjoys cheering for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, an affiliation gained when he attended high school in Madrid, Spain.  He also enjoys playing tennis, swimming and soccer.  Arshia is interested in Canadian and international politics and a supporter of various public policy and human rights organizations. He is a keen reader of literature and philosophy.