Who We Are
The Board members of AIDV Canada are based across the country, and have legal and/or policy expertise relating to the Canadian wine industry.
Chris Wilson
Current Board member of AIDV International
Chris Wilson is an intellectual property litigator with a passion for wine and trademarks. He was recognized in Chambers Global 2018 for leading the pre-eminent IP litigation practice in Western Canada, and was named the 2019 Intellectual Property Lawyer of the Year for Vancouver by Best Lawyers Canada.
Karen Graham
Karen Graham is Principal of WineDrops.ca, offering advisory services and commentary on policy, regulatory and business matters for the Canadian wine industry.
Mark Hicken
Mark Hicken is a consultant to the BC wine and liquor industry. He was formerly one of Canada’s best known wine lawyers (now retired from law practice). He is a frequent speaker at wine industry conferences and is often quoted in the media on issues related to wine law.
Jennifer McKenzie
Jennifer McKenzie is a partner at Cassels, Brock & Blackwell LLP. In addition to having a robust trademark practice, she practices regulatory, advertising and marketing law.
Lee Chitty
Lee Chitty is the founder of Cases & Cases, Canada’s wine law firm dedicated to serving the industry. As legal counsel to the wine industry, Lee acts as a strategic partner to wineries offering fractional in-house counsel services. Advising on alcohol beverage-law compliance, business law, commercial law, and employment law, Lee helps wineries grow while reducing overall legal risk and spending.
Dan Hohnstein
Dan is a partner at Tereposky & DeRose LLP, a boutique international trade law firm based in Ottawa. He represents and advises private sector companies, industry associations, and governments in matters relating to international trade and investment.
Olivier Jean-Lévesque
Olivier JEAN-LÉVESQUE is a senior associate at Smart & Biggar LLP. Drawing upon his years in France, Olivier’s practice notably involves the protection of geographical indications (Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée) for wine, spirits, and food products in Canada, representing some of Europe’s most famous appellations.
Megan O’Neill
Megan is a practicing corporate lawyer at Farris LLP in Vancouver, BC. Her practice specializes in the purchase and sale of wineries and advising clients in the BC wine industry on transactions and regulatory matters.