Arun Krishnamurti is Associate Corporate Counsel with Google Canada and was formerly an associate with a Bay Street law firm, where he maintained a corporate/commercial practice with an emphasis on technology, including advising clients with respect to outsourcings.  Outside of the technology area, Mr. Krishnamurti has experience in a variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public-private partnerships, and financings. As well, Mr. Krishnamurti has significant experience working with start-ups, emerging companies, and entrepreneurs in a number of areas, including crowdfunding, app development (both mobile and web-based), on-line sales, gaming, and both the manufacturing and supply of goods and services to businesses and consumers. He is also a past editor for the OBA’s Information Technology & Intellectual Property Newsletter and is currently serving as Vice-President of the South Asian Bar Association of Toronto.

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In an interview with LTEC Lab, Mr. Krishnamurti discusses his law practice, interest in IP law, and what his time was like at Windsor Law.
 
1) You currently work as Associate Corporate Counsel with Google Canada. Can you describe what your job entails and the work that you do on a daily basis? 

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My job involves a tremendous amount of variety, so no two days are the same.  My role is to provide advice and counsel for all types of commercial matters across Google’s different products in Canada.  That can be as simple as negotiating agreements or helping our product teams prepare to launch a new product here in Canada.

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2) What drew you to IP and technology law?

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I had always been interested in it.  I spent a number of years at a major Bay Street law firm working in the area and had the chance to work with major institutions and many smaller start-up clients as well.  One of the things that always attracted me to this area was the idea that the products and technology were developing so fast, and the law didn’t always keep up. So, understanding how to apply the law to new and cutting-edge technology made for such an interesting challenge.
 
3) What is your favourite part about your job? Are there any special challenges or difficulties that it carries? 

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My favourite part of this job is the variety.  I have the privilege of working with amazing people who are ambitious and always trying to do something new and innovative.  This presents all kinds of exciting legal issues to consider.  I get to stay at the forefront of technology and the law.  There are no special challenges other than trying to keep up! Every day brings a new issue or new topic to consider, and I love the idea of representing the Canadian viewpoint to a company with such global reach.
 
4) Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give to law students who are interested in pursuing a career in tech law like yours?

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My advice is to start building your profile as early as you can. I didn’t have a background in technology, and you don’t need to be a computer science student to understand it. What you do need is an interest, and some commitment.  It takes time to get familiar with the legal challenges, and you need to constantly stay abreast of new developments in technology.  I started my legal career with an iPhone 4, so in the time since, things have changed drastically.  Huge advancements have been made in AI, autonomous vehicles, smart assistants, block chain etc.  Huge emergency in cloud services, all create their own challenges.  Keeping up on even some of these as they come up help ensures you’re prepared to offer advice and speak knowledgeably to anyone you come across.

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5) How was your experience, both academic and otherwise, at Windsor Law? What memory(ies) would you like to share about your years at the law school?

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Windsor was an incredible opportunity for me.  It gave me a chance to immerse myself in the community.  Academically, I felt the freedom to pursue interesting topics in many of the seminar classes, and felt like the professors really wanted to take the time to explore the issues we were interested in.  It was such a warm and tightly knit community, and I felt that I was well prepared for my career as a result of learning to work with such a diverse array of people.  I met some of my closest friends in Windsor and can still remember many hours spent with them in the pit trying to get a handle on law school.