UNLAWYER
Your Legal Innovation Partner,
Not Your Girl Friday.
Erika J. Murray, BASc, PhD, JD, PEng
Erika has over 10 years of legal experience advising companies of all sizes, from sole proprietors and tech startups to multinational companies. As a Lawyer and Professional Engineer with a PhD in engineering, Erika draws upon her extensive technology background and vast corporate legal experience to deliver exceptional client-focused legal services. Erika has been an associate lawyer at downtown “Bay Street” firms and has held in-house legal counsel roles, including at the world's largest number one fortune 500 company. Erika is reliable and delivers strategic, practical and swift legal advice to high-growth companies on commercial technology, contracting and negotiations employment, SaaS, IP strategy and licensing, branding/trademark, data, privacy and IP. Her clients span a variety of industries, including clean-tech, med-tech, manufacturing, e-commerce, food and beverage, construction, energy, and health and wellness.
Education:
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, 2014
University of Waterloo, 2011
University of Waterloo, 2007
Interests:
Erika is a born athlete and team player. Erika plays competitive soccer, hockey, and tennis and loves golf.
Is Erika the right fit for you?
Click here to connect and to further discuss
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Virtual “in-house” Legal Counsel to Summit Nanotech, a Calgary based company with operations expanding globally. Summit Nanotech is one of Canada’s fast growing clean technology, direct lithium extraction (DLE) companies.
Works closely with Summit Nanotech’s VP of Intellectual Property, R&D, Engineers and Sales Team; Liaison with foreign counsel on international matters.
IP Strategy, R&D, Proposals, Testing/Engineering Agreements, NDA's, TOS's, MSA's, SOWs, Data/Privacy, Organization Policies.
Clean-tech commercial contracting, negotiating research, intellectual property, supplier and term sheet agreements, employing a solutions-based approach to negotiations, working closely with the VP of IP, VP of Technology and Innovation, Manager of Corporate Strategy and international counsel.
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Worked as Walmart Canada’s Legal Counsel for a 9-month term as virtual “in-house” counsel
Supported the AGC on corporate legal matters in the areas of technology, privacy, financial services, marketing, eCommerce, transportation and clean-tech alternatives
Terms of Use, Agency/Partnership Agreements, Trademark Licensing, DPA’s, SaaS, Cloud Services, Digital Media, General Marketing and Service Agreements, Procurement, ISA’s, GDPR Compliance, Anti-Corruption
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Resolver is world leading SaaS provider that gathers all risk data and analyzes it in context—revealing the true business impact within every risk. Resolver’s Risk Intelligence Platform traces the extended impact of all types of risk—whether compliance or audit, incidents, or threats—and translates those effects into quantifiable business metrics
Worked as virtual "in-house" Legal Counsel to Resolver, covering for and supporting the Director, Legal to fulfill the day-to-day legal needs of Resolver, a B2B SaaS company • Worked closely with Resolver's C-suite and also their passionate driven sales team on complex negotiations to close deals (TOS's, customer MSA's, SOWs, DPA's). Also collaborated across multiple departments to administer and reinforce privacy and cybersecurity best practices
B2B SaaS commercial contracting, negotiating sales agreements, employing a solutions-based approach to negotiations, working closely with the VP of sales and international sales teams • LOIs/MOUs, MSAs, SOWs, SaaS TOSs, DPAs, Business Associate and Cyber Security Agreements
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Leadership position working directly with CEO. Used technology and innovation to provide intellectual property legal services to clients, with a focus on automation
Performed a broad range of intellectual property and corporate commercial services around IP Identification, Procurement, Patent Drafting and Prosecution, Trademark Filing and Opposition, Portfolio Management, IP Strategy, Audit, Valuation, Commercialization, Dispute Resolution and Litigation
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As an IP lawyer with extensive background in engineering, worked as IP counsel to merging software and other technology companies on related patent applications, licensing agreements and trademark protection; assisted clients in maximizing the strength of their IP portfolio • Provided intellectual property services, catering to high-tech companies and funded start-up companies seeking to protect and leverage their valuable intellectual property in the areas of consumer electronics, wearables, telecommunications, energy generation, clean-tech and energy storage, medical devices, chemical processes, mechanical devices and robotics.
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Evaluated new inventions, drafted patent disclosures, amended patent claims, drafted comprehensive responses to office actions (chemical, processes, bio/pharma & high-tech) • Performed patent and trademark searches, drafted opinions, and international strategies
Drafted license agreements, IP policies, employee contract IP provisions
Drafted trademark applications, comprehensive responses to office actions and oppositions
Performed IP litigation support, drafted factums, affidavits, and examinations
Experience:
Frequently Asked Questions
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Athena Legal serves a diverse range of industries with our comprehensive legal services. Our expertise encompasses software and electronics, manufacturing, consumer products, life sciences, energy and renewables, and data privacy. We offer specialized guidance to businesses in the software and electronics sector, helping them navigate intellectual property and technology laws. Check out our industries page to see the specific industries that we serve.
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Athena Legal’s key practice areas are corporate technology law, intellectual property and strategic growth & licensing.
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Athena Legal is a law firm. Athena Legal works as your in-house counsel through supporting technology contracting, negotiations, IP licensing and strategy, or simply the overflow of SaaS contracts. Customer contracts is our specialty. Our fractional in-house fractional services can work directly in supporting the c-suite, sales and procurement teams on larger mandates or on an ad hoc only as-needed basis.
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Athena Legal works to ensure a personalized strategy for each individual client. We work closely to identify each clients needs and create a tailored unique solution that helps to overcome the challenges our client is facing.
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Athena Legal’s clients consist of small firms that are continuously scaling.
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Athena Legal offers personalized pricing based on the unique needs of each client. We provide a free initial consultation to assess your case and discuss pricing details. Our firm operates on a competitive hourly rate basis, reflecting the experience and expertise of our team. We strive to minimize costs without compromising quality. For an accurate estimate, please contact us to discuss your specific legal matter.
Our Story
Our story began with recognizing that the traditional law landscape was transforming significantly. Within this evolving landscape, Athena Legal & Innovation was founded, driven by the desire to capitalize on the emerging trends of transparency and on-demand legal services. Erika, the founder of Athena Legal & Innovation, brings a decade of invaluable legal experience to the table, assisting businesses of all scales, ranging from sole proprietors and tech startups to multinational corporations.
With a remarkable background encompassing a Ph.D. in engineering and extensive corporate legal experience, Erika possesses a unique skill set that seamlessly blends technology and law. Having worked as an associate lawyer at renowned "Bay Street" firms and as in-house legal counsel for the world's leading Fortune 500 company, Erika's credibility and proficiency are unparalleled.
Erika's unwavering dedication to her clients is evident in her reliable and swift approach. Her ability to deliver strategic and practical legal services in various areas such as commercial technology, contracting and negotiations, employment matters, SaaS, IP strategy and licensing, branding and trademark issues, data privacy, and intellectual property sets her apart. She has successfully advised high-growth companies across diverse industries, including clean-tech, med-tech, manufacturing, e-commerce, food and beverage, construction, energy, and health and wellness.
At Athena Legal & Innovation, our mission is to embrace the changing legal landscape and leverage the industry's transparent and on-demand aspects. We are deeply committed to providing exceptional client-focused legal services, ensuring our clients feel valued and prioritized. We strive to deliver tailored, strategic, and forward-thinking solutions to meet their needs. With Erika's experience and our unwavering dedication, we are poised to guide businesses through the complexities of today's legal challenges and empower them to thrive in an ever-evolving marketplace.
Our Vision
Our vision at Athena Legal & Innovation is to revolutionize the legal industry by embodying the core values of on-demand services, transparent fees, top legal talent, a business-minded approach, and the experience of an innovative Ph.D. engineer. We strive to provide our clients with a superior and seamless experience, combining cutting-edge legal strategies with a forward-thinking mindset. By embracing these principles, we aim to redefine the standards of legal practice, delivering exceptional results and ensuring the utmost satisfaction for every client we serve.
Our Values
Innovation
Commitment
People
At Athena Legal & Innovation, we are steadfastly committed to our core values, with a strong emphasis on transparency, on-demand accessibility, and flat fees. Transparency is our guiding principle, as we firmly believe in open and honest communication with our clients, ensuring they feel reassured and confident in our services. We understand the importance of being readily available when our clients need us the most, which is why we have embraced an on-demand approach, ensuring that our legal services are easily accessible whenever they are required. Moreover, our dedication to flat fees ensures that our clients have a clear understanding of the costs involved, promoting trust and eliminating surprises. These values guide us in building strong and transparent relationships with our clients as we strive to provide exceptional legal services with integrity and fairness.