Started with the RCMP in 2007. Worked in New Brunswick as a front-line police officer. Later worked in National Security for several years and the Cybercrime unit in Montreal. Currently an investigator and supervisor on the Cryptocurrency Tactical Operational Support (CTOS) unit.

Gend. Alexandre Degrasse Cst,

Équipe de soutien opérationnel tactique en matière de cryptomonnaies (SOTC)

Cryptocurrency Tactical Operational Support (CTOS)

East Region | Région de l’est

Lorne M. Lipkus is a founding partner in the Toronto, Ontario, law firm of Lipkus Law LLP. He practices throughout Canada, at the border and online in the area of intellectual property litigation with a principal focus on protecting the intellectual property and the intellectual capital of his clients. His personal engagement with his clients enables him to customize end-to-end proactive and defensive solutions to combat the piracy, theft, and counterfeiting of his client’s property. In addition to strategic defensive work, he actively litigates all manner of anti-counterfeiting cases (copyrights, trademarks, and industrial designs), cases involving theft of confidential information, trade secrets, corporate opportunities, and tangible property, by former employees, competitors, or others, as well as computer and other fraud and abuse.

David has dedicated his practice to stopping infringers from using or reproducing his clients’ intellectual properties without permission in Canada, and online. His principal focus is on intellectual property brand protection for trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs, insurance defence litigation including defence of professionals (solicitors and paralegals) as well as civil and commercial litigation.

SENIOR REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT – CENTRAL CANADA

Manuel Parreira was appointed Regional Director for the Bank of Canada’s Ontario Regional Office in July 2007, and recently took on the role of Senior Regional Representative of Outreach & Engagement for Central Canada. In this capacity, he promotes the Bank and delivers its products and services to key stakeholders. His role includes building and maintaining relationships with financial and business communities, law enforcement and government agencies, educational institutions, and the general public.

In his 45 years of service, Mr. Parreira’s experience has provided him with opportunities to work in various Bank departments with the focus being on the Currency function.

M. Dagorn is a French senior customs administrator and appointed Customs counsellor at the French embassy in Wasgington DC as of March 1st 2025, competent for the US, Canada and Mexico.

So far, since June 1st 2021, he was head of the international department of the French customs general directorate under the direct authority of the Customs general director. This department is composed of two units : European policies and International cooperation. At this position he conducted the negotiations at the EU Council regarding the European Customs reform and was in charge of the French customs international

network.

M. Dagorn was promoted Customs administrator in 2017 at the head of the tariff and trade policies Office at the Customs HQ, competent for customs taxation issues, trade agreements implementation and IPR issues, until June 2021.

Before this, Mr Dagorn occupied many positions in the anti-fraud branch of the French customs. Among others, he was between 2013 and 2017 head of the operations branch of the DNRED in Marseilles covering south east of France and Corsica, and head of the financial and money laundering investigation unit of the DNRED HQ (French customs intelligence and investigation directorate) between 2006 and 2008.

In-between, he has been appointed Customs attaché at the French Embassy in Berlin with competency for Germany and Northern Europe between 2008 and 2013.

M. Dagorn entered the French Customs administration in 1994 after graduating a French business school (ESC Brest) and studies in Germany (Munich).

Marc Dagorn was born in 1967.

Dwayne King is the CAMLO at WFCU Credit Union in Canada, but his fight against dirty money started long before banking. With a career that began in law enforcement investigating organized crime and financial offences, Dwayne now brings that front-line experience into the boardroom and beyond. He’s spent decades bridging the gap between policing, compliance, and risk management, always with a focus on keeping financial systems safe from abuse.

Gustavo is a lawyer with more than 15 years of experience in Intellectual Property, both in the administration of high volume portfolios at a regional level, as well as in the fight against piracy. He is member of the Anti- Counterfeiting committee in ASIPI and ECTA, member of the Enforcement Committee of INTA, ambassador of IPO. He is an active member in the fight against counterfeiting and represent important brands in Guatemala.

Nick manages the external partnership program and acts as the law enforcement liaison for Western Union in Canada, providing support across all criminal typologies. Having assumed roles in the financial intelligence units of both domestic and international banks and Deloitte’s financial advisory practice, he’s contributed to several high profile and sensitive investigations. He serves as a board member of the Canadian Anti-Human Trafficking Consortium, the Toronto Chapter of the Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists, and on CACN’s steering committee. In April 2021, he launched Project Gemini, a public/private partnership designed to raise awareness amongst Canadian financial institutions on the risks associated with counterfeit goods.

Ritesh Kotak is a Technology and Cybersecurity analyst, Lawyer and Media Contributor who has dedicated his career to exploring how emerging tech will impact society.

He started an eight-year career in policing which involved two police agencies within Canada along with several international assignments. He co-led the creation of the Cyber-Crimes unit and the Research and Innovation portfolio focusing on digital transformation. Ritesh then transitioned to the Private sector where he worked with different Fortune 500 Tech companies on global projects related to cybersecurity, privacy, investigations and digital transformation.

In 2018, Ritesh was selected by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for its Emerging Leaders Executive Program. In 2017, he completed an MBA with distinction from the University of Edinburgh with an exchange at Peking University in Beijing, China. He also holds a BBA from the University of Toronto. Ritesh has also completed his J.D (law degree) with an option in Technology Law from the University of Ottawa.

Ritesh has had the privilege of working and presenting around the world including the World Internet Conference in China, the training academy for the Jamaican Constabulary Force, Intersec in Dubai, the Major City Chiefs/FBI National Executive Institute Conference, NATO-sponsored Cyber-Security Conference in North Macedonia and several other events in the Middle East, North America and Europe. Ritesh has appeared twice as a witness in the House of Commons- Industry, Science, Technology Committee addressing competitiveness in Canada.

Ritesh has written several articles for the Financial Times, the Economist and several other publications. He also frequently appears in mainstream media as a subject matter expert on tech and cyber-related stories.

Sam Tam is a leading advocate for balanced, evidence-based vaping regulations in Canada. As President of the Canadian Vaping Association (CVA), he is committed to ensuring adult smokers have access to safer, affordable alternatives to combustible cigarettes while preventing policies that inadvertently fuel the illicit market.

Sam works closely with federal and provincial policymakers, providing expert insights to strengthen enforcement, compliance, and illicit trade prevention. His advocacy focuses on harm reduction, emphasizing vaping’s role in helping smokers transition away from cigarettes without overregulation that could drive consumers toward unregulated products.

Recognized as a subject matter expert, Sam has collaborated with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), contributing policy recommendations for the Cannabis Act review. He also serves on the Standards Technical Panel for UL 8139 (vaping safety standards).

Sam’s work underscores the importance of fact-based policymaking to reduce smoking rates while combating the illicit market.

Travis Johnson serves as Vice President for Legislative Affairs for the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) in Washington DC, overseeing all aspects of the organization’s government relations and policy development functions, and serves as the IACC’s primary lobbyist in Washington.

During his tenure at the IACC, he has drafted and successfully advocated for the adoption of criminal trademark counterfeiting legislation in eight states, contributed to the enactment of a variety of enhancements to federal statutes and regulations related to IP protection and enforcement, and testified before Congress as an expert witness on issues related to the U.S. government’s legal framework for protecting intellectual property rights at the border, numerous state legislatures, and in the state courts of New York.

Mr. Johnson holds degrees in Law, with a focus in IP rights (JD, University of Florida, 2002), Political Management (MA, George Washington University, 2009) and Political Science (BA, University of Florida, 1999). He is a member of the Florida Bar, and is a frequent lecturer on trademark counterfeiting and broader issues of IP rights protection and enforcement and international trade.

Stacy Gallant was with the Toronto Police Service for 31 years and retired from his post as a Detective Sergeant, most of his career spent as an investigator in the Homicide Squad. He retired in 2020 and joined the private security company GardaWorld as the Director of Consulting Services, Investigations and Executive Protection for Ontario. He joined the AGCO as the Manager of the Major Case office in June of 2023.

Stacy brings significant knowledge with over 25 years experience as a lead investigator and manager in several investigative units including Organized Crime and Property Crime Task Force (Cargo Theft and Auto Theft), Gun and Gang Task Force, Homicide Squad, Homicide Squad- Major Case Management /ViCLAS, Homicide Squad- Cold Case Section. Stacy was responsible for the development and operations of two new units within the Toronto Police Service, the Missing Persons Unit, and Forensic Video Analysis Unit.

He has a strong media presence and if often being called upon for comment or discussion on high profile cases or incidents. His experience brings new insight to the AGCO and help us create expertized solutions around major cases. Stacy’s connections and relations serve as a liaison between the ACGO and Police Services across Ontario.

Steve is a senior investigations leader at the Ontario Lottery & Gaming with over 15 years of experience in corporate investigations, fraud prevention, and compliance. A recognized leader in fraud prevention and risk management, he oversees a team dedicated to ensuring integrity and regulatory excellence. Known for his analytical approach and problem-solving skills, Steve continually seeks innovative ways to improve efficiency and strengthen investigative processes.

Maria Ines Herrera is a senior partner of BARLAW - Barrera & Asociados, with more than 20 years of experience, advising global corporations, developing comprehensive strategies for the protection, defense and litigation of trademarks, unfair competition, and copyrights. She is a graduate from the University of Lima (Peru) and Franklin Pierce Law Center LLM (USA). Active member of INTA, AIPPI, APPI, IAPP, IACC, ASIPI and AMCHAM. Recently, she has been appointed as an expert for Peru within UNIFAB ('Union des Fabricants').

She is recognized as an outstanding lawyer by many international magazines and rankings such as Leaders League, Managing IP-IP Stars, WTR 1000, Chambers and Partners, Patent Lawyer, Latin Lawyer, Legal 500, WIPR, among others.

Tim is currently the Ontario Lead, Illicit Trade Prevention (ITP) program with Rothmans, Benson & Hedges, focused on the negative impacts of and the involvement of criminal organizations in contraband tobacco in Ontario and across the country. The role is primarily as a law enforcement liaison delivering educational training. Our clientele groupings outside policing also include many other public sector security and public safety government agencies.

Prior to joining RBH, Tim was an Inspector from the Ottawa Police Service and retired in Feb 2025. During his 38yrs with the organization, he spent the majority of my policing career in the Investigative stream managing large operational projects, complex investigations and organizational wide strategic projects. During his policing career, he worked in or lead teams in Mobile Surveillance teams, Drug Unit, Morality Unit, Homicide Unit, Guns and Gangs and Intelligence Unit. He finished his policing career as an Inspector at the Ottawa Police Service overseeing the Major Investigations Branch which included the Homicide, Guns and Gangs and Drug Enforcement Teams.

Prior to retirement from policing, he was an active member of the Drug Advisory Committee in the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP) and was an Ontario provincially certified Multi-Jurisdictional Major Case Manager. This designation resulted in me leading a group of police officers from the Peel, Halton and Waterloo Police in solving an historical child sexual assault investigation.

Zach Toczyński is Senior Director of Global Brand Protection at Levi Strauss & Co., where since 2013 he has led worldwide programs in anti-counterfeiting, online enforcement, trademark protection, and intellectual property policy for Levi’s®, Beyond Yoga®, and Dockers®. With more than 20 years in the brand protection industry, Zach has developed and managed global enforcement strategies, investigations, and policy initiatives that safeguard some of the world’s most iconic consumer brands while driving business value through effective rights protection.

Prior to LS&Co., Zach spent 12 years at the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) as Senior Manager of Anti-Piracy Training and Investigations, partnering with law enforcement and international stakeholders to combat software piracy worldwide. Earlier, he served as Legislative Assistant to the Monroe County Legislature in New York and later as Manager of Training Operations at Aristotle International, a Washington, D.C.-based political consulting and software firm.

Zach holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Communication from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

As Associate Senior Director of Government Relations, Ms. Simmons is INTA’s liaison with federal government officials and contributes to the development of INTA’s positions on national and global intellectual property

(IP) issues. Prior to joining INTA in 2019, Ms. Simmons served as Assistant General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel,at the United States Trade Representative (USTR). She was the lead IP attorney for the U.S.-

Mexico-Canada Agreement and engaged with Congress and industry stakeholders.

Ms. Simmons also served as Pro Bono Coordinator in the Office of the Under Secretary and Director, and as Associate Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel, at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Department

Law and Business at TRSM; Lincoln Alexander School of Law

Areas of Expertise

International business law; government regulation of business; corporate governance; social enterprise; comparative law; Chinese law; law and development

[email protected]

Gil Lan is an associate professor in the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Law and Business Department at the Ted Rogers School of Management (TRSM) where he teaches business law. He is also a Council Member of the Canada-China Institute for Business Development at TRSM. He received his B.Sc. from the University of Toronto and his LL.B., LL.M. and Ph.D. from Osgoode Hall Law School. In addition to teaching at Toronto Metropolitan University, Lan has lectured at Osgoode Hall Law School where he has taught Business Associations and, since 2008, he has taught in the LL.M. program for International Business Law.

Lan is an avid speaker and his presentation venues have ranged from academic conferences sponsored by universities and academic organizations in Canada, the U.S., and China to profession-oriented events sponsored by organizations such as the Ontario Bar Association and the Association of Chinese-Canadian Lawyers of Ontario.

His research centres on corporate-commercial law with a focus on international perspectives as well as the law’s potential to promote social goals and innovation. His specific interests include comparative law approaches, international business law, corporate governance, government regulation of business, social enterprise, law and development, and Chinese law.

Lan’s research has addressed issues such as how China managed to accomplish phenomenal economic growth after 1979 without a strong Western-style property regime, how Canada’s foreign investment laws could be improved, and the inter-relationship between corporate law structures and ascending innovative entrepreneurship models such as social enterprise. In his presentations and guest lectures, he has addressed a range of topics including corporate governance in different countries, the Chinese legal system, social entrepreneurship and legal structures, diversity in the legal profession, and barriers facing immigrant entrepreneurs.

In 2013, Lan was a recipient of the Dean’s Teaching Award at TRSM, andin the summer of 2014, he received the Hoeber Memorial Award – Outstanding Article, from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, for his comparative law article on China and the U.S.

Gianni Maiorano is a Principal of Sales Strategy and Consulting for CSC’s Domain Names Security and Online Brand Protection unit. He comes with over 10 years of experience working with corporate legal departments, security teams, and outside legal counsel to help outline the abuse landscapes affecting them online. In this effort, in conjunction with professional services, technology, and workflow harmonization create successful programs for identifying and remediating abusive and malicious online activity to trademark holders. He has experience in guiding clients through dealing social media sites, online marketplaces, internet services providers, as well as domain names security and governance best practices.

Independently of this, Gianni has two young daughters, and is active in their sports and extracurricular activities such as flag football, soccer, and karate.

Lastly, Gianni is an avid cook and ‘foodie’ so if nothing else, he will always be looking to protect your appetite!

Notary Public, Universidad de la República (2011). Certified Advanced Studies in Intellectual Property, Universidad Austral (2020). Consultant specialized in trademark and patent issues. Specialist in new ways of combating counterfeiting and online monitoring. He was moderator of the panel discussion on Online Monitoring at INTA 2018, Seattle. He has been a speaker at several national training sessions on the identification of counterfeit products for Customs officers, National Police and members of the judicial system. Repeated speaker at the Annual Conference on Fraud and Counterfeiting, in Toronto, Canada, on topics such as new trends in enforcement and border measures.

Courses and Seminars: "Understanding the New China", Universidad de Montevideo; "Combating Trademark Counterfeiting"; "Piracy by signal receivers"; "Combating the commercialization of counterfeit products and trademark offenses"; "International Seminar: Intellectual Property 2.0". Speaker at the AIPF Annual Meeting: "Management of a Trademark Practice in Times of Technological Development" - Chicago 2018. "Intellectual Property in the European Environment", University of Salamanca - Spain, 2024. Member of INTA´s upcoming 2024-2025 “Committee term for the Trademark Office Practices Committee LATAM & Caribbean”. Member of the Board of AIPF (Association of Industrial Property Firms). Languages: spanish and english.

With over 25 years of experience in consulting across various verticals, Elizabeth Sylves currently serves as the Principal of Strategy and Consulting for The Americas at CSC, where she co-leads the New Business division for North America. Her primary focus is helping businesses mitigate risk in front of the firewall, specializing in critical areas such as domain management and security, brand protection, and phishing.

Elizabeth is a passionate advocate for cybersecurity and women in tech, serving on the Board of the Delaware IP Alliance and as an IACC IP Warrior. She is heavily involved in WiCyS (Women in Cybersecurity) and is invited to be a panelist in her field. Elizabeth is highly involved in giving back to the community mentoring the younger generation and a volunteer run coach for 3-8th graders.

In her 7 years with CSC, Elizabeth has played a pivotal role in driving strategic initiatives, leveraging her deep expertise in IT technology and consulting. Her leadership in New Business continues to provide innovative solutions that protect brands and secure digital assets for businesses across North America.

Eliran Isaev is a Cyber Investigator with Lipkus Law LLP, specializing in intelligence analysis and the investigation of counterfeit sellers. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Crime and Intelligence Analysis from Seneca College.

His work involves conducting open-source investigations (OSINT) to identify and disrupt counterfeit sellers, trace digital footprints, and support enforcement and brand protection efforts.

Founder & President, Brand Preserve LLC

[email protected] | https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisemosteller/

Denise Mosteller is the Founder and President of Brand Preserve LLC, where she helps companies protect their brands through authorized reseller and pricing programs, anti‑counterfeiting enforcement, and marketplace compliance. With almost 30 years of experience spanning investigations, enforcement, and software innovation, Denise has managed over 1,000 brand protection cases and supported more than 100 brands across industries, including health, beauty, firearms, and consumer goods.

A licensed investigator throughout her career, Denise has also served in paralegal and leadership roles, combining investigative precision with legal and operational expertise. As Director of Investigations and Client Relations, she led major intellectual property cases and partnered with law enforcement agencies on counterfeit enforcement actions.

During her tenure at Implus Footcare, Denise oversaw the creation of Authorized Reseller and MAP programs, directed daily marketplace enforcement efforts across Amazon, eBay, and Walmart, and led the company’s anti‑counterfeiting initiatives—reviewing and documenting counterfeit incidents, developing detailed action plans, and managing outside resources such as investigators, legal counsel, and enforcement partners.

At TrackStreet, Denise built the company’s brand protection division from the ground up, refining enforcement tools, workflows, and software capabilities to align with the needs of manufacturers and brands. Her leadership helped elevate the company’s technology‑driven enforcement platform and strengthen collaboration with clients across industries.

Through Brand Preserve LLC, Denise advises brands on channel integrity and distribution control, teaching them how to address current marketplace challenges and adopt proactive measures to prevent future issues. She is a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA) and actively contributes to industry initiatives in brand protection and anti-counterfeiting. Denise holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University and is recognized for her strategic, hands‑on approach to solving complex brand protection challenges.