Mary Ellen Williams

Chief Operating Officer / Ottawa

Mary Ellen Williams is the Chief Operating Officer for Cassidy Levy Kent’s Ottawa office, where she manages the business side of the Canadian legal practice.

Ms. Williams has over 20 years’ experience in senior management positions focusing on business processes, organizational effectiveness, and general management. Ms. Williams’ early career was in the not-for-profit sector working as General Manager at national organizations including the Canadian Opera Company, the Canadian Nature Federation, and Skate Canada.

Prior to joining Cassidy Levy Kent, for over a decade, Ms. Williams managed the IP portfolio and litigation for a highly successful consumer product launched in 2008 at Standard Innovation Corporation. Through her time, the organization grew from 5 employees to 650 worldwide, valued at $1.2 billion. Ms. Williams led the organization through the development of its IP and litigation strategy, which included portfolio development and cases at the U.S. International Trade Commission, several ex parte reexaminations and inter partes reviews, and litigation in multiple U.S. jurisdictions, Europe, Australia and Canada. She was also the lead for contract litigation in Canada and France, and for U.S and Canadian class action privacy lawsuits. Subsequently, her role expanded to include Privacy Officer for the organization.

Education

  • MBA, University of Western Ontario
  • BA, English Literature, McGill University