Fred Wu

t: +1.416.639.7639
e: fred@wulaw.ca

Fred Wu is a litigation lawyer with broad experience in civil-commercial disputes, and a particular focus in intellectual property and technology. Fred founded wu law. to provide businesses, creators, and innovators with direct access to sophisticated advocacy, bypassing the institutional constraints of large firms.

Fred has practised at leading Canadian and UK litigation boutiques, as well as national and international full-service firms. He has acted in matters before the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Ontario Superior Court of Justice (including Divisional Court), Court of Appeal for Ontario, and UK Supreme Court. Before law, Fred completed his graduate research in molecular virology, providing practical familiarity with scientific and technology-driven industries. Businesses facing high-stakes commercial and intellectual property disputes turn to Fred for strategy.

Impact & Thought Leadership

Advocated successfully against large, sophisticated creditors’ forum-shopping abuses

  • Counsel of record in TD Bank, 2024 ONSC 5377 and 2025 ONSC 85

    • Which reasons are now cited as the “prominent” leading authority on venue selection: see eg 2026 ONSC 3355 at para 9

  • Featured in media coverage: “Ontario court says Toronto litigants are increasingly 'forum shopping,' filing cases in London”, Law Times (2 October 2024)

  • Legislature amended the Rules of Civil Procedure accordingly: O Reg 2/26 (codifying ‘rational connection’ rule)

Published scholarly commentary on challenges to arbitral awards

  • F Wu, “A Wafting Aroma: The Ontario Court of Appeal’s Reasons May Not Pass the Smell Test” (2025) 5:1 Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration 21, 2025 CanLIIDocs 3499

  • Critiqued the Court of Appeal's treatment in Aroma, 2024 ONCA 839, of Halliburton, [2020] UKSC 48

  • Proposed a constructive-knowledge approach to assessing reasonable apprehension of bias in arbitration

Licensure & Education

  • Called to the bar of Ontario — 2017 — Law Society of Ontario

  • JD cum laude — 2016 — Law & Technology — University of Ottawa

  • MSc — 2013 — Medical Microbiology & Immunology — University of Alberta

  • BMSc (Hons) with distinction — 2009 — Biochemistry — Western University

Selected Distinctions

  • Associate Member, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada

  • Harold G Fox Cup (winning team), Donald F Sim Award (best advocate), Dimock Stratton LLP Award (best advocate in non-graduating year): Fox IP Moot, 2015

  • 8 New Square Trophy (winning team), Sir Nicholas Pumfrey Award (best advocate): Oxford International IP Moot, 2016

Appointments & Professional Service

  • Member-designate, Research Ethics Board, Toronto Metropolitan University

  • Regular guest lecturer, International Business Law graduate program, Osgoode Hall Law School

  • Recurring moot judge: Jessup International Law Moot (Canadian Rounds), Fox IP Moot

  • Wing Sze (Michelle) Lam

    ARTICLING STUDENT

    Michelle holds a GPLLM from the University of Toronto, following her LLB and PCLL from the University of Hong Kong. Born and raised in Hong Kong, she speaks Cantonese natively and Mandarin fluently.

    Michelle is currently completing her articles of clerkship with wu law., building on about two years of experience in legal services across Ontario and Hong Kong. Notably, she interned in the Hong Kong litigation and intellectual property departments of a leading global firm, then spending a year as a paralegal engaged in investigations and white-collar criminal matters. More recently, she supported an Ontario litigation practice, in disputes and trial preparation.

    In her spare time, Michelle enjoys travelling and exploring Toronto’s art galleries, neighbourhoods, and culinary scene with her loved ones and friends.