In the Spotlight: Hafeez Rupani, Motion Picture Association – Canada
A lifelong movie buff, Intellectual Property (IP) lawyer Hafeez Rupani wasn’t looking to leave BLG after spending seven happy years with us in Ottawa and making Partner along the way. But one day, a job posting was brought to his attention that would rock his world. The hook? Applicants were asked to name their favourite movie.
It has now been over a decade since Hafeez joined the Motion Picture Association – Canada (MPA-Canada) and subsequently became Vice-President, Legal Affairs. Catching up with BLG Partner and ex-colleague Andrew Sojonky for this spotlight interview, Hafeez summed up his impressions as an executive in-house and industry professional.
Hafeez’s IP practice: Bring in the wide-angle camera
As a business undergrad in Toronto, seeing how copyright was key in recent developments in Internet-related technologies, Hafeez moved to Silicon Valley North (Ottawa) to study law and specialize in intellectual property. Working at (then) Industry Canada’s Patent Policy Directorate during his summers in law school, and articling as a judicial clerk at the Federal Court of Appeal, which handled numerous IP cases, he had already learned the ropes when he came over to develop his budding practice at BLG.
The convergence between IP and technology remained of interest to him all along, and he owes much to retired BLG alum and former mentor, Joachim Fritz, for his support in pursuing the growth opportunities that were extended to him as a young lawyer. “I wanted to spread my wings and expand the scope of my work to tackle files from other offices, including commercial litigation files that had an IP element to it,” he explains.
Hafeez was able to count on a supportive environment from across the firm that allowed him to do so, and the following years saw him flourish. Whenever there was time, he still caught movies at the ByTowne Cinema on Rideau Street, and it wasn’t long after making Partner at BLG that MPA-Canada’s job posting swooned him. “The posting covered copyright, broadcasting, film and television production, and issues surrounding new technologies and the internet, and I just thought: I have to explore this,” he says.
Behind the scenes: The true life of an executive in-house and industry professional
Being able to provide advice on legal developments in the industry truly hit the spot for Hafeez.
“The Motion Picture Association advocates for policies around the world that recognize the power of storytelling, rewards creators, and allows the MPA member companies to produce, distribute, and protect the creative content audiences love,” sums up the movie fan. “As Vice-President, Legal Affairs at MPA-Canada, my job is to provide legal advice on the key issues that come up for the organization so we can achieve our legal and policy objectives in Canada.”
Challenged to keep up with progress in an environment ever more grounded in web-based technology, Hafeez couldn’t be happier. “IP law changes all the time. There are always legislative, regulatory, and changes to the case law, including in response to technological developments. Being able to provide advice in the industry context and pivoting every day to respond to key issues in Canada affecting our members is invigorating for me,” says Hafeez.
Being in-house, one of the biggest benefits of his position comes from the vantage it affords on a wide array of business issues. “In private practice, you typically advise clients on narrow legal issues that need to be addressed, but you don't necessarily know the broader context or what happened after you provided that advice. Whereas in-house, you see how your advice gets implemented, and not just from a legal perspective, but also how your advice can help advance the organization’s broader goals.”
Luckily, Hafeez found himself well supported in learning the ins and outs of the film, television, and streaming industry. “The most pleasant surprise for me was how willing people at the studios and my MPA colleagues in offices around the world have been in sharing their knowledge and expertise, which is critical in understanding the issues and broader global context,” he remembers.
All the better to enable Hafeez in assisting with MPA-Canada’s four main objectives: driving economic growth; advancing creativity; fostering innovation; and supporting storytellers.
Coming soon: Advice for young lawyers
After having been trained by leading lawyers at BLG, and with ten years of experience in-house under his belt, Hafeez has these words of advice for young lawyers: “Communicate with your clients in a clear and concise manner, provide legal advice on the key issues they are seeking assistance with, and do so in a practical and business-oriented manner.”
“What I would tell my younger self is this: learn your client’s business and the challenges they are facing, understand the key issues they are seeking advice on, and provide advice that they can actually use to make decisions”, says Hafeez. “Clients don’t want to shuffle through a 30-page memo searching for an answer to the questions they raised. They want advice from a trusted expert who understands their business and the potential implications of decisions that will be made.”
In his industry, the biggest change in recent years has probably been the proliferation of online streaming services and the resulting changes to the global and domestic legal landscape, which is happening at lightning speed. “Lawyers need to stay up-to-speed, not just on legal developments but on the technological developments that are driving them, so that they can better serve their clients, especially when their phone rings or when they receive an email requesting assistance.”
End credits: The hook
The movie Hafeez listed in his application to MPA-Canada? He listed two: American History X and acclaimed Canadian director Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies. “I couldn’t just list one”, recalls Hafeez with a smile.