Andrea Kokonis will rise to the role of General Counsel – Head of Legal Services with SOCAN, effective Jan. 1, 2020, as the current head of our legal team, Gilles Daigle, retires.

As Associate General Counsel with SOCAN since 2015, the bilingual Kokonis has  worked closely with Daigle, often taking the lead in our legal efforts at many levels. As a member of the SOCAN Legal team for more than a decade, she’s been involved in all aspects of SOCAN business. Prior to joining SOCAN, Kokonis practiced at leading law firms Torys LLP and Fasken Martineau LLP, where she advised clients on intellectual property and complex commercial litigation, as well as business transactions relating to acquisitions and licensing deals.

Daigle has spent the last seven years as SOCAN’s primary counsel with Gowling WLG, SOCAN’s long-time external legal partner.

In addition to representing SOCAN’s member interests in Copyright Board of Canada proceedings, here are a few of Daigle’s numerous business achievements with SOCAN:

• Working to realize SOCAN’s objectives in revising copyright legislation.
• Playing a key role in the acquisition of U.S. companies Audiam and MediaNet in 2016.
• The creation of Dataclef as SOCAN’s separate services arm, as we realize the potential of our expertise and world-leading technologies.
• The multi-year process of acquiring SODRAC, enabling SOCAN to diversify our traditional business to expand into reproduction rights.
• The historic and complex co-ordination of the creation of Entandem as a new company co-owned by SOCAN and RE:SOUND.

SOCAN thanks Daigle for all of his contributions, and welcomes Kokonis to the executive team, as we go from strength to strength in our efforts with the Copyright Board of Canada, major digital services, and significant policy work at all levels of government.