Two decades of business law experience — from Bay Street to corporate boardrooms to early-stage startups. External general counsel to software, technology, mining, finance and professional services clients across Canada and abroad.
A seasoned lawyer with experience from Bay Street to corporate boardrooms to startups — producing agreements that are fair, balanced, and achieve natural strategic alignment.
My focus is your success, not my billable hours. I will take the time to understand your business, your goals, and the unique challenges in front of you — and together we will build legal solutions that actually work for how you operate.
I'm interested in supporting your long-term success, not your long-term dependency on expensive legal services. Good counsel should make you more self-sufficient over time, not less.
Whether you're a founder negotiating your first enterprise contract, a mid-sized business navigating a financing round, or a professional with complex personal affairs — the goal is the same: a good legal outcome, delivered through a genuinely good experience.
From founder-led startups to TSX-listed public companies and international enterprises — a client base built across industries, geographies, and stages of growth.
Koby practiced corporate finance, securities, and commercial law on Bay Street in Toronto for many years, acting as counsel to small and mid-sized businesses, TSX and TSX‑V listed public companies, and several investment dealers. Following his return to Ottawa — his hometown — he served as senior corporate counsel to Corel Corporation, managing legal teams in Ottawa, Taiwan, and Japan.
In 2010, Koby launched Smutylo Law+ as a boutique law firm focused on delivering high-quality legal services to entrepreneurial individuals and businesses. The practice has since grown to serve clients in Ottawa, Toronto and elsewhere across Canada, as well as in the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia. Throughout that time he has also continued to serve in selected in-house general counsel roles with Canadian public and private companies, which keeps the practice grounded in the realities of running a business.
Today, Smutylo Law+ advises a range of clients — from large multinational businesses to dynamic owner-operated companies, to medical, dental, and other professionals. What hasn't changed is the standard: every client receives great service and good legal advice. Koby's aim is that clients walk away not only with a good legal outcome, but with a genuinely good experience of working with the firm.
Plain-language commentary on developments in Canadian business, technology, and regulatory law.
A practical guide for US software companies, in-house counsel, and operators whose product, customers, or employees touch Canada. PIPEDA, Quebec Law 25, BC PIPA, and where US privacy programs typically fall short.
Read More →What US drafters most often miss when their limitation-of-liability and exclusion clauses are tested in a Canadian court. A practical look at the post-Tercon framework and what it means for commercial contracts.
Read More →What US companies need to know about hiring their first Canadian employee — reasonable notice, worker classification, equity grants, restrictive covenants, and the permanent-establishment trap.
Read More →Practical answers about how the firm works, who it serves, and what to expect from an engagement with Smutylo Law+.
Smutylo Law+ is a boutique business law firm based in Ottawa, Ontario, led by principal lawyer Koby Smutylo. The firm was founded in 2010 and acts as external general counsel to entrepreneurial individuals, owner-operated businesses, mid-market companies, and TSX/TSX-V listed public issuers across Canada and internationally.
The firm advises a range of clients — from large multinational businesses to dynamic owner-operated companies, including software and technology companies, mining and resource issuers, finance and investment firms, and professional service providers such as physicians, dentists, and other lawyers. Clients are based in Canada, the United States, South America, Europe, and Asia.
Core practice areas include business law (corporate structuring, commercial contracts, shareholder agreements, financings, and M&A), technology and licensing (SaaS and enterprise agreements, IP licensing, privacy and data), software licenses, mining law (including TSX and TSX-V public company compliance), Canadian legal representation for foreign companies doing business in Canada, and private client work for professionals.
Yes. Smutylo Law+ regularly serves as the Canadian legal representative for foreign businesses operating in or selling into Canada — a practical, cost-effective alternative to establishing a full Canadian office. This includes day-to-day commercial questions, contract review under Canadian law, and coordination with local counsel where specialist input is needed.
Yes — many clients retain the firm in an external general counsel capacity, handling the day-to-day legal questions that come up in running a business without the cost of an in-house team. Engagements range from individual matters to ongoing advisory relationships.
The firm is based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and operates primarily remotely, serving clients across Canada and abroad. Meetings — by phone, video, or in person by appointment — are arranged to suit the client.
Email koby@canadianattorney.com, or call any of the regional numbers: Ontario 613.869.5440, British Columbia 604.937.6006, or California 805.459.0479. Initial consultations are straightforward — no pitch, no pressure, just a clear read on whether the firm can help.
Tell me about your business and what you're working on. Initial consultations are straightforward — no pitch, no pressure, just a clear read on whether I can help.
Get in Touch