Jane Elise Bates

As Counsel in the Halifax office, Jane Elise Bates brings extensive experience and an international perspective to our Business Law group.

Jane provides legal advice and transactional support to commercial and technology deals. She specializes in drafting agreements of all kinds, including software development agreements, intellectual property licenses, website terms, services agreements, and manufacture and distribution arrangements. She is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional and supports clients to implement privacy best practices and respond to potential data breaches. She has strong business acumen, and works closely with clients to identify legal risks and implement practical solutions.

Jane has a particular interest in emerging technologies and is an early-stage angel investor. As Practice Innovation Leader for the Halifax office and a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, she has led teams through organizational change, streamlined processes and improved efficiency. Jane works with our Chief Technology Officer and IT team to enhance productivity and increase client value through the use of technology, including document automation and AI adoption.

Before joining Cox & Palmer in 2021, Jane spent 15 years as a corporate in-house lawyer within government and multi-national corporations in the telecommunications, security, defence, and aviation industries. She is skilled in managing major procurements and ensuring contractual compliance for hundred-million-dollar projects. Jane is experienced in reviewing technical statements of work to ensure alignment with contractual terms and reduce the potential for disputes. She also provides advice on complying with obligations under US export control, anti-corruption and modern slavery legislation.

Jane previously held the position of Executive Director of the Canadian Bar Association – Nova Scotia Branch, managing operations for the association representing 1,400+ lawyers, judges, legal academics, and law students across the province. The broad scope of this role involved the implementation of governance best-practices, improved regulatory compliance and actively promoting the legal profession while also managing the association’s pandemic response. Having also served as a director of multiple not-for-profit organizations, Jane understands the importance of having a trusted legal advisor to help meet regulatory and corporate compliance requirements. In 2015, Jane was awarded ‘In-House Lawyer of the Year’ at the Australian Law Awards.