Matthew Diskin is an IP litigator and trusted advisor who excels in high-stakes disputes where legal complexity, business imperatives, reputational sensitivity, and confidential matters converge. With intellectual rigor, unflappable composure, and sharp practical judgment, he delivers decisive counsel precisely when challenges are most demanding.
Matthew approaches every matter with fearlessness, grounded determination, and clarity under pressure. Equally at home in the courtroom or the boardroom, he navigates high-stakes environments with strategic foresight and an unwavering focus on results.
Clients rely on Matthew for sophisticated, high-consequence work that demands both technical excellence and broader strategic insight, including
- urgent injunctive relief and Anton Piller proceedings
- protection of trade secrets, confidential information, and critical business assets
- media, entertainment, and precedent-setting copyright litigation
- cross-border and multi-jurisdictional disputes
- business and technology-related conflicts with significant reputational or commercial implications
Matthew integrates powerful litigation strategy with a deep understanding of the broader business, media, and reputational dynamics at play. He translates intricate legal and factual issues into clear, actionable advice — whether advancing urgent applications, conducting trials, or negotiating sensitive resolutions. His practice is defined by discretion, versatility, and a relentless commitment to protecting clients’ core objectives. A strategic thinker with humility and deep experience, Matthew brings creative problem-solving and steadfast integrity to every engagement. He is the advisor clients trust when the matter is complex, sensitive, or strategically vital — guiding them through uncertainty with clarity, strength, and a steady hand.
Latest Insights
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Osler Update March 31, 2026
Court of Appeal for Ontario upholds employee’s copyright in competing software developed ‘off the clock’
The decision helps to clarify the legal test for identifying when a work is created “in the course of employment” under Canadian copyright law.
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Osler Update November 27, 2025
German and U.K. courts diverge on whether AI models infringe copyright
When it comes to AI and copyright, recent rulings show there is no global consensus on whether training models infringe.
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Osler Update November 7, 2025
Stability AI successfully defends Getty Images’ U.K. copyright infringement claim
The U.K. High Court has ruled that a generative AI tool that creates high-quality images from text descriptions, is not an “infringing article”.
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Awards and Recognition
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Recognized in Litigation – Defamation & Media
—Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory -
Recognized in Media and Entertainment Law
—Best Lawyers in Canada -
Recognized as a “Trade Mark Star”
—IP Stars
Media Mentions
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Osler News July 14, 2025
Osler lawyers recognized by IP STARS 2025
Osler is proud to announce that six of our Intellectual Property lawyers have been recognized in the 2025 edition of the IP STARS Canada Guide, by...
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Osler News July 27, 2023
Alison Hayman and Matthew Diskin join Osler’s Intellectual Property group as partners
Osler welcomes new partners Alison Hayman and Matthew Diskin to the firm’s Intellectual Property group in Toronto.
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Community Involvement
- Advocates Society
- Numerous pro-bono mandates undertaken
Speaking and Writing
Speaking Engagements
- Presenter, “Tech, Media & IP – A year in review and insights for 2021”, client webinar, December 11, 2020.
- Speaker, IPIC 2018 Conference – Don’t You Know Who I Am? – Privacy, Publicity and Defamation in the 21st Century
Published Work
- “Understanding the Litigation Finance Ecosystem”, Canadian Lawyer, October 2020
- “Lessons from the Drake-Jimmy Smith copyright dispute: Applying the US’s fair use summary procedures to Canadian fair dealing,” Entertainment & Media Law Signal, April 2, 2020
- “In-House Counsel Should Exercise Caution when Using Open-Source Software” Canadian Lawyer, September 10, 2020
- “A Civil Litigation Toolkit: Lessons from Life in the (Culture) Shift”, The Advocates’ Journal, Fall 2019
- “Hearsay, Proportionality and Dispositive Motions Toward a Principled Approach” The Advocates’ Journal, Vol. 34, No. 4, Spring 2016
- “Surprise! You Just Won the Case,” The Voice, DRI, Vol. 14, No. 36, September, 2015
- “How Social Media are Transforming Litigation,” Litigation, Vol 39, No. 2, Spring, 2013, abridged, edited and republished in the Best of ABA Sections – Litigation (the abridged publication appears at GPSOLO, Vol. 30, No. 9, September/October, 2013)
- “Beware the backfire: Going the summary judgment route can have consequences,” Canadian Lawyer, November 28, 2011
- “Regulatory Reform Best Practices: Reducing Overlap, Duplication and Inconsistencies Regulatory Boards and Administrative Law Litigation,” Vol. XI, No. 1, 2010
- “Bell, Rogers must reveal identity of alleged Internet defamer,” The Lawyers Weekly, November 20, 2009
- “E-Discovery Primer for Chartered Business Valuators,” Business Valuation Digest, November 2008
- “Simón Bolívar or Latin Cowboy? Chavez’s War Against Foreign Investors,” Tradeweek, Canadian Association of Importers and Exporters, May 15, 2005
Previous Speaking Engagements
Credentials
Education
- Queen’s University, LL.B.
Languages
- English
- French
Professional Affiliations
- Canadian Bar Association
- Ontario Bar Association
- Queen’s Law Journal, Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief (2002-2004)
