Contact

Eraustin@dww.com
T416-941-8210

Qualifications

  • Admitted to the Bar of Ontario in 1985
  • LL.B., University of Toronto
  • B.Sc. (Pure Mathematics) and M.Sc. (Game Theory), University of Calgary
Richard Austin is a Senior Counsel with the firm. He is the former Co-Chair of Deeth Williams Wall’s Technology Law Practice and practises exclusively in the area of information technology, privacy and cybersecurity law.

Practice Areas

Richard’s areas of practice include outsourcing transactions, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, applications development projects, technology mergers and acquisitions, technology start-up support, access to information, privacy, security including cybersecurity and international data flows, IT governance and regulatory compliance, records retention and destruction policies (RRDP) and social media. Richard represents developers and users of information technology in the public and private sector as well as domestic and international service providers.

Before joining Deeth Williams Wall, Richard was General Counsel of EDS Canada, one of Canada’s largest information technology service providers, for 18 years. Richard’s responsibilities at EDS Canada included providing strategic legal advice and guidance to senior management with respect to the Canadian business and to business leaders on specific transactions. Richard provides his clients with expert, effective legal advice based on his deep knowledge of the technology sector, experience with complex technology transactions and appreciation of customer issues and supplier concerns.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

2024 Stand out Lawyer

  • Thomson Reuters, Stand-Out Lawyer 2024
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Most Frequently Recommended for Computer & IT Law, 2024
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Consistently Recommended for Technology Transactions, 2024
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Repeatedly Recommended for Data Protection & Privacy, 2024
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, Lawyer of the Year for Information Technology Law in Toronto, 2023
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, Information Technology Law, Privacy and Data Security Law and Technology Law, 2023
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, Information Technology Law, Privacy and Data Security Law and Technology Law, 2022
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, Lawyer of the Year for Information Technology Law, Toronto, 2020
  • AV® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell, Preeminent ranking in Computers and Software, Labour and Employment and Technology and Science
  • Best Lawyers in Canada, Information Technology Law, Privacy and Data Security Law and Technology Law
  • Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Consistently Recommended for Computer & IT Law and Technology Transactions
  • Who's Who Legal, Global Leader in Data Security and Information Technology
  • Who's Who Legal, National Leader in Data

Professional Affiliations

  • Canadian Bar Association (CBA), Member
  • Ontario Bar Association (OBA), Member
  • Canadian IT Law Association (IT.CAN), Former President and Director
  • Toronto Computer Lawyers’ Group (TCLG), Member

Events

October 24, 2025

DWW Senior Counsel Richard Austin And DWW Founder Amy-Lynne Williams To Co-Chair Technology Negotiations Panel At CAN-TECH Law 2025 Fall Conference

On October 24, 2025, Richard Austin and Amy-Lynne Williams (Retired) will co-chair a panel titled “From War Room to Boardroom: Winning Tech Negotiations” at the Canadian Technology Law Association’s 2025 Annual Fall Conference in Toronto.
October 23, 2025

DWW Is Proud To Sponsor The 2025 CAN-TECH Law Annual Fall Conference

Deeth Williams Wall LLP is proud to sponsor the upcoming 2025 CAN-TECH Law Annual Fall Conference at the Ontario Bar Association in Toronto on October 23 to October 24, 2025.

The 2025 CAN-TECH Law Fall Conference is titled “Grounded and Global: Empowering Canadian Tech Lawyers in a Shifting Legal Landscape” and is set to feature a lineup of tech-industry thought leaders, with several panels featuring members of DWW’s Technology Law Practice Group: 
November 20, 2024

DWW’s CPD Series 2024 Presents "Professionalism and Technology Refresher"

Professionalism and Technology Refresher: A Case-Driven Exploration of Professional Standards and Technology

As the practice of law continues to evolve in line with technological advancements, lawyers’ professional obligations must be interpreted and exercised with those changes in mind. This session’s panelists will explore a series of self-contained scenarios that raise legal professionalism issues and reflect recent disciplinary Law Society of Ontario decisions, including technological competence, cybersecurity, and social media, among others.