Stephen J. Ellwood

Stephen J. Ellwood

CEO, Qualified as an Expert in Digital Forensics by both the Canadian Federal, Ontario Superior Courts of Justice and Ontario Court of Justice
[email protected]

Steve has over 40 years of experience and expertise in the design, implementation and maintenance of information systems, Internet architecture, email systems, and database systems. Spanning the entire personal computing era, his work has covered all areas of technology: hardware, software, online, mobile, and traditional and IP based telephony. 
Steve is the founder and Principal of ellwood Associates Inc. (eAI) and its family of companies. Since eAI’s beginnings in 1984, Steve has built it into a ‘best in class’ enterprise specializing in technology for the legal community in Canada. With his team of 9 consultants out of Toronto, Steve and eAI have served as the principal contractor or consultant on technology-related projects for over 200 large and small law firms, for government, and for corporate legal departments.

His work has included:

• advising lawyers and other professionals on technology;

• designing, implementing and maintaining technology infrastructures;

• designing, implementing and maintaining knowledge and information systems;

• developing strategies and systems for the forensic use of information technology;

• advising on and implementing technology security;

• implementing and maintaining document management systems;

• implementing and maintaining Internet services, including email and ISP mail servers;

• installing and configuring software systems;

• designing, installing and maintaining database and information systems.

In the early 2000’s evidence was becoming more and more digital, emails were evidence. eAI’s client law firms asked for help in dealing with this new type of evidence. Steve’s focus turned from general law firm IT to digital evidence. By 2012 the ‘specialty’ with eAI became a standalone business specializing in preservation, examination and presentation of electronic evidence. ellwood Evidence Inc (eEI) was founded to bring both digital forensics and eDiscovery expertise to Canadian law firms.

Steve is engaged in passing on his unique skills, experience and knowledge to the next generation of practitioners in North America.

In addition to his work at eAI and eEI, Steve: 

• founded and operated one of Canada’s first Internet service providers, Internet Connect Niagara, which served more than 10,000 users, including major enterprises; led, designed and created the significant Niagara Hospital Rbase relational database system covering the regional hospital’s 3,000 patients;

• brought Sheraton Hotels Worldwide to the Internet with a portfolio of over 400 properties;

• served as special consultant to the 2002 International Litigation Forum in Geneva Switzerland.

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Work within the Legal Process

Steve has provided support in many cases over the years.  His most common engagement is in the review of digital evidence and assist defense counsel to understand the evidence and testimony of opposing experts then to prepare a cross examination strategy.  

Steve from time to time will attend with defense counsel to hear the In Chief testimony of Crown witnesses to assist defense counsel.

Steve has also provided digital forensic expertise to many matrimonial, employment law/HR, criminal fraud and civil litigation cases.

Since 2019 Steve lead eEI to become the principle vendor of digital forensic and eDiscovery services to the Law Society of Ontario (LSO). The LSO has engaged Steve and his team in over 200 cases since 2019 ranging from mobile device data preservation and examination to web site and cloud resource preservation and examination to analysis of the authenticity of digital evidence and expert testimony before the LSO Tribunal.

Certified as an expert qualified to give opinion regarding:

• Digital Forensics generally and specifically in the collection and analysis of digital information from mobile devices - on consent in R. v Singh June 2023 before Justice Nancy Dennison, Superior Court of Justice, Central West Region

• Digital Forensics generally and the workings and analysis of email systems - contested in The Professional Engineers of Ontario Tribunal re Hafiz M. Ahmad, P.ENG. and Orbit Engineering Limited, May 2023

• GPS location technology - on consent in R. v Patel May 2023 before Justice Trevor A. Brown, Ontario Court of Justice, Eastern Region

• Digital Forensics - on consent in R. v Patten January 2023 before Justice Michael A. Quigley, Superior Court of Justice, Toronto Region

• Forensic Analysis of Digital Evidence - on consent in The Law Society of Ontario Tribunal Licensee name withheld February 2022.

• Digital Computer Forensics - on consent in Tribunal of the Alberta Labour Relations Board in the matter of Phillips, November 2021

• Digital Computer Forensics - on consent in R. v Jobborn November 2021 before Justice L. Leitch, Superior Court of Justice, Southwest Region

• Digital Computer Forensics - on consent Law Society of Ontario Tribunal Licensee name withheld November 2021

• Digital Computer Forensics - contested in Immigration and Refugee Protection Act/Certificate to the Federal Court in the Matter of Mohamed Harkat 2019 before Justice S. E. Roussel, Federal Court

• Power management of mobile devices - contested in R. v Curry 2018 before Justice Selkirk, Ontario Court of Justice, (East Region – Renfrew County)

• Forensic analysis of digital evidence - on consent in Wang v Hao 2018 Arbitration before Retired Justice Bruce Glass, Superior Court of Justice, (Central Eastern Region-Durham Region)

• Forensic analysis of digital evidence - on consent in R. v Joseph 2018 before Justice Colin D. A. McKinnon (Superior Court of Justice East region)

• Acquisition and analysis of digital evidence - on consent in R. v Joseph 2018, above.

• Acquisition and analysis of mobile device and their digital evidence - on consent in R. v Joseph 2018, above.

• Internet evidence analysis - on consent in R. v Joseph 2018, above.

• use of Encase software and other forensic tools used in the examination of digital evidence - R. v Patterson 2018 before Justice Peter Bawden Superior Court of Justice.

• Certified as an Expert in Computer Systems and Email Systems December - PriceWaterhouseCoopers v. Burke 2016 Binding Arbitration before Thomas Heintzman

Legal Aid Ontario Vendor of Record since 2015 for:
•    Analysis of digital evidence

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Education

University of Western Ontario Dean’s List graduate B.A. (honours) in Economics (1986)
Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Henley School of Business, University of Reading UK (2018)

Articles

Advocates Society Journal

• 2012 - “Sample Separation Agreement Precedent Social Media Provisions” co-written with Ronald D. Davis Ph.D. JD, Phil M. Epstein and Howard Feldman

• June 2013 - “Lawyers on the beach: The standard of care, technology, and the oncoming digital tsunami” co-written with Ronald D. Davis Ph.D. JD

• Spring 2014 - “10 things every litigator has to know about social media, or: Why you have nothing to fear and much to gain” co-written with Ronald D. Davis Ph.D. JD

Journal of the British Columbia Paralegal Association

• Winter 2016 – “CaseMap: A Litigation Case Management Thinking Tool” co-written with Stephanie Williams, Volume 47, Issue 3, Paralegal Press, Winter 2016/2017

ONTARIO FAMILY LAW REPORTER

• August 2019 - “Interview with Stephen Ellwood: Digital Forensics in Family Law”, with Jonathan Robinson,Volume 33, Number 2, LexisNexis

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Clients

The list of civil cases Steve has been involved in is lengthy.  Steve regularly provides digital forensic and eDiscovery expertise as a consultant to; 

Law Firms

• Adair Goldblatt Bieber LLP

• Addario Law Group LLP

• Aird Berlis LLP

• Amy J. Ohler Barrister

• Andrew Bond Barrister

• Anthony G Bryant Barrister

• Arbesman Hamilton Boswall LLP

• Baker and Baker Family Lawyers Professional Corp.

• Barnable Law Professional Corporation

• Barry Plant Barrister

• Beard Winter LLP

• Bennett Jones LLP

• Berkow Youd Lev-Farrell Das LLP

• Bernhardt Fitzgerald

• Bernstein Newman Barristers and Solicitors

• Black and Sutherland LLP

• Blaney McMurty LLP

• Book Law LLP

• Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

• Brass Law Office

• Caldwell Barristers

• Caramanna Friedberg Barristers & Solicitors

• Carolyn A. MacLean Barrister and Solicitor

• Carson Lien LLP

• Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

• Charles Spettigue Barrister & Solicitor

• Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

• Chenier & Notturno LLP

• Chernos Flaherty Svonkin LLP

• Christopher Tarach Barrister and Solicitor

• Cooper, Sandler, Shime & Bergman LLP

• Counter Tax Lawyers

• Cyd Israel Professional Corporation

• Dan Johnson Criminal Law

• Danson Recht LLP

• Deloitte LLP

• DeMelo Law Professional Corporation

• Dentons Canada LLP

• Dickinson Wright LLP

• Dipchand LLP

• Edelson & Friedman LLP

• Elkin Injury Law

• Elliott Willschick Criminal Attorney

• Epstein Cole LLP

• Farrell Law Group

• Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP

• FIJ Law LLP

• Fogler Rubinoff LLP

• Forget Smith LLP

• Fran Marinic-Jaffer Barrister and Solicitor

• Francesca Yaskiel Barrister and Solicitor

• Gardiner Roberts LLP

• Glen Price Lawyers

• Goldbatt Partners

• Gowlings WLG

• Greenspan Humphrey Weinstein LLP

• Grill Barristers Professional Corporation

• Hammond Flesias LLP

• Harbic Law Barristers & Solicitors

• Hartzog Conger Cason LLP

• Heal and Co LLP

• Heller Rubel LLP

• Henein Hutchinson LLP

• Herscovitch Wyszomierska Jeethan Criminal Lawyers

• Heuristica Discovery Counsel LLP

• Isaacs & Co.

• J K Hannaford Barristers

• J. Lloyd Greenspoon Barrister & Solicitor

• Jackman, Nazami & Associates

• Jaskot Family Law Barristers LLP

• Jeff Carolin Barrister & Solicitor

• Jerry F. O'Brien Professional Corporation

• John Cannings Barristers

• Jonathan Rosenthal Barrister & Solicitor

• Juriansz & Li Barristers & Solicitors

• Kastner Freedman Gelfand LLP

• Kestenberg Siegal Lipkus LLP

• Kestenberg Litigation LLP

• Kim Schofield & Associates Inc.

• Klug Law LLP

• Knox Law

• Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP

• Leora Shemesh Criminal Law

• Lerner Law Professional Corporation

• Lerners LLP

• Lipkus Law LLP

• Louis P. Strezos & Associate

• Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP

• MacDonald and Partners LLP

• Macro Sciarra Criminal Lawyer

• Martin Reesink Barrister

• Massey Rogers Barrister and Notary Public

• Matthews Abogado LLP

• McCarthy Hansen & Company LLP

• McLean & Kerr LLP

• McLeod Law LLP

• Melanie J Webb Barrister

• Michael A. Leitold Barrister & Solicitor

• Miller Thomson LLP

• Minken Employment Lawyers

• MLT Aikins LLP

• Monaghan Reain Lui Taylor LLP

• Morphew Symes Barristers

• Niman Gelgoot and Associates LLP

• Niman Mamo LLP

• Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

• O’Brien Balka and Khehra Barristers and Solicitors

• Omarr Syed Law Office

• Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP

• Pape Salter Teillet LLP

• Paul Slansky Law

• Peter James Doucet Barrister and Solicitor

• Philip M. Goldfarb Barrister

• Podrebarac Barristers Professional Corporation

• Reain Lui Stock LLP

• Ron Ellis Law

• Rubin Thomlinson LLP

• Rueters LLP

• Savard + Foy Criminal Defence

• Scarfone Hawkins LLP

• Scullion Law Criminal Defence

• Simpson Wigle Law LLP

• Winkler Dispute Resolution

• Scullion Law LLP

• Shayne Kert Barrister

• Simpson Wigle LLP

• Stanley Pasternak Law

• Stevenson Whelton Barristers

• Stewart McKelvey LLP

• Stockwoods LLP

• Sutts Strosberg LLP

• Taylor McCaffrey Lawyers

• Templeman Menninga LLP

• Teplitsky Colson LLP

• Thomson Rogers Barristers & Solicitors

• Torkin Manes LLP

• Victoria Tatsis-Yeh Barrister & Solicitor

• Wagner Sidlofsky LLP

• Wardle Daley Bernstein Bieber LLP

• Weisberg Law

• Will Murray Barristers & Solicitors

• Wood Gold LLP

Organizations (Direct Engagements)

• Government of Canada Defence Counsel Services

• Investment Planning Counsel of Canada

• Law Society of Manitoba

• Law Society of Ontario

• Legal Aid Ontario

• Professional Engineers of Ontario

• Ryerson Faculty Association

• Toronto Catholic District School Board

• Winnipeg Police Service

Corporations (Direct Engagements)

• Bishop Strachan School

• Bur Oak Pediatics

• Cube Reality Advisors Ltd

• Den Bosch + Finchley

• Food Service Solutions Inc.

• Grand Valley Distributors Inc.

• Infinite Media Ltd.

• Insight Solutions Inc.

• IPro Tech LLC (Client)

• The Concrete Paving Company

• Klasner Solomon and Partners

• KPMG LLP

• MNP LTD

• Naylor Building Partnerships

• Navacord Corporation

• Marklyn Group Inc.

• Money Gate Corp..

• Mining & Energy Services / 4i Consulting Inc.

• Paul’s Transport Inc.

• Schonfeld Inc. Receivers and Trustees

• St. Clement's School

• Wellbeings Pain Management and Dependency Clinic Inc.

Among other leading Canadian law firms and Canadian corporations.

Criminal Casework (selected)

Addario Law Group LLP

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

• R. v. Withheld

Amy J. Ohler Barrister

• R. v. Phillips

Anthony G. Bryant Barrister & Solicitor

• R. v. Ball

• R. v. Richer

Barry Plant

• R. v. Patten

Bernhardt Fitzgerald Barrister and Solicitor

• R. v. Patterson

• R. v. Johnson

Brass Law Office

• R. v. Forget

Cooper Sandler Shime & Bergman LLP

• R. v. Paramalingam and Jaffer, 2016 (CanLII Record)

• R. v. Kenneth James, 2013 ONSC 5085 (CanLII Record)

• R. v. Gatto

Dentons and later Heller Rubel Barristers

• R. v. Ghomeshi, 2016 ONCJ 155 (CanLII Record)

Dan Johnson Criminal Lawyer

• R. v. Messon

• R. v. Charles

• R. v. Shahid

Defence Counsel Services Judge Advocate General,
Department of Defence Canada

• R v. Whalen

• R v. Hansen

Grill Barristers Professional Corporation

• R. v. El-Khoury

Harbic Law Barristers & Solicitors

• R. v Oake

Heller Rubel LLP

• R. v. House

• R. v. Gerstel

Henein Hutchinson LLP

• R. v. Crichton

• R. v. Dhaliwal

• R. v. Capito

• R. v. Zhang

Jeff Carolin Barrister and Solicitor

• R. v. Duru

J. Lloyd Greenspoon Barrister & Solicitor

• R. v. Blandizzi

Knox Law

• R. v. Fardy

• R. v. Wright

Legal Aid Ontario (Direct Engagement)

• R. v. Jobborn

Lyttle McGarry Del Greco LLP

• R. v. Dubois

• R. v. Joseph

• R. v. Estekhar

• R. v. Abd

• R. v. Adderley

• R. v. Cutts

• R. v. Haddad

Martin Reesink Barrister

• R. v. Feehan

Massey Rogers Barrister and Notary Public

• R. v. Sheffield

Melanie J Webb Barrister

• R. v. Subia

Robert Richardson Barrister and Solicitor

• R. v. Reza

Omarr Syed Law Office

• R. v. Gandhi

• R. v. Barkshire

Savard + Foy Criminal Defence

• R. v. Gauthier

Scullion Law LLP

• R. v. McCutchon
  

Law Society of Manitoba / Winnipeg Police Service

• R. v. Dawson

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Certifications & Professional Education

Digital Forensics

Access Data LLC - certified completed Access Data Forensics ToolKit Continuing Education Seminars (2011)

eDiscovery

LexisNexis - Certified Support in CaseMap, TextMap, NoteMap, DepoMap, TimeMap

Law Firm Practice Management

• Lexis Nexis TimeMatters - Certified Independent Consultant in TimeMatters v6, v7, v8, v9 & v10 Professional, Enterprise (SQL) v7 and v8 and WorldServer (Web) v8

• Amicus Attorney Premier Consultant

• inData LLC - TrialDirector - Certified Trainer and Administrator

• LiveNote - Certified admin and trainer

General IT

• Novell Certified Engineer (v.2/3/4)

• WordPerfect Certified Resource

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Conferences

EnFuse Digital Forensics Conference (2019) - Las Vegas 3 days

• 10 hours Continuing Professional Education Credits

EnFuse Digital Forensics Conference (2017), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in Digital Forensics

CEIC Digital Forensics Conference (2015), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in Digital Forensics

CEIC Digital Forensics Conference (2014), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in Digital Forensics

AccessData User Conference (2014), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in eDiscovery

CEIC Digital Forensics Conference (2013), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in Digital Forensics

CEIC Digital Forensics Conference (2012), Las Vegas 4 days

• 32 hours Continuing Professional Education Credit in Digital Forensics

Other Courses and Seminars

Courtroom Testimony: A Practical Skills Workshop for Police and Other Law Enforcement Professionals - Osgoode Hall York University December 2016 

Private Investigator Course: Samdag Security & Investigation Services Inc 2018, Online 50 hours

Training

Professional Course work

• Principles of Digital Forensic Investigation of Windows Computers, Mobile and Cloud evidence using Magnet Forensics Internet Evidence Finder (IEF), and Axiom Applications as Tools

  • Internet Evidence Finder (IEF-200) (2018),
    Online 4 days - 32 hours

  • Portable Case for the Investigator (2018),
    Online 1 hour

  • Office 365 and Cloud Based Investigations using Axiom (2018),
    Online 2 days

• Axiom Incident Response Examination (AX310) (2019),

  Online 4 days - 32 hours

• Principles of Digital Forensic Investigation of Mobile devices using Cellebrite Applications as Tools

  • Cellebrite Mobile Forensics Fundamentals (2015),
    Online 2 days

  • Cellebrite Certified Logical Operator (2015),
    Online 2 days

• Cellebrite Certified Logical Operator Renewal (2018),
  Online 1 day

• Principles of Digital Forensic Investigation using EnCase Applications as Tools

  • First Responder Training (2011), Chicago IL 3 days

  • Computer Forensics I v6 (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • Computer Forensics II V6 (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • Advanced Computer Forensics (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • Examination of Windows NTFS File System (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • EnCE Certification Preparation Course (2011), Houston TX 4 days

  • Macintosh/Linux Examinations (2011), Washington DC 4 days

  • EnCase Enterprise Examinations v7 (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • EnCase Advanced Internet Investigations (2011), Washington DC 4 days

  • EnCase Cybersecurity v4 (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • Network Intrusion Investigations (2011), Chicago IL 4 days

  • EnCase Enterprise Examinations v6 (2012), Houston TX 4 days

  • EnCase eDiscovery v4 (2012), Houston TX 4 days

  • Computer Forensics I V7 (2013), Online 4 days

  • Computer Forensics II V7 (2013), Online 4 days

  • EnCase Cybersecurity v5 Train the Trainer program (2013), Los Angeles CA 5 days

  • Computer Forensics I V7 (2014), Orlando FL 4 days

  • Computer Forensics II V7 (2014), Orlando FL 4 days

  • EnCase eDiscovery v5 (2015), Los Angeles CA 4 days

  • EnCase DF210 Building an Investigation v8 (2016), Online 4 days

  • EnCase DF420 Apple Macintosh Examinations v8 (2017), Online 4 days

  • EnCase DF410 Windows NTFS Examinations v8 (2017), Online 4 days

• Principles of Investigation of Cyber Security Incidents using Security Onion as an Investigative Tool

  • Introduction to the Security Onion 101 (2017), Online 1 days

  • Best Practices for Distribution Production Sensors 201 (2017), Online 1 day

  • Case Studies 202 (2017), Online 1 day

  • Best Practices for Distribution Deployment 301 (2017), Online 1 day

• Principals of Digital Forensics as it Applies to internet Based Social Media using X1 Social Discovery and a Collection and Investigative Tool (2012), National White Collar Crimes Center, Fairmont, WV 4 days

• Product Knowledge of Magnet Forensics LLC Axiom and IEF

  • Portable Case for the Investigator (2018), Online 1 day

  • Office 365 and Cloud Based Investigations using Axiom, Online 1 hour

• Access Data LLC- certified completed Access Data Forensics ToolKit Continuing Education Seminars (2011)

• Microsoft - Microsoft SQL 2005 Database Administrator – incomplete

• Novell Certified Engineer (v.2/3/4)

• WordPerfect certified resource and trainer

Encase Product Knowledge Course Work

• EnCase Portable Configurations and Examinations (2011), Houston TX 3 days

• EnCase DF220 Navigating EnCase Forensic v8 (2016), Online 4 days

Mr. Ellwood co-authored the EnCEP Version 7 certification exam with David Neal of Guidance Software

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