People

Smart & Biggar is Canada’s largest and highest ranked intellectual property firm. Our reputation and strength is a measure of the quality of our people, and we are proud to have the broadest and deepest bench for IP in Canada. With over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents, we offer legal expertise and technological knowledge across a wide range of industries and scientific and engineering disciplines, with leaders in every field.

Services

Today’s fast-paced innovation economy demands a higher level of expertise and attention to detail when it comes to IP. Our highly skilled team of lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents advise clients on a wide variety of strategic business, brand and technology matters leveraging their deep expertise in intellectual property to help them succeed with IP.

Industries

Across all industries, intellectual property is at the heart of innovation and is key to accelerating business value and growth. Developing a clear IP strategy and knowing how to tap and leverage IP to align with business goals can unlock competitive advantages and make the difference between industry leaders and followers.

Insights

At the forefront of IP in Canada, and actively involved as leaders in industry committees and associations, we stay up-to-date and proactively report on the latest developments in intellectual property law in Canada and around the world. Breaking IP news, changes in the law, important new decisions, and information on key IP issues are provided here through our IP publications and resources.

Careers

Many of the world's most commercially important innovators and most prominent brands trust Smart & Biggar to protect and enforce their IP and to provide them with strategic IP counsel. We have developed a reputation as a firm of talented lawyers and patent and trademark agents with integrity, business savvy and tremendous acumen. That’s why we look for the brightest people with combined talent and strengths in law, business, science and technology.

Who we are

Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property, and with over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents in six offices, we are also Canada’s largest firm focused purely on IP and related specialty areas.

Rankings & Recognition

Eight Smart & Biggar professionals recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Global Leaders

October 22, 2025

Smart & Biggar is pleased to announce that eight of our practice experts were recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Global Leaders for their leading skills, expertise and ability to innovate and deliver value for their clients.

Individuals qualified for inclusion in the IAM Global Leaders were ranked in the gold tier of the IAM Patent 1000, the market-leading annual directory that identifies the top law and attorney firms and individuals in the patent space.

Congratulations to our 2026 IAM Global Leaders:

François Guay
Sheldon Hamilton (posthumous)
John Knox
Daphne Lainson
Lei Liu
Alfred A. Macchione
David Schwartz
Matthew Zischka

Earlier this year, 43 patent lawyers and agents were named in the IAM Patent 1000 guide, leading the Canadian patent rankings with recognition across patent litigation, prosecution and transactions. Daphne Lainson, France Leclaire and David St-Martin were also listed as leading experts for IP strategy in the IAM Strategy 300 guide.

The full list of IAM Global Leaders 2026 is available to view now.

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Who we are

Eight Smart & Biggar professionals recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Global Leaders