Jason Hynes shares insights on his IPIC presidency, the future of IP and more

Principal Jason Hynes was appointed as President and Chair of the Board of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) at the organization’s annual meeting in October. Serving for a one-year term, he will guide IPIC’s efforts to support the Canadian IP community, advocating for effective policy in the IP and innovation space. 

To learn more about his perspectives on leadership, the evolving IP landscape, and the role of IP in driving innovation, we sat down with Jason for a Q&A.

Interview lightly edited for style and clarity.

Congratulations on your appointment as President of IPIC. What are your top priorities during your term?  

It's a real privilege to be in this position. The women and men who are my predecessors have been among the best and brightest of the intellectual property community in Canada. It's a great honour to stand on their shoulders. I'm humbled that the members of IPIC have asked me to serve in this role.  

There are many interesting things happening this year with IPIC. Firstly, we are coming up to our 100th anniversary! In 1926, at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, a group of IP practitioners gathered together and decided to found the Institute. We are returning to the very same building 100 years later in celebration of that event.   

IPIC is also making global outreach in the business community a focus this year. We recently had meetings with practitioners from the UK, and the US, and we have plans for more global outreach, including with Australia and Europe, in 2026. International collaboration really helps Canadian businesses and IP practitioners build [and reinforce] their brand internationally. Our strategy lines up nicely with what the federal government is promoting in terms of being more global from a Canadian business perspective.  

The third thing that we're working on are some technical rule changes that we'd like to see proposed to help improve the Canadian IP landscape, including to the rules around due care standard, for example. It's not uncommon for things like emails to get missed. Clients get busy, these things happen. The standard to reinstate a patent application or patent to fix those issues, however, is quite high and requires a meticulous standard of conduct on behalf of not only the clients, but also the agents. We're working with the government to see if we can soften that approach to make it more flexible so that client rights are not punished. We want to ensure that clients are given every opportunity to protect their IP.  

How do you think Canada’s IP landscape is changing, and what are the biggest opportunities or challenges you see ahead?  

There are so many things to unpack. One obvious thing, that I'll come back to later, is the question of artificial intelligence and the use of large language models.  

One of the other big changes we're seeing in the IP world is economic pressure. As the world continues to globalise, we are seeing economic pressures that trickle down across all industries and IP law is no different. Clients are looking to receive the greatest value possible from their law firms and we're competing with a more global market.  

This global marketplace creates opportunities but also challenges. For example, some clients are using AI in place of an IP professional to seek legal advice, and others say that we as firms need to use AI tools to be more productive and efficient. So that's one of the major challenges I think that's facing the profession and that's not unique to IP, and not unique to law perhaps, but it's certainly something we're seeing.  

In tandem to that, how do you see AI and other emerging technologies influencing IP practice and policy in the coming years?  

I may be dating myself a little bit, but I'm old enough to remember the Terminator movies and Skynet. And, you know, there's this interesting conversation happening in the AI space that’s impossible to ignore.  

I think when we talk about AI, we want to ascribe human-like characteristics to it, but we need to remember effectively we are currently talking about a statistical model of how computers can make predictions and suggestions about how language or media fit together. Many people believe there's a straight line between the current large language model models we have now, and the concept of artificial general intelligence that will be able to do higher level cognitive processing and thinking. We may get there in the future, but I think the runway is a bit longer than people think.  

The cost and the value of easily automated tasks may certainly go down. But I also think AI has the potential to free us up to do even more of the really interesting high-level, strategic work. And I think it will be a long time before we see machines replace these higher-level tasks. I remain optimistic that there's going to be a long and healthy profession of lawyers coming along for a very long time.  

How would you describe your leadership style, and who or what has inspired it?    

I've been fortunate enough to hold different leadership roles, not just at the firm, but also on various charitable boards, in other organisations and as a hockey coach, which have all inspired my leadership style.  

As a leader, I like to focus on two things. The first is the strategic thinking and planning. When you're working as a leader, it's very easy sometimes to get caught in the day-to-day minutiae. I think effective leaders like to say, “let's poke our head up a little bit and look beyond the immediate horizon” and “what do the next five years look like?”  

The second area I focus on is what I call “team management”. You know, how do you work with the people around you and how do you engage with them in a way that's effective? And a lot of that is understanding that people are different.  

Individuals who are given a chance to explore their strengths and given the chance to shine feel more connected to the firm, to their team and to each other. And that goes a long way to helping them be the best version of themselves. And that, I think, is critical to managing a team.  

What do you find most rewarding about working in IP law and at the forefront of innovation?    

This is a simple one for me to answer: it’s the clients. They are passionate about their technology. They're doing this for a reason. You often get to work with a visionary who says, “I am trying to change the world and here's my piece of what I’m trying to change,” and you get to help them with that.  

You help them navigate their challenges and figure out how to move to the next level or scale up. Sometimes it involves defending them against complaints or going on the offensive. It’s really engaging. I love the dynamic nature of the work, and I love the challenges it brings. Every file is different and rewarding.  

What advice would you give to those starting out in the field of IP law?    

This is a really important question and it's one I've been thinking about for a long time. The most important thing you can do in this practise is to be your authentic self. It might sound cliche and it can be hard to do because some may want you behave or think in a certain way, but there are going to be clients who will appreciate your authenticity and your honesty, and your style will resonate with them. They will have that connection and trust, and you will end up a long-term and trusted partner of that client.  

It's toughest to do when you're starting out. Everybody wants to fit in and be part of a group and do the things you need to do to be successful. But it's okay to recognise that not everyone is the same. We're all a little bit different, and the sooner you can embrace that and recognise it, the better off you’ll be. As an example, when I come to the office, I'm wearing bright clothes, or I drive a bright car. That's me. I like that style. Right? I'm okay with that.  

Do you have any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?  

I'd like to say, be joyful in your life, and try to find something you enjoy doing. This world is difficult. The job is difficult. There are times where it's very, very stressful. We have deadlines to meet. We have people demanding this or that.  

It's okay to take a 15-minute break and go get a cup of coffee or go outside and enjoy the sun, or snow, or whatever weather it is outside. Make sure that you carve out those moments for joy in your life. Because if you don't, you're going to find that it's a grind, and there’s always going to be work. Take 15 minutes, take a day, go outside, make sure that you're living a life that is sustainable and is not just driven by short-term immediate pressures.  

We thank Jason for taking the time to sit down with us.  

Thank you for having me, I appreciate having the time to chat! 😊  

Learn more about IPIC’s board of directors: https://ipic.ca/