Smart & Biggar celebrates five newly qualified Canadian patent agents in 2026
We are pleased to share that Arvin Angue, Alan Harris, Ellen Kiernan, Maddie Lynch and Leanne Young recently passed the patent agent qualifying exam to be registered to practice as Patent Agents in Canada.
Each year, several of our associates and technical consultants work towards completing the qualifying examinations to become Patent agents and Trademark agents in Canada. Smart & Biggar is committed to supporting them in their professional development and offers hands-on learning opportunities and in-house training to support them in preparation for writing these challenging exams.
Congratulations to Arvin, Alan, Ellen, Maddie and Leanne! We are proud of your hard work and dedication towards this milestone achievement and wish you every success in this next chapter of your career at Smart & Biggar.
About the Practitioners
Arvin Angue, Associate
Arvin received an undergraduate degree in biomedical and electrical engineering. Arvin's practice focuses on patent prosecution and general IP matters, specializing in cleantech, electronics and computer technology and medical devices.
Alan Harris, Associate
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Alan received an undergraduate degree in mechatronics systems engineering. His practice is directed towards the preparation and prosecution of patent applications, primarily in the electrical, information & communications technologies areas.
Ellen Kiernan, Associate
Ellen holds a mechanical engineering degree. Her practice involves preparing and prosecuting patent applications across a diverse range of technologies, with a focus on mechanical inventions.
Maddie Lynch, Associate
Maddie holds a Ph.D. and undergraduate degree in health sciences. Her practice focuses on preparing and prosecuting patent applications in the life sciences and biotechnology space.
Leanne Young, Associate
Leanne holds undergraduate degrees in business administration and biomedical engineering, as well as a master's degree in biomedical engineering. Her practice focuses on patent mining, preparing and prosecuting patent applications, and managing patent portfolios, with an emphasis on medical device and software innovations.
About the Canadian Patent Agent Exams
The Canadian Patent Agent Qualifying Exams are administered by the College of Patent & Trademark Agents (CPATA).
Practitioners must complete a 24-month training period and successfully pass the Qualifying Examination as a requirement for registration as a Patent Agent.
More information is available online at CPATA’s website.
About Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading intellectual property firm, with offices in Calgary, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and the Waterloo Region. We are leaders in intellectual property and have been serving clients for over a century. Smart & Biggar operates as part of the IPH Limited Group, under its own brand and independent from other IPH member firms.