Smart & Biggar earns Band 1 rankings for IP and IP Litigation with nine lawyers ranked across four practice areas in Chambers Canada
Smart & Biggar, Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property law, has earned top rankings as a Band 1 firm for both Intellectual Property (IP) and IP Litigation in the 2023 Chambers Canada Guide. In addition to IP, the firm earned rankings in related areas of Life Sciences and Cannabis law.
In Chambers’ review of Smart & Biggar’s leading Intellectual Property: Litigation practice, they describe the firm as “a well-established IP and innovation boutique” that is “reputed for its bench strength and quality representation, [with] proven skill in patent and trade mark litigation as well as a substantial range of commercial IP matters” and known for “assisting high-profile clients with issues ranging from licensing and marketing to enforcement and litigation”. Smart & Biggar saw five lawyers ranked in the IP Litigation category, and was recognized for its service to clients in a “diverse range of sectors, including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals and the media industry, and has an impressive portfolio of clients in e-commerce and technology”. Clients offered these comments about the IP litigators at Smart & Biggar: "The team presented the case to the court in a very persuasive way and we walked away very pleased with the result".
In the area of Intellectual Property, three Smart & Biggar lawyers were ranked for their expertise and success in IP prosecution and non-contentious matters. Researchers noted that the firm maintains an impressive IP development service. Commentators enthused "Smart & Biggar possesses really deep knowledge of our industry and does good work" adding that the firm’s leading IP experts “have done a tremendous job of supporting us in what we do … [and] we trust them completely”.
For Life Sciences the firm was praised for its impressive range of clients, including those active in the cannabis and agribusiness sectors. Chambers highlighted that Smart & Biggar is “sought after for its patent expertise by pharmaceutical and biotech companies big and small”. Commentators described our Life Sciences team as "extremely service-oriented and responsive" adding that “they foresee future changes and ask the client to react appropriately".
Reviewers also praised the firm for our dedicated Life Sciences team who “handles complex matters well, including issue spotting, and navigation through local and global challenges, and has the ability to pivot when additional complexities are added” and noted our ability to “consider things from both a technical point of view but also from a client and business perspective, understanding implications of both".
Congratulations to all of our Chambers Ranked Lawyers:
Christian Bolduc – Intellectual Property
“Christian impresses for his work across a broad array of trademark mandates, spanning procurement, prosecution and transactions.” and “[he] provides practical advice and is very strategic in his approach.” “He
is a great lawyer.”
Mark Evans – Intellectual Property
Ranked in Band 1, “Mark advises and represents clients in significant IP prosecution mandates.” “He has an excellent reputation in the field of trademarks, where he services major sporting and consumer product brands.” “Mark Evans has really high legal acumen [and] gets both the legal and practical side of things and measures risk and reward well.” “He considers your business objectives and takes into account the reality of the situation.”
Daphne Lainson – Intellectual Property
“Daphne possesses significant experience advising major pharmaceutical clients on patent filing, strategy and portfolio management.” One client commented “[Daphne] delivers a succinct and
understandable work product.”
Gunars Gaikis - Intellectual Property: Litigation
“Gunars Gaikis is a highly experienced intellectual property litigator, recognized for his impressive reputation as an expert patent authority, particularly in the area of life sciences.” “[Gunars] is an exceptionally established and recognized authority on IP.”
Steven Garland - Intellectual Property: Litigation
“Steven Garland remains a prominent presence in intellectual property work in Canada. A qualified patent and trademark attorney, he represents significant clients in the energy, chemical and technology sectors.”
François Guay - Intellectual Property: Litigation
Ranked in Band 1, “François is a highly experienced litigator who is particularly well regarded for his expertise in trademark disputes and infringement cases. He has acted for major clients in recreational products, pharmaceuticals and telecoms.” “François was truly a master when it came to litigation strategy.” “A very good advocate and a strong opponent.”
Sheldon Hamilton - Intellectual Property: Litigation
“Sheldon represents major pharmaceutical companies in complex patent litigation. Based in Toronto, he leads the firm's national IP litigation practice group.”
Nancy Pei - Intellectual Property: Litigation
“Nancy represents [pharmaceutical] clients in significant patent-related disputes. A qualified and registered pharmacist, she is a particularly notable advocate for major pharmaceutical companies.” “Nancy is very client-focused and understands both the industries they work in and the challenges they face.”
Alice Tseng - Life Sciences: Regulatory/Compliance, Cannabis Law
The only lawyer ranked in Band 1, “Alice maintains a market-leading regulatory practice in the life sciences sector, advising on matters ranging from licensing and commercialisation of products to advertising and issues of privacy.” Commentors added "I give her a lot of very unusual questions and she really responds in a proactive way. “She very much gives me the tools to solve a problem.”
Alice also frequently provides regulatory
counsel to clients in the cannabis sector. “She is sharp as a razor blade.” “She's a great lawyer and heavily involved.”
Chambers and Partners, often referred to as ‘the gold standard’, delivers insight and analysis on the global legal profession that is unrivalled in its reach and depth. Smart & Biggar has long been recognized by Chambers and Partners as a leader in Canadian IP law and related practice areas. This year Chambers Canada ranked 975 law firm departments and over 2,000 individual lawyers.
About Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property law, with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary. We are leaders in intellectual property and technology law and have been serving clients for over a century.