Smart & Biggar lauded as a “Canadian IP titan” in the 2015 edition of IAM Patent 1000 — The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners

In the 2015 edition of IAM Patent 1000 — The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners, Smart & Biggar once again tops the rankings in Canadian patent law and is acclaimed as a “Canadian IP titan.”

In addition to being ranked in the gold band of litigation and transactions firms, the firm is recognized as one of the most highly recommended firms for patent prosecution in Canada.

Smart & Biggar is also proud of our twelve professionals who were singled out for having the “highest technical and legal quality” and lauded for their individual contributions to the firm’s overall success. The firm is also proud to announce that it has more professionals listed in the area of transactions than any other firm in Canada.

Recommended for litigation:

• Gunars Gaikis, a “litigator [who] acts for a number of big names and has a well-developed practice.”
• Steven Garland, an “exceptional litigator [who] really stands out from the crowd due to the high-profile cases he’s had in recent years.”
• François Guay, “the redoubtable.” “The man to call when the going gets tough, due to the formidable arsenal he can deploy in urgent infringement situations.”
• Sheldon Hamilton, a “trial and appellate superstar [who] is a favourite of pharmaceutical innovators.”

Recommended for prosecution:

• Ronald Faggetter “whose 25 years of experience make him ideally placed to build profitable global portfolios for clients.”
• John Knox “is one of the firm’s many eminent professionals; he is intelligent, business oriented, practical and diligent.”
• Christopher Robinson “stands out for his assured handling of biotechnology mandates, especially in the burgeoning field of biologics.”
• Matthew Zischka “garners praise for his strategic counselling and prosecution services.”

Recommended for transactions:

• John Bochnovic, is praised for providing “invaluable counsel on high-stakes disputes.”
• Sanjay Goorachurn is praised for his work on the transactional side in Performance Sports Group’s complex acquisition of Easton Baseball and initial public offering of Performance Sports Group (Bauer) on NASDAQ.
• Alistair Simpson, “who draws on substantial in-house experience to provide clear-cut, easily applicable advice on exploiting and safeguarding intellectual property.”
• Ted Sum, a “commercialisation master [who] has a facility for maximising revenue through clever licensing arrangements.”

The IAM Patent 1000 is compiled following an extensive research process conducted over five months and involving close to 1,500 telephone interviews with attorneys at law, patent attorneys and in-house counsel. Only those individuals identified by market sources for their exceptional skill sets and profound insights into patent matters are featured in the guide. Firms qualify for a listing on the basis of their depth of expertise, market presence and the level of work on which they are typically engaged.

We are extremely proud of the recognition received by our firm and our practitioners in this year’s guide.