Smart & Biggar practitioners reflect on CBA IP Day and Judges’ Dinner 2026

On May 28, 2026, members of Smart & Biggar’s IP litigation team attended the 2026 CBA IP Day and Judges’ Dinner in Ottawa. Below, a few of our practitioners provide their insights and highlights from the conference.   

Comments edited lightly for style and clarity. 

Sessions throughout the day. Left: “Order in the IP Moot Court! Closing arguments in a case about patentable subject matter”. Right: Federal Courts Judges’ Dinner and Honouree Presentation – Tribute to Donald MacOdrum. 

Litigation insights & trends 

Daniel Davies, Principal: CBA IP Day starts with the Federal Court Town Hall, where the court presents challenges from recent years. One key point of discussion was the large increase in the number of cases that they're seeing filed in the Federal Court and the impact the increase is having on judges.  

Urszula Wojtyra, Principal: The Federal Court is expected to release upcoming guidance on which types of proceedings are suitable for summary trials and summary judgment, along with related considerations, including timing for such motions. We will share these updates as they become available in our IP Insights as well as the RxIP newsletter. 

Nancy Pei, Counsel: The Federal Court Town Hall reminded us how fortunate we are to practise in a Court that is so engaged with the Bar and committed to continually improving the management of IP cases.  

Andrew McIntosh, Principal: One hot topic is the use of AI and the necessary disclosure of usage in court materials filed. We are seeing an increase in AI usage as well as disclosures. The penalties are quite severe if disclosure is not made.  

Recently, Laura Easton was quoted in Canadian Lawyer on the topic of AI hallucinations in recent court evidence. 

Daniel: There was an interesting session dealing with recent litigation surrounding AI, including claims that are being made against AI companies for copyright infringement, and how these issues may play out in different jurisdictions. 

Jean-Sébastien Dupont, Litigation Practice Group Leader, Principal: The AI session was interesting because there were speakers from Canada, the United States and Germany; different jurisdictions looking at the same issues from different angles. As expected, with the topic of AI, we find that there were more questions than answers, because it is still early days. 

Irshaad Hashim, Associate: The interactive “Order in the IP Moot Court!” session, where the audience served as jury while some of our colleagues argued the fact pattern of this year’s Fox Moot, was well organized and very entertaining. It is a privilege to be part of a community that takes such joy in their practice. 

Chen Li, Senior Associate: It’s a privilege to be in conversation with the Court and learning about the Court’s priorities and challenges. We look forward to the Court’s guidance on key practice points and future directions while navigating the best possible path forward for our clients. 

Remembering Sheldon Hamilton and Peter Wilcox

Opening slide from “Lessons on professionalism, ethics and how to have fun while practising IP litigation: teachings from the illustrious careers of Peter Wilcox and Sheldon Hamilton”. Left: Peter Wilcox. Right: Sheldon Hamilton. 

Brandon Heard, Senior Associate: This year, Chen and I were on a panel honouring Smart & Biggar’s late Sheldon Hamilton and his contemporary Peter Wilcox. We were both struck by the weight of the occasion and the honour to talk about those gentlemen, how they practiced and treated their colleagues. 

Matthew Burt, Senior Associate: This panel was a personal highlight as it provided an opportunity to reflect on and appreciate the lasting impact Sheldon had on those he worked with and mentored (something I was fortunate to have experienced firsthand). 

Nancy: Sheldon and Peter showed us how to achieve that important (and attainable!) work-life balance, including making time for fun both within and outside work. Their untimely passing is an important reminder that every day is a gift. 

Laura Easton, Counsel: It was encouraging to hear the panelists discuss how Peter and Sheldon shared their out-of-office interests with their colleagues, giving their team members the confidence to do so as well. Don MacOdrum, an honouree later in the day at the Judges’ Dinner, also noted the importance of encouraging our junior members of the IP Bar to take their vacation. It was a nice throughline that came up organically throughout the day.

Enjoying time well-spent with colleagues! From left to right: Audrey Berteau, Irshaad Hashim, Matthew Burt, Daniel Davies. 

Networking with colleagues 

Chen: I deeply appreciate the collegiality of the Bar and how supportive they are of junior litigators. They had a few events specifically dedicated for networking purposes.  

Irshaad: The pre–dinner mixer for junior practitioners organized by the CBA was a highlight for me. It was a great opportunity for practitioners within their first 10 years of call to network and spend time with members of the Bench. The fact that 10 years is still considered junior is quite the reminder of how much of a journey the legal career can be! 

Brandon: As the firm has grown, the opportunities to catch up with our national colleagues and compare notes have become important. I deeply valued the time spent with our Montréal, Ottawa, Calgary and Vancouver colleagues. It was a great opportunity to renew old acquaintances and make new ones. 

Jean-Sébastien: We had more team members at the event this year than in previous years. It was fantastic to see that as Canada’s leading IP and IP litigation firm, we had one of the strongest presences there. It is always a great opportunity to engage with judges of the Federal Court outside of the formal setting of a courtroom and to catch up with colleagues from other firms. 

Final thoughts 

Laura: As a member of the CBA’s National IP Section Executive, I know how much work the organizing committee and our speakers put into the event, and I was so pleased to see the success of their efforts. As someone practicing out West, I also always appreciate the opportunity to connect with members of the IP from across the country.  

Matthew Norton, Senior Associate: I enjoyed connecting with colleagues from Smart & Biggar and other firms across Canada at the CBA Federal Court Judges’ Dinner. Catching up with friends in the IP industry is always a highlight of the evening! Thanks to the CBA Intellectual Property Law Section for hosting such a wonderful event.