Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar ranked again as “Tier One” with 19 “IP Stars” by Managing Intellectual Property

Smart & Biggar is pleased to announce that 19 of the firm’s partners have been ranked as “IP Stars” in Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars, 2018 edition.

Once again, the team from Smart & Biggar topped the rankings as a Tier One firm in the areas of Patent Contentious, Patent Prosecution, Trademark Prosecution and Trademark Contentious in the Canadian national category.

Patent Editorial Research

In addition to recognizing Smart & Biggar as a “top-tier intellectual property and technology law firm”, MIP also commends the firm in having a “ground breaking year in the patent arena”; from winning the Managing IP Impact Case of the Year award for our role in AstraZeneca Canada v Apotex Inc., to partner Gunars Gaikis, “whose name is synonymous with excellent work,” being named Outstanding IP Practitioner for leading AstraZeneca in the case.

To compliment Gunars’ success and recognition, managing partner Steve Garland is admired for being "very reputable. Someone who'd be on my shortlist for referrals." Mark Biernacki, Sheldon Hamilton and Yoon Kang are praised for their work, particularly in pharmaceutical litigation. A long-term client in the industry says Biernacki is "excellent in court and creative," Hamilton is "very practical and very effective in court" and Kang is an "amazing strategist who is very direct and practical".

Trademarks Editorial Research

For Trademarks, Smart & Biggar was lauded as having “a top-rated IP/technology practice”. Clients quoted in the guide said "The team provides us with excellent service” and ” They listen to what is needed and propose innovative solutions to help us resolve our issues cost effectively and in a timely fashion".

In addition, partners Mark Biernacki, François Guay and Mark Evans were highlighted as among the most experienced trade mark practitioners in the team, for their work in high profile disputes involving companies such as Diageo and Nintendo.

Earlier this year, MIP also recognized Smart & Biggar as the “Canadian IP Boutique of the Year” at their North America Awards. Overall the firm was honoured with a record-setting five (5) prestigious awards including Canadian Patent Contentious Firm of the Year, and two “Milesetone Case of the Year” awards for Dow v Nova and AstraZeneca v Apotex. Partner Gunars Gaikis was recognized as Canada's Outstanding IP Practitioner of the Year. Smart & Biggar was also the only Canadian firm to be nominated across all categories.

IP Stars from Smart & Biggar include:

 

Trademark Stars

  • Mark Biernacki
  • Mark Evans
  • Steven Garland
  • Sanjay Goorachurn
  • François Guay
  • Philip Lapin
  • Keltie Sim Luft
  • Elliott Simcoe

Patent Stars

  • Allan Brett
  • Gunars Gaikis
  • Steven Garland
  • Stephan Georgiev
  • Sheldon Hamilton
  • Yoon Kang
  • Daphne Lainson
  • Nancy Pei
  • Christopher Robinson
  • David Schwartz
  • Elliott Simcoe
  • Jeremy Want
  • Matthew Zischka

 

To learn more about our other recent accolades, click here.

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Smart & Biggar is Canada's largest firm practising exclusively in intellectual property and technology law, with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. We are leaders in intellectual property and technology law and have been serving clients for over a century. For more information, please visit smart-biggar.ca.