Smart & Biggar stands out in the gold tier with 13 Trademark lawyers recognized in the 2023 edition WTR 1000
Smart & Biggar has once again been ranked as a gold tier firm for Trademarks in Canada with 13 lawyers honoured in the 2023 edition of the World Trademark Review 1000 (WTR 1000) – The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals.
WTR researchers describe the firm as “the standard for IP law” and one of the largest IP companies in Canada with a “high level of specialization.” Our expert Trademark lawyers were praised for their quality of service. The guide remarks that brand owners “receive not only excellent legal assistance but also unique industry-specific advice on relevant business challenges.”
Smart & Biggar was also ranked as a silver tier firm for Anti-Counterfeiting.
The WTR guide profiles excellence in Trademarks across a variety of categories including Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy, Anti-Counterfeiting and Transactions.
Congratulations to our honoured lawyers:
Daniel Anthony (Prosecution and Strategy, Enforcement and Litigation) “excels in prosecution, but also has a solid book of [enforcement] mandates and a strong reputation for when things get heated.”
Mark Biernacki (Anti-counterfeiting, Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy) was hailed for his successful defence of a high-profile infringement case as part of Smart & Biggar’s leading litigation team, reflecting his label as an ‘enforcement ace’ in previous guides.
Christian Bolduc (Transactions, Prosecution and Strategy) was praised for his ability to “effectively deploy his guidance by utilising both his extensive knowledge of trademark law and his broad experience.”
Jean-Sébastien Dupont (Enforcement and Litigation) is credited in the guide as “a confidant to those in the tech space” and a “lawyer whose strength lies in his combination of exacting technical standards and real-world pragmatism.”
Mark Evans (Anti-counterfeiting, Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy) is once again included in the guide for his impressive reputation and noteworthy success in a precedent-setting infringement case involving the tests for confusion and resemblance between marks. This builds on his previous inclusion in the guide last year, as “one of the leading lights of the profession (2022).”
Steven Garland (Enforcement and Litigation) a seasoned litigator in both the patent and trademark realm is celebrated in the guide for his leading practice and in particular for his successful defence in a notable precedent-setting infringement case last year.
François Guay (Enforcement and Litigation) is an experienced litigator, featured once again for his expertise and given special mention for his work on a wide range of trademark matters, including the first-ever virtual oppositions hearing before the Trademarks Opposition Board. He was previously complimented in the guide as “exceptional at what he does and delivers outstanding work in both enforcement and prosecution (2022).”
Graham Hood (Anti-counterfeiting, Enforcement and Litigation, Prosecution and Strategy) adds a new ranking to his WTR 1000 guide inclusion for Prosecution and Strategy this year. Graham has been praised by peers in previous editions for being “fantastic and greatly skilled in all that he does (2022).”
Jamie-Lynn Kraft (Prosecution and Strategy) is complimented for being known as a “source of comfort for those in the luxury goods sector, as she weaves a nuanced understanding of industry thought and practice into her guidance.”
Philip Lapin (Prosecution and Strategy) “is a well-known expert in trademark law and skilfully manages complicated situations. He has been writing about trademark topics and leading several committees for decades.”
Kwan T. Loh (Prosecution and Strategy) is regarded in the guide as “a software and IT ace who delivers indispensable advice” and the guide noted his “impressive ability to stay on top of all the details, while still seeing the bigger picture.”
Kohji Suzuki (Prosecution and Strategy) is praised for being trusted by well-known brand names in Canada, the United States and Japan and clients [who] take note of his “brilliant knowledge and quality of work.”
Ekaterina Tsimberis (Enforcement and Litigation) in addition to last year’s recognition as a “creative strategist (2022),” Ekaterina is praised for her stellar work in various trademark matters, including the first-ever virtual oppositions hearing before the Trademarks Opposition Board.
The full listing of WTR 1000 2023 is now available to view online.
WTR 1000 is the first and only guide exclusively dedicated to identifying the world's leading trademark legal services providers. Through an extensive research process conducted by a team of highly qualified, full-time analysts, the publication identifies the leading trademark law firms and individuals in over 71 key jurisdictions globally.
About Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading intellectual property firm, with offices in Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. 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.