Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar boasts 17 lawyers and agents recognized in Who's Who Legal Canada 2020

Smart & Biggar has been honoured across all IP practice areas in the Who’s Who Legal Canada 2020 National Guide with 17 of the firm’s lawyers and agents recognized in Patent (Litigation), Patent Agents (Prosecution), Life Sciences, Trademarks and Data. The recognition of such a large group of leading lawyers and agents reflects the firm’s depth and breadth of knowledge, and expertise in all areas of Intellectual Property.

Patents (Litigation)

Smart & Biggar sees six lawyers recognised for their skill and success in patent litigation.

Steven Garland stands out as a “pre-eminent IP litigator who regularly represents high-profile clients such as McDonald’s, Shell and Amazon”. Nancy Pei is further recognized as “a superb lawyer who applies a strong scientific background to complex patent disputes in the biologics and pharmaceutical industries”. François Guay is known to handle complex IP disputes for a broad range of high-calibre clients across a spectrum of industries. Gunars Gaikis continues to stand out as a “leading pharmaceutical patent litigator with a stellar track record spanning from an impressive three decades of experience in the field”.  Sheldon Hamilton and Yoon Kang are also listed as leading individuals in patent litigation.

Patent Agents (Prosecution)

Firm Chair and partner Daphne Lainson, a “superstar of the IP space”, is lauded for her immense regulatory expertise.  Firm Managing Partner Matthew Zischka is noted for his “superb work across the full range of patent and copyright issues”. John Knox is noted as “a seasoned practitioner” with extensive experience handling complex IP matters for clients in the engineering and technology industries. This distinguished list also includes David Schwartz, Oliver Stone and Stephan Georgiev, recognized for their stellar work in patent prosecution.

Life Sciences

Nancy Pei provides “top-tier regulatory advice” to clients in the pharmaceuticals and biologics industries. Alice Tseng is known as a “go-to lawyer for complex regulatory issues” and is highly sought-after by clients in the pharmaceutical, cannabis and medical devices industries. Gunars Gaikis, “a market-leading patent litigator”, is noted for handling complex disputes across the life sciences sector. Sheldon Hamilton, Yoon Kang and Steven Garland are also listed as stand-out lawyers in life sciences, and Alice Tseng is additionally listed for Data.

Trademarks

In Smart & Biggar’s trademark practice, five lawyers are acclaimed for their sterling work.

Peers and clients note that Mark Evans “cuts a distinguished figure in trademarks law” and is known as “a highly regarded and experienced trademark litigator”. Christian Bolduc is renowned for being “highly experienced” and for “delivering domestic and international strategic trademark portfolio advise”. François Guay is noted for his “enviable roster” of corporate clients, who he represents in a full range of contentious IP matters. Philip Lapin, leader of Smart & Biggar’s Trademark Operations Group, and Kohji Suzuki, the firm’s Trademark Practice lead, are also included in this celebrated group.

Additionally, partners John Knox and Mark Evans, and of counsel Gunars Gaikis, were respectively identified as among Canada’s “Most Highly Regarded” in patent prosecution, trademarks, life sciences and patent litigation respectively.

Congratulations to each of our recognized lawyers and agents.

Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property 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.