People

Smart & Biggar is Canada’s largest and highest ranked intellectual property firm. Our reputation and strength is a measure of the quality of our people, and we are proud to have the broadest and deepest bench for IP in Canada. With over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents, we offer legal expertise and technological knowledge across a wide range of industries and scientific and engineering disciplines, with leaders in every field.

Services

Today’s fast-paced innovation economy demands a higher level of expertise and attention to detail when it comes to IP. Our highly skilled team of lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents advise clients on a wide variety of strategic business, brand and technology matters leveraging their deep expertise in intellectual property to help them succeed with IP.

Industries

Across all industries, intellectual property is at the heart of innovation and is key to accelerating business value and growth. Developing a clear IP strategy and knowing how to tap and leverage IP to align with business goals can unlock competitive advantages and make the difference between industry leaders and followers.

Insights

At the forefront of IP in Canada, and actively involved as leaders in industry committees and associations, we stay up-to-date and proactively report on the latest developments in intellectual property law in Canada and around the world. Breaking IP news, changes in the law, important new decisions, and information on key IP issues are provided here through our IP publications and resources.

Careers

Many of the world's most commercially important innovators and most prominent brands trust Smart & Biggar to protect and enforce their IP and to provide them with strategic IP counsel. We have developed a reputation as a firm of talented lawyers and patent and trademark agents with integrity, business savvy and tremendous acumen. That’s why we look for the brightest people with combined talent and strengths in law, business, science and technology.

Who we are

Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property, and with over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents in six offices, we are also Canada’s largest firm focused purely on IP and related specialty areas.

Rankings & Recognition

Women in Business Law Americas Awards 2025 honours Smart & Biggar with two accolades

June 24, 2025

Smart & Biggar was honoured with two awards by Euromoney Legal Media Group (LMG) at the 2025 Women in Business Law Americas Awards.

The firm proudly received Canada Firm of the Year for the fifth consecutive year and Work-Life Balance North America Firm of the Year for the third consecutive year.

In addition to the two wins, the firm and individual practitioners were shortlisted in ten categories:

Career Development North America Firm of the Year
Diverse Women Advocacy Firm of the Year: North America
Gender Diversity Advocacy North America Firm of the Year
Women in Business Law North America Firm of the Year
Thought Leader of the Year: North America – Janice Bereskin
North America Trademark Lawyer of the Year – Brigitte Chan
North America Patent Lawyer of the Year – Carmela De Luca
Outstanding Achievement Award: North America – Daphne Lainson
North America Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year – Daphne Lainson
North America Intellectual Property Rising Star – Tamara Céline Winegust

The full list of the 2025 Women in Business Law Awards winners is available to view online.

Related News & Media

Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar celebrates six Rising Stars and seven Notable Practitioners named in the 2025 MIP IP Stars

Daniel Anthony, Christie Bates, Toba Cooper, Jean-Sébastien Dupont, Laura Easton, Christine Genge, Lynn Ing, Jamie-Lynn Kraft, Guillaume Lavoie Ste-Marie, Kwan T. Loh, Joanna Ma, Scott Pundsack and Alice Tseng
October 10, 2025
Smart & Biggar is pleased to announce that our practitioners have been honoured as Rising Stars and Notable Practitioners in the 2025 Managing IP (MIP) IP Stars.
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Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar recognized by The Globe and Mail among Canada’s Best Law Firms 2026
October 20, 2025
Smart & Biggar was recognized for the fifth time on The Globe and Mail’s list of Canada’s Best Law Firms. This consecutive recognition, presented by The Globe and Mail and Statista, reinforces the...
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Rankings & Recognition

Eight Smart & Biggar professionals recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Global Leaders

François Guay, Sheldon Hamilton, John Knox, Daphne Lainson, Lei Liu, Alfred A. Macchione, David Schwartz and Matthew Zischka
October 22, 2025
Smart & Biggar is pleased to announce that eight of our practice experts were recognized in the 2026 edition of IAM Global Leaders for their leading skills, expertise and ability to innovate and d...
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Women in Business Law Americas Awards 2025 honours Smart & Biggar with two accolades