Canada

Firm overview

Founded in 2008, BRION RAFFOUL LLP is a leading Canadian IP law boutique firm.

We have a strong Canadian client base that includes universities, Canadian government agencies, multinational corporations, and small, medium, and large Canadian businesses. Our clients operate across a broad spectrum of technical domains, with deep experience in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity,telecommunications, and electronics. We also have a rapidly growing practice in the fields of oil and gas, microbiology, and pharmaceuticals.

BRION RAFFOUL LLP’s team of lawyers and patent and trademark agents are exceptionally skilled in securing and managing IP assets globally. Our patent agents, with backgrounds in engineering and other scientific disciplines, are highly experienced in procuring patents in cutting-edge fields. We offer a complete suite of IP services that includes managing patents, trademarks, and design registrations in Canada, the United States, and worldwide.

Through our robust international network of associates, we protect our clients’ IP assets throughout the world. In addition to our Canadian clients, we represent a broad array of foreign clients seeking to protect their intellectual property in Canada, both directly and through foreign associates.

Since 2014, BRION RAFFOUL LLP has been ranked as one of the top patent prosecution firms in Canada by IAM Patent 1000, which is commonly regarded as the definitive ‘go-to’ resource for those seeking to identify world-class private-practice patent expertise across the world. We have also received IAM’s prestigious silver ranking since 2016. This incredible achievement reflects the continued dedication and expertise of our exceptional team, who have consistently delivered outstanding intellectual property services to our clients. In addition to this prestigious silver ranking, both Natalie Raffoul and Art Brion are recognized as “Highly Recommended Individuals”, and Natalie is recognized as a global IP leader in IAM Strategy 300.

Firm overview

For more than a 125 years, the world’s top companies have looked to Gowling WLG to maximise and protect their treasured intangible assets, both at home and abroad. As the global economy grows ever more knowledge-driven and evolutionary leaps in technology transform the competitive landscape, clients continue to rely on us to help them navigate a changing intellectual property marketplace.

Full lifecycle solutions

Every step on the path to success requires a unique approach to your IP assets. From initial drafting and registration to complex enforcement matters, through to the management and monetisation of large international portfolios, our team is equipped to assist you during the entire lifecycle of your IP assets.

We’re pleased to offer strategies and solutions across the full spectrum of IP rights – with core specialisms in trademarks, brands and designs, patents, enforcement and litigation, IP transactions, trade secrets and copyright, as well as advertising and product regulation.

Borderless support

Home to more than 200 IP practitioners around the world, Gowling WLG protects intangible assets across all industry sectors and in more than 100 countries. We offer prosecution services from our offices in Canada, China, the UAE and – via our exclusive association with JurisAsia – Singapore. We match these services with robust enforcement capabilities from these offices, as well from our offices throughout Europe. This platform is complemented by an expansive network of established relationships with some of the top IP practices worldwide – ensuring you receive the very best advice wherever business takes you.

Experience you can trust

From new applications for artificial intelligence to major breakthroughs in pharmacology, it’s vital that your IP adviser be able to recognize the full value of your IP. Harnessing advanced career and educational backgrounds in science, engineering and technology, we work closely with you to develop fulsome strategies for even the most intricate inventions. This is just one of the reasons why, year after year, our professionals are recognised by some of the world’s most respected legal publications.

End-to-end legal services for your business

Outside of our IP service offering, Gowling WLG is equipped to advise you in virtually every area of law relevant to business. For our clients, including other IP firms with whom we work around the world, this is a unique benefit. Beyond the convenience of working with a single service provider, our holistic approach ensures your IP strategy neatly aligns with other areas of your business – from privacy and employment to commercial transactions.

Discover how we can help protect what makes your business unique. Contact a member of our team today.

Firm overview

Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property law. With offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary, and over 100 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents, we are also the largest firm focused purely on IP and related specialty areas. We have a history and tradition of providing the highest quality of IP advisory services and have filed more patent and trademark applications than any firm in Canada.

Smart & Biggar's decades of experience in intellectual property, combined with deep knowledge and expertise across a wide range of technologies and industries, allows them to provide clients with clarity on opportunities and solutions to leverage and maximize IP. No other Canadian firm can claim a stronger track record of victories in intellectual property litigation for its clients than Smart & Biggar. The firm prides itself on providing clients with the rare combination of successful trial experience, deep subject matter expertise and sophisticated and practical skills and analysis.

Smart & Biggar has the honour of working with many of Canada’s and the world’s most important innovators and brand owners. The firm is proud to have supported their clients on the road to market leadership — from start-up companies in emerging growth sectors to multinational corporations, as well as innovators at universities and other research institutions – advising them on their most critical and complex IP matters. Smart & Biggar continuously invests in client relationships, and many of the firm's clients have entrusted them with protecting, enforcing and commercializing their IP rights. Whether advising an innovative manufacturer on patent strategy or infringement issues, providing counsel on brand protection and enforcement, or handling the IP aspects of a corporate transaction, Smart & Biggar always ensures that clients receive the full benefit of their unrivaled IP experience and expertise.

Since 1890, Smart & Biggar has remained devoted to protecting our clients' intellectual property and technology assets, and advising clients on how to uncover and maximize available opportunities. The firm is committed to providing expert counsel and guidance to safeguard our clients’ competitive position and help them build and enforce strategic intellectual property and technology rights that will create more value for their business.

Smart & Biggar proudly operates as part of the IPH Limited group, under its own brand and independent from other IPH member firms.

Firm overview

Our bench strength as a global firm allows us to service clients through all stages of growth and across jurisdictions. With more than 250 lawyers, patent attorneys and trademark agents across five continents, our global intellectual property team has extensive experience providing comprehensive, multidisciplinary IP law services to clients worldwide.

IP Litigation practice

The national team of IP litigators at Norton Rose Fulbright is consistently ranked among the best in Canada. We are trusted counsel in all areas of intellectual property, including patents (infringement and impeachment actions, prohibition proceedings and section 8 damages actions under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, counterfeit enforcement, and industrial designs. Our IP litigation team successfully appears on a regular basis before the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, provincial superior courts, and tribunals across the country.

We are best known for decades of leadership in Canadian life sciences intellectual property litigation. We have creatively designed and applied successful trial strategies that have shaped life sciences patent litigation. We have replicated that success in other technological sectors including medical devices, aerospace, food and agri-business, financial services and energy among other technologies.

Patent practice

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada’s patent attorneys and agents have highly specialized degrees and provide comprehensive intellectual property advice and global portfolio strategy. We do the Canadian and global patent work for a stellar cross section of Canadian and international clients. Our Canadian Patent Centre of Excellence complements notably the patent expertise within Norton Rose Fulbright in the United States.

We are one of the largest patent filers in Canada with a particular emphasis on drafting original patents and global portfolio strategy.
We are often selected over our competitors because our patent prosecution expertise is unrivalled and works seamlessly with our disputes and regulatory lawyers to provide a strategic and holistic approach to patent portfolio management.

Trademark practice

We assist clients with all aspects of the branding process. This includes providing overall branding strategy, the drafting and prosecution of trademark applications, the provision of advice regarding availability and registrability of marks in Canada and globally. Our team provides strategic trademark advice including portfolio review, infringement surveillance, and advice on legal issues connected with introducing products and services to the market, such as branding, product information and advertising. We assist clients with all aspects of brand expansion into social media, including acquisition of domain names and enforcement of brands on all social media channels globally.

Copyright practice

Our copyright team has expertise in all aspects of copyright law including clearance, acquisition and registration, infringement and litigation, due diligence, licenses, assignments and transactional issues. We act for copyright owners working in various industries such as entertainment, music, art, fashion, literature, software and evolving media including telecommunications and the Internet. Similarly, our trademarks team works with clients to acquire, commercialize and safeguard their brands, including logos, product or container shapes and packaging. We are regularly called upon to advise on the copyright aspects of advertising and marketing campaigns. Clients consistently call upon our professionals for wide industry coverage, the shared experience between the team and our large panel of services.

Commercial IP practice

The IP team handles a wide range of commercial transactions relating to all areas of intellectual property including but not limited to, issues pertaining to data, data governance and IP strategy.