Smart & Biggar hailed as Tier 1 for patent prosecution and contentious files in MIP’s 2022 rankings
Smart & Biggar is proud to share that the firm has once again been listed as a Tier 1 firm for both Patent Contentious and Patent Prosecution matters in the 2022 IP Stars patent firm rankings released by Managing Intellectual Property (MIP). In addition, eleven Smart & Biggar practitioners were ranked as “IP Stars” for Patents for 2022, more than any other firm in Canada.
MIP IP Stars researchers note “Smart & Biggar retains its position as one of the leading IP firms in Canada.” They highlighted that the firm is “highly recommended for IP protection and disputes work” and that “its technical expertise for patent work is quite broad, covering areas such as life sciences, software/ICT, electronics, and mechanical engineering.”
Matthew Zischka leads the firm, alongside patent IP Stars Elliott Simcoe, Stephan Georgiev, Allan Brett, and ‘notable’ partner Christine Genge. Other practitioners noted by MIP were Lionel Fishman and Patrick Roszell all flagged as patent practitioners to watch.
Life Science practice chair and firm leader Daphne Lainson is hailed as a “patent protection specialist”, alongside IP Star David Schwartz, Alice Tseng, a lawyer and pharmacist who is “experienced in advising on regulatory matters”, and partner Lei Liu who was flagged as one to watch.
Researchers also noted a key strength that stands out is the firm's “patent practitioners [who] are dual qualified to deal with both patent protection and litigation.”
For patent litigation, in the firm, “[Steven] Garland is indeed an excellent all-around IP litigator” who works on high-profile cases and clients. “[He] represented The Dow Chemical Company in the Federal Court of Appeal in a patent infringement matter which resulted in one of the largest damages awards” alongside fellow IP Star Jeremy Want, and also acted for Exaltexx [in obtaining an interlocutory injunction] with co-counsel Calgary-based Evan Nuttall who is flagged by MIP as a ‘notable’ litigator alongside Ryan Evans, who is based in Toronto.
In Montréal, managing partner François Guay handles complex patent disputes for big-name clients including Canadian National Railway, alongside co-counsel Jean-Sébastien Dupont who is flagged as a ‘notable’ practitioner for contentious patent and trademark matters.
Meanwhile in Life Sciences, Nancy Pei, Yoon Kang, and Sheldon Hamilton are noted among the firm's “prominent patent litigators”, while Lynn Ing was identified as a ‘notable’ litigator for contentious matters.
Earlier this year, Smart & Biggar proudly received honours in three top firm awards and an “Impact Case of the Year” at the MIP North America Awards 2022, including “IP Boutique Firm of the Year” for the third consecutive year and “Firm of the Year” awards for both Trademark Contentious and Patent Prosecution in Canada. This is in addition to MIP 2022 ranking for our Trademark practice as ‘Tier 1’ for both Trademark Prosecution and Trademark Contentious matters.
In total, 18 partners have been listed as ‘IP Stars’ in the 2022 edition of the MIP guide. In addition to this, 10 of our trademark and patent practitioners were featured as ‘Notable Practitioners’ in the guide for their expertise and status as future IP Stars to watch.
View full firm rankings for MIP IP Stars in patents and trademarks.
About Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property law, with offices in Ottawa, Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Calgary. We are leaders in intellectual property and technology law and have been serving clients for over a century.