Smart & Biggar lawyers named among the best and the brightest by MIP IP Stars - Rising Stars
Smart & Biggar, Canada’s leading firm in intellectual property law, is pleased to announce that senior associates, Laura Easton of Calgary, Jamie-Lynn Kraft of Ottawa and Vancouver-based counsel, Kwan T. Loh have been honoured once again as 2021’s “Rising Stars” by the Managing Intellectual Property (MIP) IP Stars - Rising Stars.
We congratulate Laura, Jamie-Lynn and Kwan on their inclusion as Rising Stars, which recognizes them among the best up-and-coming IP practitioners in the world. This achievement reflects their individual contributions to the success of our clients and the firm, and acknowledges their expertise and activity within the IP community.
Laura Easton
As a skilled intellectual property litigator, Laura has a talent for finding practical solutions to complex problems. Laura’s practice focuses primarily on patent, trademark and copyright litigation, together with litigation surrounding misappropriation of confidential information or trade secrets. She also advises clients with respect to the protection of their intellectual property in the employment context.
Laura has appeared before the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, all levels of the Alberta courts, the British Columbia Supreme Court and the Supreme Court of Canada. She has also appeared before the Alberta Surface Rights Board, and has represented clients in private arbitration.
Laura has a background in broad civil and commercial litigation, oil and gas, and employment law. Her diverse litigation experience helps her assess her clients’ IP concerns within the context of the industry, the market and the larger business picture.
Jamie-Lynn Kraft
Jamie-Lynn provides counsel to clients throughout the trademark lifecycle, including clearance and availability opinions, prosecution, opposition and enforcement and has successfully represented clients in contentious proceedings before the Canadian Trademark Opposition Board. Jamie-Lynn also provides advice on marketing and advertising law, including guidance relating to product packaging and labelling, advertising campaigns, contests, privacy issues, and publicity rights.
With a passion for helping businesses grow, Jamie-Lynn advises her clients on strategies to harness the full potential of their brands. She works with clients ranging from small- and medium-sized enterprises to multinational corporations, covering a broad range of industry areas including fashion, cosmetics, food and beverage, information technology and manufacturing.
Kwan T. Loh
Throughout his career, Kwan has worked to protect and enforce some of the world’s most valuable brands. Kwan provides practical trademark advice based not only upon the law, but also on broader strategic business considerations unique to every client’s case.
Kwan focuses on trademark clearance, filing and prosecuting trademark applications with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, and trademark portfolio strategy and management in Canada and worldwide. He also advises on IP-related contracts including licenses, assignments and other commercial agreements.
Spanning a wide variety of sectors, Kwan’s clients include high-tech companies, internet companies, industrial manufacturers, online retailers, food and beverage companies, financial institutions, and hospitality companies, and from varying backgrounds, ranging from local start-up companies to multinational conglomerates.
The research for IP STARS covers contentious and non-contentious IP work. It is carried out over a six-month period by an experienced team of research analysts and journalists. MIP’s list of this year’s “Rising Stars” is available to view now.
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.