Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar tops the MIP IP Stars ranking with 18 patent and trademark practitioners listed

Smart & Biggar is pleased to announce that 18 of the firm’s partners — more than any other firm in Canada — have been ranked as “IP Stars” in Managing Intellectual Property’s (MIP) IP Stars, 2019 edition.

In addition to being awarded MIP's Firm of the Year (2019) for patent prosecution work, Smart & Biggar holds its position as a Tier One firm in the areas of Patent Contentious, Patent Prosecution, Trademark Prosecution and Trademark Contentious in the Canadian national category.

Patent Editorial Research

MIP lauds Smart & Biggar as “a leading IP boutique [that] consistently delivers for clients in both patent protection and patent disputes work.” Special acknowledgement is paid to Elliott Simcoe, Daphne Lainson and Matthew Zischka for their filing and prosecution work. Steven Garland, Gunars Gaikis, Yoon Kang, Sheldon Hamilton, Mark Biernacki and François Guay are mentioned as prominent practitioners in our litigation practice. The addition of partner, lawyer, patent agent and pharmacist, Alice Tseng is noted as “strengthening our life sciences team”. A market commentator singles out Gunars Gaikis for his "illustrious career" in patent litigation, adding: "He's had a hell of a run in the last few years. Talk about client loyalty; his clients rely on him very heavily and his word carries a lot of weight." Lynn Ing is also mentioned as a rising star to watch.

The publication makes mention of notable cases, including our representation of Bauer Hockey in a patent dispute which also considered the concept of double patenting, and our acting on behalf of Camso, Snapchat and Schneider Electric in their respective patent disputes.

Trademarks Editorial Research

In regards to our trademarks practice, MIP comments that Smart & Biggar “retains its reputation as one of the leaders in IP in Canada” with “a top-rated IP/technology practice.” Mark Evans, Christian Bolduc, Keltie Sim Luft, Mark Biernacki, Jean-Sébastien Dupont and François Guay are named as key trademark practitioners. Christine Genge is mentioned as “[a] notable IP practitioner who is very knowledgeable about design law and practice.”

Recent and notable case studies mentioned are the firm’s representation of Imperial Tobacco and Black Card in important trade mark oppositions. As well as our acting on behalf of Bell Canada and other companies in the Federal Court of Appeal on interim orders in copyright infringement actions.

Earlier this year, MIP also recognized Keltie Sim Luft and Nancy Pei, who were two of only thirteen Canadian women to be listed in the world’s “Top 250 Women in IP.” Smart & Biggar was also the only Canadian firm to have more than one practitioner listed, a demonstration of our excellence in intellectual property law and a reflection of the diversity and expertise of practitioners at the firm.

The full ranking for MIP IP Stars in copyright, patents and trademarks can be found here.

Patent Stars:

  • Allan Brett
  • Gunars Gaikis
  • Steven Garland
  • Stephan Georgiev
  • Sheldon Hamilton
  • Yoon Kang
  • Daphne Lainson
  • Nancy Pei
  • David Schwartz
  • Elliott Simcoe
  • Jeremy Want
  • Matthew Zischka

Trademark Stars:

  • Mark Biernacki
  • Mark Evans
  • Steven Garland
  • Sanjay Goorachurn
  • Francois Guay
  • Philip Lapin
  • Elliott Simcoe
  • Keltie Sim Luft

Honourable mentions:

  • Jean-Sébastien Dupont
  • Christine Genge
  • Lynn Ing
  • Alice Tseng