Smart & Biggar welcomes six articling students in Ottawa and Toronto
Smart & Biggar welcomes six articling students to the Ottawa and Toronto offices, most of who are returning to the firm after previous terms as summer students.
Each year, Smart & Biggar hires a group of well-rounded law students who are driven, intellectually curious and team-oriented, with business acumen, a passion for IP law and a strong academic record. In the upcoming year, our articling students will work side by side with partners and associates at the firm on the most complex and important IP matters in the country. They will have access to Canada’s leading IP Lawyers, and work in a team-based environment to solve clients' most pressing IP issues.
Welcome to our articling students and we wish them all the best for an exciting year ahead!
Christian Bekking is an articling student in our Toronto office and recently earned his J.D. at Osgoode Hall Law School. During his legal studies, he served as an Osgoode IP Innovation Clinic Fellow, as Co-President of the Osgoode Health Law Association, and as an Osgoode Hall Student Ambassador. Christian received an academic Award in 2020, for academic excellence and a demonstrated commitment to teamwork as evidenced by participation in extra-curricular programs, committees and organizations and was also a co-winner of the Osgoode Hockey Arbitration Competition in 2021. He earned a B.Sc. in Biology from the University of Western Ontario and completed a M.Sc. in Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto. Christian was a summer law student in Smart & Biggar’s Toronto office in 2020 and 2021.
Alexandra Johnson Dingee is an articling student in our Toronto office. She completed her J.D. at the University of Western Ontario where she served as a Staff Editor on the Western Journal of Legal Studies. She earned her B.Sc. (Hons.) in Biology from Queen’s University. Her thesis topic was “Regulation of Arabidopsis thaliana calcium-dependent protein kinase CPK28 by site-specific phosphorylation.” Alexandra completed the specialization in IP, Information and Technology as well as an independent legal research course on copyright law and earned an Industrial and Intellectual Property award for her exceptional academic ability in this area of law (2021). She worked in an academic research lab where she conducted research relating to genetics and biochemistry associated with plant immune function at Queen’s University. Alexandra was a summer student here in 2021 and is a member of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario.
Mimoza (Mimi) Gjelaj is an articling student in our Ottawa office. She recently earned her J.D. from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University and holds a B.Sc. in Chemistry and a M.Sc. in Analytical Chemistry, both from Acadia University. Her thesis was based on the “Characterization of Nova Scotia Grape and Wine.” During her legal studies, Mimi worked in the Initio Tech and Law Clinic through Dalhousie University and participated in various extracurriculars such as Pro Bono in 2022, she took part in the Harold G. Fox Moot, winning the award of Best Overall. Before articling at Smart & Biggar, Mimi was a summer law student in Smart & Biggar’s Ottawa office in 2020 and 2021.
Zaid Jawed is an articling student in our Ottawa office, who recently earned his J.D. from Queen’s University. Zaid brings with him a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, as well as a B.Sc. in Astrophysics, both from the University of Calgary. During his studies, Zaid was the recipient of a CISSA Undergraduate Award (2007, 2008), an Advanced Placement Scholar Award (2006), the Louise McKinney Academic Excellence Scholarship (2012), and the Jason Lang Scholarship for Academic Excellence (2011, 2012). He participated with the Pro Bono Students Society Akwesasne Community Project and the PBSC Family Brochure Project, working with the Queen’s Law Communications Team. Zaid is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) and the Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO). Zaid was a summer law student in Smart & Biggar’s Ottawa office in 2021.
Iris Ngo is an articling student in our Ottawa office. She recently received her J.D. from Queen’s University, where she served as President of the Queen’s Intellectual Property Law Club, a tutor for the Queen’s Law Tutor Program, and a mentor for the Queen’s Asian Law Students’ Association and Queen’s Business Law Clinic. In 2020, she was selected to represent Queen’s at the finals of the Hicks Morley Moot. Prior to law school, Iris earned a B.Sc. (Hons.) and M.Sc. in Biochemistry, both from the University of Calgary. Before articling at Smart & Biggar, Iris was a summer law student in the Ottawa office in 2021.
Hannah Mirsky is an articling student in our Ottawa office. She recently earned her J.D. from the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University, where she gained valuable experience working at Dalhousie’s Initio Law and Technology Clinic. Before beginning law school, Hannah earned a B.A. with distinction in North American Studies from McGill University. Hannah worked as a research assistant, contributing to a project about corporate environmental responsibility for the United Nations Environment Program and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
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.