Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Rankings & Recognition

Smart & Biggar wins big with 16 leading lawyers and agents recognized in Who's Who Legal: IP 2022

Noted as a ‘Leading Firm’, Smart & Biggar is proud to announce that 16 of our practitioners have been listed in the second edition of Who’s Who Legal: IP 2022 which recognizes the world’s leading lawyers and agents in trademarks and patents. Additionally, five of our partners were recognized among the world’s leading IP practitioners as “Global Elite Thought Leaders”.

Global Elite Thought Leaders

Leading the rankings, partners Steve Garland, Mark Evans and Philip Lapin, of counsel Gunars Gaikis, and managing firm partner Matthew Zischka were each identified as “Global Elite Thought Leaders” in their respective fields by Who’s Who Legal. These individuals are lauded for being truly outstanding practitioners and among the very best lawyers and agents in the field of IP worldwide.

Patents (Litigation)

Smart & Biggar sees six lawyers recognized for their skill and success in patent litigation.

  • Gunars Gaikis is “hailed by respondents for expertly navigating prime healthcare providers and developers through IP life cycle management, procurements, regulatory compliance and more.”
  • Steven Garland is described in the guide as a litigator who “secures significant commendations with his superb handling of IP matters across a multitude of industries.”
  • François Guay “is a revered IP litigator who is highly sought after by major-league entertainment, luxury goods and catering corporations for his expansive experience.”
  • Sheldon Hamilton is held in high esteem by sources and is “celebrated for his deep expertise in maximizing protection, enforcement and extraction of IP assets.”
  • Yoon Kang, counsels’ global pharmaceutical innovators and research institutions on all aspects of patent rights, including those pertaining to small molecules and biologics inventions
  • Nancy Pei is a litigator and trusted IP and regulatory advisor with unique experience tailored to the needs of innovative life sciences clients

Patent Agents and Attorneys (Prosecution)

Smart & Biggar sees six partners recognized as patent law specialists who are well versed in assisting domestic and international clients in portfolio management and licensing, across a range of sectors, from life sciences and pharmaceuticals to mechanical and electrical engineering.

  • Matthew Zischka, firm managing partner, “enjoys a stellar reputation in the IP arena, thanks to his expansive experience counselling multinationals and investors on IT-related, electrical and mechanical patent matters.”
  • John Knox, Vancouver based partner “cuts a distinguished figure in the North American market, excelling at patent drafting, prosecution and litigation support.”
  • Daphne Lainson, Ottawa based partner, practice leader for life sciences and chair of the firm, helps innovators secure comprehensive patent protection for their chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology-related inventions.
  • David Schwartz, Ottawa based partner, is an experienced IP leader who advocates for biotech clients in complex patent prosecution on leading scientific innovations.
  • Oliver Stone, Ottawa based partner, brings three decades of patent drafting and prosecution expertise, and experience practicing before UK, European, U.S. and Canadian IP offices.
  • Stephan Georgiev, Montréal partner, is hailed for his stellar work in patent prosecution and is “highly sought after by innovators and business owners for his first-class advice on design patent law, patent protection and management.”

Trademarks

In Smart & Biggar’s exemplary trademark practice, five partners are acclaimed for their sterling work with the world’s leading brand owners.

  • Christian Bolduc is praised by market sources as “one of the leading trademark lawyers in Canada thanks to his experience in portfolio management, licensing and related matters.”
  • Mark Evans “comes highly recommended for his top-tier trademark protection and management practice. He predominantly advises multinational brand owners.”
  • François Guay is included in this group in addition to his recognition within patents (litigation), harnessing a precedent-setting record backed by 35 years of focused experience in IP.
  • Philip Lapin is noted as an “impressive practitioner who comes highly recommended by peers for his outstanding trademark practice, providing strategic advice on trademark registration and prosecution, and portfolio management.”
  • Kohji Suzuki, the firm’s trademark practice group head, is also included in this group for his 25 years of experience creating sophisticated IP strategies for both top-tier multinational corporations and mid-sized innovative companies.

Who’s Who Legal: IP is an in-depth guide to the international intellectual property legal market, and recognizes the foremost patents, trademarks and copyright lawyers around the world who stand out for their excellence when it comes to both contentious and transactional matters, with expertise covering a wide range of industry sectors. In total, 2643 practitioners from 1537 firms in 82 jurisdictions across IP are featured.

Congratulations to each of our recognized lawyers and agents. The results in Patents (Litigation), Patent Agents and Attorneys (Prosecution) and Trademarks are available to view online.

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.