Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

Brigide Mattar

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Brigide Mattar

  • she/her/elle
Principal
  • Smart & Biggar LP
Language(s): English | French

Boosting the business value of innovations through IP

With over 25 years of experience practicing intellectual property law, and a sophisticated understanding of patent law, Brigide adeptly counsels business leaders on how to best protect and leverage their intellectual property assets to improve their business position, competitive advantage and bottom-line. Her holistic approach to patent law considers her clients’ ultimate business objectives, industry realities and even the sometimes personal component of IP.

With the mindset of an in-house counsel, Brigide is committed to understanding her clients’ needs when proposing effective IP portfolio strategies that not only utilize her own skills, but also those of her team members with complementary expertise in Trademarks, IP transactions and litigation.

Brigide’s expertise extends to all aspects of patent procurement in Canada and in the United States, including preparing and prosecuting applications and managing IP portfolios. Brigide offers expertise in the preparation of infringement and validity opinions as well as due diligence reports in the context of sales, acquisitions and other commercial transactions.

Patent procurement & protection informed by design and engineering expertise

Brigide advises clients ranging in size from small and medium-sized enterprises to multinational corporations. Trained as an electrical and computer engineer, she has technical expertise in electronics, telecommunications, business methods, control systems, software and related technologies. Her patent procurement experience includes telecommunication systems architecture, TCP/IP protocols, computer graphics, graphical user interfaces, medical devices, image processing, speaker verification, speech recognition, railway systems, online commerce and digital switching, among others.

Seasoned IP practitioner in AI and machine learning

Brigide has twenty-five years of experience working with innovators in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. While completing her undergraduate degree, she worked at McGill University’s Centre for Intelligent Machines (CIM) computer vision lab with a team developing software tools to allow machines (robots) to recognize objects and navigate space. She also took graduate classes to explore voice recognition and natural language understanding technologies. Later, as she began her career in intellectual property, she worked with several innovative clients to leverage machine learning and AI in their products. In the more than two decades since her first encounter with AI, Brigide has built experience across a broad range of applications, including natural language understanding; the use of AI for predicting outcomes and guiding decisions in the medical field; image processing and computer vision; the use of AI for optimizing energy usage in various systems and in on-line commerce application to predict future needs and provide recommendations, to name but a few.

Passionate IP advocate in Quebec

Brigide dedicates significant time and resources to increasing awareness of the importance of managing and protecting intellectual property in the province of Quebec. Over the years she has led the firm's involvement in supporting young entrepreneurs through initiatives such as le Concours des anges financiers de Montréal (2006, 2007 and 2008) and by volunteering with Montreal Inc. (formerly la Fondation du Maire de Montréal pour la jeunesse). Brigide is a past President of le Forum international de la propriété intellectuelle  — Québec (FORPIQ) and she has been a member of the organizing committee for FORPIQ since 2009. Brigide is also fluent in French and English.

Upon receiving her undergraduate degree, Brigide was awarded the British Association Medal for Great Distinction, awarded to the highest-ranking student in the graduating class of each engineering discipline.

  • News
  • Speaking
  • Industry Involvement
  • In the Media
  • "Heading North? What you need to know about patents in Canada, eh!", (co-presenters: Melanie Szweras, Vincent de Grandpre), AIPLA CLE Webinar, September 21, 2022
  • "Intellectual Property for Business - An Introduction to IP", (co-presenters: Olivier Jean-Lévesque, Jean-Christophe Paquette), Smart & Biggar webinar, March 16, 2022
  • “IP in practice: Computer software, AI and other tech patents”, Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) webinar, January 19, 2022
  • “Managing your IP to enhance your position ahead of a prospective investment or exit”, (co-presenter Sanro Zlobec), BDC Capital Women in Technology Venture Fund and Smart & Biggar webinar, March 31, 2021
  • “Brand protection in the digital economy – beyond the basics”, (moderator with co-presenters Noelle Engle-Hardy and Stéphanie Girard), BDC Capital Women in Technology Venture Fund and Smart & Biggar webinar, March 24, 2021
  • “Intellectual Property for Growth – Understanding the Business Value of IP”, (co-presenter Martin Tremblay), BDC Capital Women in Technology Venture Fund and Smart & Biggar webinar, March 17, 2021
  • "La gestion de la propriété intellectuelle et les temps de crise" (co-presenter: Stephan P. Georgiev), presented to PÔLE Québec-Chaudière Appalaches, Quebec City, April 2010
  • "Protéger le « look and feel » de produits électroniques" (co-presenter: Martin Tremblay), presentation to members of the Association des manufacturiers en électronique de Québec, Quebec City, March 2010
  • "Accelerating Patent Examination in North America," presentation to the Compagnie nationale des conseils en propriété industrielle at the AIPLA European Committee's 2009 Annual European Trip, Paris, France, March 2009
  • "La propriété intellectuelle dans le contexte des relations clients/fournisseurs" (moderator), Forum international de la propriété intellectuelle — Québec (FORPIQ), Montréal, February 2009
  • "Créer et maximiser un portefeuille de PI à valeur ajoutée" (co-presenter: Martin Tremblay), presentation at the Parc Technologique du Québec Métropolitain in March 2008 and to the Association des manufacturiers en électronique de Québec, Quebec City, November 2008
  • "Managing and Leveraging IP for Commercial Success" (co-presenter: Sanjay D. Goorachurn), Concours des anges financiers de Montréal, Montréal,, January 2008

Memberships

  • Fellow, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada
  • Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
  • Past President, Le Forum international de la propriété intellectuelle — Québec (FORPIQ)
  • Member, Organizing Committee for Le Forum international de la propriété intellectuelle — Québec (FORPIQ) (since 2009)
  • Volunteer, Fondation du Maire de Montréal pour la jeunesse

Interviews

Publications