Find Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice
Practice Area Overview
Biotechnology Law encompasses areas of corporate and commercial law common to other commercial enterprises, operating within the unique context of the biotechnology fields, including the legal areas of corporate, securities, financing, employment, regulatory, intellectual property, international trade, product liability, commercial litigation, competition, and mergers and acquisitions. The unique demands of the biotechnology business put a particular importance on regulatory law, intellectual property law, and commercial agreements specific to pharmaceutical or other biotechnology fields. The regulatory aspect of Biotechnology Law involves navigating the regulatory approval processes and ongoing compliance for pharmaceutical, health care, and agricultural products. Biotechnology also relies heavily on collaboration, which involves drafting comprehensive agreements for research, development, testing, and manufacturing of product candidates, along with licensing, outsourcing, and commercialization. Finally, as intellectual property is developed, it becomes integral to the success of a biotechnology company to establish and maintain ownership of it, through patent protection and trade secrets as well as robust confidentiality and contractual ownership provisions.
Regardless of whether your company is a biotechnology start-up in the initial stages of development, or in late-stage development or commercialization, to succeed, you need a legal partner with a working knowledge of all major areas of corporate and commercial law, along with firsthand experience representing clients in the biotechnology fields. Whether it is helping you with establishing the corporation, raising money in public and private markets, effectively structuring the transactions, navigating the regulatory web, or protecting your intellectual property, your legal counsel should provide you with the cross-disciplinary insight and practical legal advice you need to realize your business objectives.
Junyi practices intellectual property law with an emphasis on patent litigation and general IP matters in the areas of pharmaceuticals and other health sciences. She has appeared frequently before the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal. Junyi is a Registered Patent Agent and Registered Trademark Agent in Canada, and has extensive experience in patent and trademark prosecution matters and licensing. Junyi is fluent in Mandarin and has frequently represented Chinese clients in patent...
Noel Courage is a partner with Bereskin & Parr LLP and member of the Life Sciences practice group. Noel's practice focuses on the patenting and licensing of biotechnological, chemical and mechanical inventions. He provides opinions on patent validity and infringement issues. He also has experience in regulatory, trademark and copyright law, and provides advice on IP portfolio management strategy. His regulatory work includes advising on data exclusivity, Patent Medicine Prices Review Boar...
Gunars Gaikis is one of Canada’s premier and most experienced life sciences intellectual property litigators. He holds the role of Of Counsel in Smart & Biggar’s Toronto office, and has more than 25 years of experience in the highly specialized field of pharmaceutical patent, trademark and related litigation. He has been described by independent IP lawyers’ reviewers as a “seasoned gladiator”, praised as a “a skilled fighter and lifecycle strategist for...
An accomplished biochemist with a Ph.D in biochemistry prior to transitioning to patent law, Sally has extensive technical expertise and more than 15 years of experience securing patent protection in the fields of biotechnology, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Sally drafts and prosecutes patent applications in Canada, the United States and internationally. She also directs prosecution in jurisdictions including Europe, China, Japan and Australia, and has provided technical assistance in pharma...
Yoon Kang is a Principal in Smart & Biggar's Toronto office where her practice has focused on patent litigation and prosecution for close to 30 years. Yoon is a leader in the life sciences practice in the firm’s Toronto office. Yoon counsels global pharmaceutical innovators and research institutions on all aspects of patent rights including in small molecules and biologics inventions, and plays a leading role in the firm’s life sciences litigation practice. Yoon has significan...
Daphne Lainson is a Principal in Smart & Biggar's Ottawa office and head of the firm’s life sciences practice. She specializes in securing patent protection for chemical, pharmaceutical and biotechnology related inventions. She is a lawyer, a qualified patent and trademark agent, and holds an advanced degree in chemistry. She has been assisting clients with securing patent protection for their innovations for over a decade. Daphne champions and safeguards the intellectual property r...
Martin Langlois is a partner practising corporate and securities law, and a former Co-Head of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Groups. He focuses on domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions (including leveraged buyouts), securities and corporate finance transactions, as well as corporate governance and other commercial matters. Martin has over 20 years of experience in a broad range of industries including technology, fintech, life sciences, financial services, mini...
Jay Lefton practices corporate and securities law. Jay advises clients on public and private mergers & acquisitions transactions, private equity matters and public and private financings, as well as assisting with strategic alliances, technology transfer and licensing. He works predominantly in the technology and life sciences sector. Assisting acquirers and target companies and their boards of directors, Jay advises on negotiated transactions and unsolicited takeover bids, most of which ...
Anita Nador is a partner in the firm’s Toronto office and a member of the Firm's National Life Sciences Practice Group. She is a lawyer and registered patent agent in Canada and the United States, and a registered Canadian trade-mark agent. Anita’s practice focuses on strategic intellectual property, regulatory and commercialization planning, primarily in the life sciences and chemical areas, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, natural health products, agriculture, foods and med...
Wesley Ng is Head of the Technology Group and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee in the Toronto office. His practice focuses on information technology, e-commerce, and biotechnology transactions, as well as privacy related matters including compliance with Canada’s new anti-spam legislation (CASL). Wesley regularly advises on business process outsourcings, service arrangements, technology exploitation (including development, commercialization and licensing), transformation...
Dr. John Norman is a partner in the Ottawa office of the firm, practising in the Intellectual Property Group. He helps Canadian and foreign clients manage their patent and intellectual property portfolios and develop litigation strategies. Working primarily with leading national and international pharmaceutical, biotechnology and technology companies, John appears on behalf of clients before the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. John advises...
With hands-on experience as a licensed pharmacist and over 25 years of patent litigation expertise, Nancy has established a successful IP practice focused exclusively in the field of life sciences, with an emphasis on pharmaceuticals and biologics. Nancy’s clients benefit not only from the depth and breadth of her experience but also from her unique insights on broader patenting, regulatory and business issues, helping them manage the life cycles of their products and remain competitive...
Peter Pliszka, a senior partner in Fasken’s Litigation Group, is regarded as one of Canada’s leading litigation lawyers. Peter’s practice is focused primarily on product liability, class action, commercial and insurance litigation matters, and it is national in scope. Peter manages litigation proceedings across Canada and has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and other Canadian provinces as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. Peter is Co-Leader of Fasken’s Li...
David is a long-standing and highly respected IP leader who brings nearly 30 years of experience in patent law. Named Ottawa’s “Lawyer of the Year” in Biotechnology Law multiple times and recognized annually as one of “The Best Lawyers in Canada” under Biotechnology Law since 2006, David has become the trusted go-to counsel to a broad range of biotechnology clients for complex patent prosecution. David also counsels and represents pharmaceutical and chemistry cli...
Melanie is a partner with Bereskin & Parr. Her practice focuses on drafting and prosecution of applications relating to biologics, diagnostics, biotechnology, food and pharmaceuticals. Melanie offers strategic advice and expertise to her clients, provides validity and freedom to operate opinions and is involved in related patent litigation and licensing. Melanie’s privacy work includes advising organizations on compliance with Canadian privacy laws, including PIPEDA, assisting with ...
Alice Tseng is recognized as one of Canada’s leading lawyers specializing in regulatory and marketing/advertising matters, particularly in the pharmaceutical, cannabis, food, medical device and cosmetic industries. She has been practising for over two decades, and is uniquely qualified as a pharmacist, lawyer and patent agent. Alice’s expertise in the pharmaceutical industry includes biologics, controlled drugs and substances, immunotherapy, orphan drugs, vaccines, OTC drugs and n...
Lead patent trial counsel and appeal counsel, appearing in courts across Canada. Considerable expertise in patent, PM(NOC), trade-mark, copyright and trade secret litigation. Acts on behalf of leading national and international pharmaceutical, software, manufacturing, and information technology clients. Registered Patent Agent since 2000. Skilled in advising clients on strategic management of intellectual property including patent life cycle management. Member of the Intellectual Property Ins...
Ingrid VanderElst is co-chair of the Ontario region’s Life Sciences group. Regularly assisting clients in the health products and related service industries, Ingrid advises on regulatory and intellectual property issues. Clients include pharmaceutical, natural health product, medical device, cosmetic and food manufacturers, as well as pharmacy and laboratory services providers and agri-business operators. On the regulatory side, Ingrid has assisted clients with product licensing, establ...
Urszula Wojtyra is a Principal in Smart & Biggar's Toronto office. When representing innovative pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in patent litigation, Urszula offers a unique ability to tell the story behind highly technical inventions in a clear, concise and convincing way before the courts. Clients benefit from and appreciate the combination of her advanced technical expertise, sharp courtroom advocacy skills and effective long-term strategic planning of their complex liti...
Nick’s legal practice combines extensive experience in strategic intellectual property (“IP”) portfolio development and IP litigation. Nick regularly advises early stage and established businesses in building their IP portfolios and monetizing these assets, with an expertise in business development (drug development, product acquisition and life-cycle management) and negotiating commercial contracts (licensing, manufacturing, development, supply, distribution and marketing a...
Sara Zborovski is a partner in the Corporate Group. Her practice focuses on providing regulatory and commercial counsel to companies regulated by Health Canada. She helps clients to navigate the regulatory landscape implemented by the Food and Drugs Act, the Cannabis Act and other legislation and associated regulations overseen by Health Canada and provincial regulators. Sara provides strategic counsel to pharmaceutical, cannabis, food and beverage, natural health product, medical device, cos...
Chelsea Nimmo is a strategic litigator with a focus on practical, business-minded outcomes in intellectual property disputes. She advises clients across a broad range of industries, including those in the pharmaceutical, life science, food and agriculture and energy sectors. While her practice touches on all facets of intellectual property, she has a particular focus on patents and industrial design issues. Her in-depth knowledge extends to both liability and damages issues, including remedie...
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