Best Lawyers in Ontario, Canada for Biotechnology Law
Jennifer Wilkie is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office, and an active member of the firm’s Patents, Intellectual Property Litigation & Strategy and Life Sciences groups. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in the intellectual property field, including over 15 years as a registered patent agent. Her practice has focused primarily on patents, especially patent litigation and patent prosecution, with an emphasis on pharmaceutical and chemical patents. Jennifer regularly acts ...
Timothy Squire is one of Canada's leading life sciences industry practitioners. With his extensive regulatory and commercialization experience, Tim has become a trusted advisor to stakeholders in the drug, medical device, natural health product, cosmetic and food industries in Canada and from around the world. Tim’s practice is devoted to the Life Sciences industry, and he is the Co-Leader of the firm's International Life Sciences Industry Group. He adds substantial bench strength given...
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...
Jay Zakaïb is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area of Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice. Jay practices law in Ottawa, Ontario Best Lawyers has recognized Jay Zakaïb since 2025. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Jay Zakaïb is held by other lawyers.
Vanessa Grant practises business law in our Toronto office. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and corporate governance for public and private corporations, including private equity and venture capital. She also provides ongoing general corporate and commercial legal advice to a number of clients.She has worked with several national and international clients in various industries, with a particular focus on technology companies, life sciences companies, and RE...
As an intellectual property lawyer and a qualified patent and trademark agent, Anna Wilkinson practises in all areas of intellectual property law, with a focus on the procurement of intellectual property rights. Ms. Wilkinson both manages the Canadian portfolios of global filers and acts for Canadian innovative companies and research institutions. She drafts and prosecutes patent applications for medical devices, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals and biologics, materials and nanomaterials, packagi...
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 ...
Christopher Van Barr is among Canada's most experienced and sought-after intellectual property litigators. He has represented some of the world's largest and most innovative companies, such as Bayer, Regeneron, OpenAI, Google, Takeda, as well as institutions such as Canada's National Research Council, in the most complex of high-stakes IP litigation cases. Chris is recognized for his first-chair trial and appeal expertise and strategic foresight. In numerous independent surveys, Chris' client...
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...
Paul Jorgensen is an intellectual property and life sciences lawyer, with extensive experience in pharmaceutical and biotechnology patent litigation. Dr. Jorgensen has been involved in many complex patent proceedings, including multiple trials before the Federal Court, actions under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, damages actions, and appeals. He also provides strategic advice on patent infringement and validity. Dr. Jorgensen brings deep scientific understanding to...
Alex Gloor is a lawyer recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice areas of Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice and Intellectual Property Law. Alex practices law in Ottawa, Ontario Best Lawyers has recognized Alex Gloor since 2024. The Best Lawyers recognition is based on a peer-review survey of lawyers in the same geographic region and legal practice area. The recognition reflects the professional regard in which Alex Gloor is held by other lawyers.
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...
Jung-Kay Chiu is an intellectual property lawyer based in Toronto and the Canadian national chair of our intellectual property group. He has over 20 years of experience practicing in all areas of intellectual property law, with a focus on intellectual property acquisition, protection and exploitation in the field of biotechnology and medical devices. He has particularly deep expertise in drug delivery, stem cells, precision medicine, diagnostic biomarkers and surgical equipment. He has worked...
Jean Lee focuses on prosecuting intellectual property applications and managing IP portfolios, primarily in the field of life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and chemical arts. Her patent practice includes originating drafting, legal opinions, and patent office proceedings for a broad range of clients, including large multinational corporations, start-up companies, academic institutions, and medical and healthcare professionals. She has also obtained patent rights o...
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 conducts 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 Fasken’s Chair-Life Sci...
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...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.