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.
Jeilah Chan is a partner in the Corporate Group. With over 20 years of experience, her practice includes all aspects of intellectual property, and litigation involving patent, trademark, contract/licensing, trade secret and copyright issues. Jeilah advises clients on IP issues arising out of M&A transactions, joint ventures, and licensing matters. She also advises clients on advertising and labelling, and IP protection, enforcement, commercialization, and brand-building strategies. Jeilah...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Randy Sutton practises dispute resolution and regulatory law. Mr. Sutton has represented clients in the provincial and federal courts across Canada, in arbitrations (both domestic and international) and in a variety of administrative proceedings. He is a member of the British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Ontario bars. His litigation practice includes the representation of clients in commercial, class action, competition, environmental, product liability, product recall, insurance, defamation an...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
Ian Trimble is an associate in the Corporate Group. His practice focuses on providing regulatory and commercial counsel to companies regulated by Health Canada, including drug manufacturers and wholesalers, cannabis companies, and companies involved in the marketing and sales of natural health products, food and beverage, cosmetics, and medical devices. He provides strategic counsel on market access and compliance strategies, and helps clients deal with regulatory and pre-clearance agencies. ...
Mark Vanderveken advises clients on regulatory compliance and intellectual property matters, with a particular focus on the life sciences industry. Mark provides strategic guidance on the production and sale of regulated products, including pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, natural health products, and medical devices. He also assists clients with the protection and commercialization of intellectual property assets.
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