As the largest full-service Canadian law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) delivers the most comprehensive legal solutions and client services for domestic and international clients across more practice areas and industry sectors than any other Canadian firm. With over 700 lawyers, IP agents and other professionals, BLG serves businesses and institutions with all their legal needs – from M&A and capital markets, to major litigation, financing and trademark and patent registration.
BLG’s IP group offers trusted advice on the development, protection, commercial exploitation and use of intellectual property to a diverse client base that includes start-ups and national and multinational companies in all industry sectors. Our IP group works in a collaborative environment with a client-team approach. It extends to our strong network of well-respected IP firms around the world to help clients to expand their businesses and protect their IP assets outside Canada. This approach allows BLG to offer streamlined, cost-effective and tailored services to clients.
Patents
BLG’s patent group provides sophisticated patent services to assist companies in many different technology fields to acquire and protect patent rights strategically in Canada, the United States and the rest of the world. The group is responsible for over 40,000 patent applications and almost 4,000 industrial design applications and registrations. Many of the group’s professionals have advanced degrees in the fields of biotechnology, chemistry, physics, electronics, electrical engineering and engineering physics, as well as PhDs in the fields of analytical chemistry, applied chemistry, genetics, nutrition and metabolism, plant biogenetics, oncology and telecommunications.
Trademarks
BLG offers complete trademark portfolio management and enforcement in a variety of industries to help clients select, register, maintain, license, franchise and enforce their trademark rights and implement their marketing strategies. Our trademark professionals work with clients to understand their brand management, operations, business goals, competitive environment, packaging and advertising, as well as identify opportunities and threats, licensing and acquisition and divestiture strategies while delivering value-added business insight. We have filed over 50,000 trademark applications and registrations in Canada and provide strategic advice to protect those interests throughout the world.
Copyright
Whether the issue is protecting copyrights or defending them from infringement claims, our copyright group draws on decades of experience in addressing complex copyright issues across numerous industries for both domestic and international clients. Our expert advice and proactive approach in protecting intellectual property give clients the competitive advantage required to help them to achieve their business goals.
Litigation
BLG’s IP litigation group has experience in all aspects of IP disputes, including actions respecting infringement and validity of patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright and trade secrets and confidential information issues. Our IP litigators bring together the best of both worlds – trial experience and the ability to communicate highly technical and legal issues to administrative boards and judges, and the technical and scientific prowess to field all IP issues.
Licensing
BLG also has extensive experience with the full range of complex technology-driven agreements relating to both in and out-licensing and technology transfer opportunities in the commercial, academic, non-profit and government sectors across Canada and globally. Additionally, our group has assisted clients in developing and exploiting their IP portfolios by negotiating and drafting licensing agreements for both domestic and international licensing and technology transfer transactions. We also assist in the transfer of technology from government-supported operations and academic organisations to businesses in the private sector.
Awards and recognition
BLG has been recognised as a leading firm by some of the most prestigious national and international legal publications including Chambers Canada 2019, which ranked BLG in Band 1 – the highest level of recognition – in 11 practice areas and recognised 95 lawyers. Members of our IP group have also received numerous distinctions for their expertise by some of the most renowned IP publications. BLG has been ranked as a leading Canadian firm in patent practice by the 2018 edition of the IAM Patent 1000, with a gold ranking in the area of patent prosecution and a silver ranking for patent litigation and transactions.