Who we are

At Smart & Biggar, we have the honour of working with many of Canada’s and the world’s most important innovators and brand owners. We continuously invest in our client relationships, and many of our clients have entrusted us with protecting, enforcing and commercializing their IP rights for over a half-century.

We are proud to have supported our clients on the road to market leadership — from start-up companies in emerging growth sectors to multinational corporations, as well as innovators at universities and other research institutions – advising them on their most critical and complex IP matters.

Whether we are advising an innovative manufacturer on patent strategy or infringement issues, providing counsel on brand protection and enforcement, or handling the IP aspects of a corporate transaction, we always ensure that our clients receive the full benefit of our unrivaled IP experience and expertise.

We are committed to providing expert counsel and guidance to safeguard our clients’ competitive position and help them build and enforce strategic intellectual property and technology rights that will create more value for their business.

No other firm can claim a stronger track record of victories in intellectual property litigation for its clients than Smart & Biggar. We pride ourselves on providing clients with the rare combination of successful trial experience, deep subject matter expertise and sophisticated and practical skills and analysis.

Membership of the IPH Limited group

Smart & Biggar operates as part of the IPH Limited group. IPH Limited is a public company that is the holding company for an international network of intellectual property professional services and adjacent businesses which operate under different brands in a range of jurisdictions. For more information on the IPH Limited group and its member companies please see the IPH website.

Smart & Biggar ownership and structure

Smart & Biggar is the business name for three separate partnerships which provide specialized intellectual property services under the Smart & Biggar brand in a collaborative manner, namely:

• Smart & Biggar LP, a limited partnership formed under the laws of the Province of Quebec, which carries on the business of a patent and trademark agency and provides all related and other services that are not legal services provided by either Smart & Biggar LLP or Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP.
• Smart & Biggar LLP, a limited liability partnership formed under the laws of the Province of Quebec, which carries on the business of a law firm and solely provides legal services in Canada that do not relate to the laws of the Province of Alberta;
• Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP, a limited liability partnership wholly owned by individual lawyers and formed under the laws of the Province of Alberta which carries on the business of a law firm and solely provides legal services in Canada in relation to the laws of the Province of Alberta; and

Smart & Biggar LLP is solely responsible for the provision of all services reserved to the legal profession pursuant to the rules applicable to the practice of law anywhere in Canada other than the Province of Alberta. Smart & Biggar LLP will at all times provide such legal services, and all fees will be invoiced by Smart & Biggar LLP.

Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP is solely responsible for the provision of all services reserved to the legal profession pursuant to the rules applicable to the practice of law in the Province of Alberta. Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP will at all times provide such legal services, and all fees will be invoiced by Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP.

Smart & Biggar LP provides all other IP services, all fees for such services will be invoiced by Smart & Biggar LP.

Ownership group

Smart & Biggar operates as part of the IPH Limited group. Information on all legal entities forming part of the IPH Limited group is available here.

Each of the IPH group professional services businesses of Smart & Biggar, ROBIC, AJ Park, Griffith Hack, Pizzeys and Spruson & Ferguson operate independently from one another in the provision to clients of professional services.*The Applied Marks business operates independently from each of the IPH group professional services businesses but may refer clients to those businesses for the provision of certain services.

*A group business may in some cases engage or be engaged by another group business as a foreign agent or lawyer.

For more information on the key principles to which each IPH Limited group business adheres with respect to independence, appropriate disclosure of group relationships and the management of actual or potential conflicts of interest, see our Group Relationships Statement.

At Smart & Biggar, ensuring we contribute positively to the economy, society and the environment is fundamental to how we operate. We understand the importance of resilient and sustainable business practices to help achieve a more sustainable future.

Our Services

We have a market-leading team of experts who seek to advise clients in a number of innovative areas in which sustainability is a core focus, including our cleantech services. Please contact our team members listed on the page – or contact us at mail@smartbiggar.ca directly – for information about how we can assist with your sustainability journey.  

IPH Group Sustainability Initiatives

As a member of the IPH Group, we are proud to be part of IPH’s sustainability journey.

IPH Limited 2024 Sustainability Report

For more detail on the steps IPH is taking to address sustainability matters across the IPH Group, including at Smart & Biggar, read IPH’s FY24 Sustainability Report.

As set out in the FY24 Sustainability Report, IPH has identified six strategic priorities as areas of focus within its sustainability strategy, with those priorities being Governance, Privacy and Data Security; Client Experience; Impact & Innovation; Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Education and Training; and Wellbeing and Flexibility.

A key element within the Impact & Innovation strategic priority is IPH’s ongoing effort to track Greenhouse Gas emissions across the IPH Group. Actively monitoring and reporting our emissions assists us to identify areas for improvement and aligns with global standards for corporate sustainability. See the FY24 Sustainability Report for more detail.

IPH Limited 2024 Modern Slavery Statement

As a member of the IPH Group, Smart & Biggar is committed to supporting and respecting human rights across all our business activities. We acknowledge the risks of modern slavery globally and we are committed to identifying and preventing instances of modern slavery in all its forms across our operations and supply chains.

Each year, IPH publishes a Modern Slavery Statement which addresses how the IPH Group has performed in its response to addressing modern slavery. For more detail, read IPH’s FY24 Modern Slavery Statement.