This is a do-not-miss session for those growing their life science company!

This workshop will explore the protection and strategic use of intellectual property (IP) for building a company with a competitive advantage.

Understanding and developing an IP strategy is essential for all companies seeking to compete in an environment where obtaining investment and commercial success is becoming increasingly competitive.

The different forms of IP protection available will be described with a particular emphasis on the Life Sciences sector. Further, the workshop will cover how these forms of IP protection can be used to develop an IP strategy that will strengthen and safe-guard your company and help you prepare for future investment opportunities.

SPEAKERS:

Patricia Folkins is a partner at Bereskin & Parr LLP, where she heads the Chemistry Patents team. His practice is focused on the preparation and follow-up of patent applications relating to chemistry, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. She also assesses new technologies and takes care of portfolio management.

Patricia obtained a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University before joining a leading biopharmaceutical company, where she worked for several years as a researcher and then as a technical advisor in the patent department. She had previously worked at a major Canadian university as an intellectual property manager. She is Chair of the Patent Committee of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC).

Laurence MacPhie is a Canadian lawyer and partner with Bereskin & Parr LLP working out of the firm’s Toronto office.

Laurence was a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Oxford where he completed his doctoral degree on the genetics of complex traits before attending law school at the University of Toronto. Laurence’s practice focuses on drafting and prosecuting patent applications in various aspects of the life sciences, including stem cells, cancer and chemotherapies, bioinformatics and diagnostics, as well as enzymes for commercial and industrial applications. He also provides advice on patent strategy and opinions with respect to validity, infringement and freedom to operate.

Laurence works with a number of Universities and organizations across Canada regarding technology transfer as well as a variety of companies in the life sciences including both start-ups and clinical stage companies focused on cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. He also has lectured on IP strategy, commercialization and patent law at Seneca College, Ryerson University, Guelph University and the University of Toronto.

This is event is in collaboration with: