CANADA FIRM PROFILES
The life sciences sector depends on knowledge, innovation, creativity and the ability to successfully commercialize new products. These same values are the hallmark of Heenan Blaikie, a relatively young and very entrepreneurial law firm, where creativity, perseverance and solid judgment mark all that we do. Our life sciences practice teams up with publicly traded and privately held companies at every stage of their growth and product development, providing assistance through timely legal advice as well as by sharing our unparalleled network of contacts. We represent a wide range of clients in the life sciences sector, such as: • multinational corporations • research laboratories and clinical research organizations • start-ups and mid-size companies • hospitals and medical centres • universities • governments • venture capitalists and angel investors • hedge funds Life Sciences at Heenan Blaikie Heenan Blaikie’s life sciences lawyers provide advice in connection with: • Intellectual property – protection and enforcement of IP rights; patent and trade-mark preparation, prosecution and licensing; technology transfers; patentability, infringement, validity and freedom to operate opinions; non-disclosure agreements. • Litigation – IP litigation, product liability litigation, class actions, medical device litigation, environmental litigation. • Regulatory law – regulatory approvals to bring products to market; due diligence audits; health and safety measurement audits; intimate working knowledge of government guidelines and regulations. • Marketing and advertising – co-marketing, co-promotion and distribution agreements; advertising campaigns and promotional programs for life sciences products. • Government relations –helping shape government policies that affect the life sciences industry in Canada and abroad; access to government funding; preparation of strategies on important policy and regulatory issues; involvement in policy debates. • Competition/antitrust and foreign investment – foreign direct investment in Canada; internal and government investigations and enforcement proceedings; abuse of dominance and unfair competition; price discrimination; non-competition and proprietary rights agreements. • Tax, trusts and estates – estate and trust planning, tax credits, investment trusts/funds, business succession plans, transfer pricing and cross-border investments, gift planning and charitable planning, personal wealth planning for life sciences professionals. • Labour and employment law – recruiting and retention policies, confidentiality and non-competition agreements, employee benefit programs, compensation packages, immigration matters, collective bargaining, employee discrimination and harassment, wrongful dismissal. • Corporate and commercial – drafting and negotiation of various commercial contracts, including clinical research agreements, complex financings and venture capital investments, mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings and licensing agreements; management buy-outs and buy-ins; due diligence and disclosures; corporate governance; directors’ and officers’ duties and liabilities; business planning and structuring; formation of business entities.
Scientific Knowledge and Legal Expertise Our life sciences practice draws upon the skills of lawyers across the country who understand our clients’ businesses and provide valueadded legal advice to help them respond quickly to the new competitive demands in the life sciences sector. Several of our lawyers possess technical degrees or scientific training in a vast array of fields important to the life sciences industry, including biochemistry, chemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, electrical, mechanical and chemical engineering, and computer science. A number of them have also worked as scientists and engineers or occupied positions in science-oriented government departments and agencies before becoming lawyers. Intellectual Property Expertise Heenan Blaikie’s IP Group partners with domestic and foreign clients to help them assess, protect and fully benefit from their intellectual property assets. We specialize in the clearance, registration and enforcement of patents in numerous areas, including the pharmaceutical, chemical, biotechnology, mechanical, electrical and high technology sectors. Our IP professionals secure protection for and defend trade-marks, trade secrets, copyrights, industrial designs and domain names. We approach the acquisition, protection and commercialization of IP practically – with a view to securing the broadest possible protection for our clients in a highly most cost-effective manner. Heenan Blaikie has been repeatedly recognized as a top IP litigation firm, regularly litigating patent, trade-mark and other IP disputes before both the provincial and federal courts and the Supreme Court of Canada. We work collaboratively with our clients to develop winning litigation strategies and we have successfully argued numerous precedent-setting cases. The depth and strength of our IP Group enables us to quickly marshal superior resources to ensure that, when litigation becomes necessary, we achieve optimal results for our clients. Our team includes lawyers and patent agents who have significant experience in patent drafting and prosecution. We conduct comprehensive searches to establish subject matter patentability and accurately assess risk when providing patentability and infringement opinions. We manage sophisticated patent portfolios worldwide through an extensive network of foreign associates. Our international experience enhances our understanding of the issues facing our clients so as to better protect their interests in Canada and beyond. About Heenan Blaikie LLP Heenan Blaikie is recognized as one of Canada’s leading law firms. We focus on six practice areas: business law, labour and employment, taxation, litigation, intellectual property and entertainment law. We deliver comprehensive legal advice and innovative business solutions to clients across Canada and abroad from our nine offices in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Quebec, and our Paris office. Today, the firm is more than 550 lawyers and professionals strong and still growing. We strive to become partners in our clients’ businesses, ensuring that our legal advice addresses their preoccupations and priorities. Our clients range in size and sophistication from start-ups to the largest public companies, as well as health care and social services institutions, schools and universities, and numerous government entities. We also represent international clients seeking to protect and expand their interests in Canada.
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LMG LIFE SCIENCES 2013