Smart & Biggar, Canada’s leading IP agency firm, to join IPH group
19 August 2022
IPH has announced that Smart & Biggar, Canada’s leading IP agency firm, will be joining its network of leading IP firms across the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the agreement, IPH will acquire the IP agency practice of Smart & Biggar which will have an interest in the legal practice of Smart & Biggar as permitted by Canadian regulation.
This represents IPH’s first acquisition outside of Asia Pacific and is a significant strategic initiative and exciting next step in IPH’s aspiration to be the leading IP services group in secondary IP markets.
“We are excited to welcome the Smart & Biggar team to IPH,” said IPH Managing Director & CEO, Dr Andrew Blattman. “Smart & Biggar’s practitioners and employees are of the highest quality and the firm has an outstanding international reputation as a leading IP firm in Canada. The Australian and Canadian IP markets are very similar, and together we will be well positioned to provide clients with a comprehensive IP service offering with an international reach, while offering strong career development opportunities for our people.”
The new entities will continue to operate under the existing Smart & Biggar brand following completion of the transaction, which is anticipated to occur in September 2022. “At Smart & Biggar, we have the honour of working with many of Canada’s and the world’s most important innovators and brand owners, many of whom have entrusted us with protecting, enforcing and commercialising their IP rights for over a century” said Smart & Biggar Managing Partner, Matthew Zischka. “Joining the IPH group will supercharge our service offering and enable future investment and growth of our Canadian business. We look forward to continuing to help clients in Canada and around the world safeguard and leverage their IP and technological assets.”
The transaction is set to complete in September 2022.
About Smart & Biggar
Smart & Biggar is Canada’s leading IP firm, with more than 100 lawyers, patent agents and trade mark agents located in multiple offices across Canada. As the pre-eminent IP firm in Canada, Smart & Biggar has a rich heritage and history of providing the highest-quality IP services to clients and is one of the largest filers of patents and trademarks in the Canadian IP market.
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