The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) is the professional association of patent agents, trademark agents and lawyers practicing in all areas of intellectual property law. Our membership totals over 1900 individuals, consisting of practitioners in law firms and agencies of all sizes, sole practitioners, in-house corporate intellectual property professionals, government personnel, and academics.
Our members’ clients include virtually all Canadian businesses, universities and other institutions that have an interest in intellectual property (e.g., patents, trademarks, copyrights, and industrial designs) in Canada or elsewhere, as well as foreign companies that hold intellectual property rights in Canada.
IPIC members come from diverse training backgrounds, and include a range of patent agents, trademark agents, lawyers, and other subject matter experts. Although several other organizations have an interest in intellectual property issues, many focus on the rights of IP holders or only represent the interests of a subset of IP professionals. IPIC is the only association in Canada that represents all types of Canadian IP professionals.
Our vision is for IPIC to be the leading authority on intellectual property in Canada, and the voice of intellectual property professionals.
Highly trained intellectual property professionals contribute to a robust economy by helping organizations understand and leverage the value of intellectual property.
Our mission is to enhance our members’ expertise as trusted intellectual property advisors, and to shape a policy and business environment that encourages the development, use, and value of intellectual property.
The time has come! IPIC officially begins its centennial this year. Since 1926, generations of dedicated professionals have helped shape Canada’s IP landscape.
As the national voice of IP professionals in Canada, IPIC believes that diversity and inclusion strengthen both our profession and our ability to deliver exceptional education and advocacy. Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are essential to advancing our community and our work.
IPIC's EDI Guiding Principles reflect our ongoing efforts to foster belonging, remove barriers to participation, and create equitable opportunities for all in the field of IP. We have organized our Guiding Principles around three pillars: Community, Commitment, and Continuity.
The Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) office is located in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, on the traditional, unceded territories of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people.
Turtle Island (North America) is land that has been inhabited by Indigenous People from the beginning of time immemorial. The Indigenous People are the traditional stewards of the lands and waters on Turtle Island. We encourage you to take a moment to recognize the land you reside and work on.
IPIC honours the Algonquin Anishinaabeg and all First Nations, Inuit and Métis people for their important contributions to this land and to the fields of intellectual property, traditional knowledge and cultural expression.
As the chief executive officer of the organization, Adam is responsible for the development and implementation of the strategic plan set by the Board of Directors. This also includes responsibility for government relations, stakeholder and member relations, business planning, and the day-to-day operation of the organization.
Anne-Josée is responsible for the professional training and continuing education opportunities offered in all areas of IP practice. She oversees the development and implementation of examining prep courses for the designations of patent agent and trademark agent, as well as the certification of patent administrator and trademark administrator. Anne-Josée manages the IPIC Mentorship Program. Contact Anne-Josée for questions regarding educational programs and initiatives.
Loreto is responsible for helping IPIC achieve its Outreach & Awareness goal identified in its Strategic Plan. She also helps raise awareness of the value of IP for business planning. Contact Loreto if you require a speaker on an IP topic, wish to discuss partnership opportunities or want to know more about how your organization can promote the importance of IP to businesses.
Loreto also provides overall leadership and strategic direction related to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives that include developing and delivering IPIC’s roadmap and action plans through creating EDI principles, practices, standards, programs and events that align with IPIC’s culture and make a positive, sustainable impact.
Loreto also leads IPIC's IP Assist Program. She oversees the administration of the IP Assist program, including the work of the Project Manager for IP Assist. She also oversees the successful creation and management of the database of experts and volunteers interested in taking part in the program by the project manager. Loreto leads the success of the program by managing the project manager in connecting IP experts with NRC-IRAP SMEs and in setting up the logistics of the presentations.
The Director of Communications and Member Services is responsible for the development and successful implementation of the communications and member services strategies and associated work plans for the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). The role is also responsible for working with a small but dynamic team to ensure membership engagement, recruitment, and retention efforts in support of maintaining a high member value proposition for members of IPIC.
Kim is responsible for the planning, coordination and organization of IPIC's annual conference, professional development courses, webinars and other related events. Contact Kim for any questions related to course or event registrations and sponsorship inquiries.
Jacilyn is responsible for supporting the coordination, organization and logistics for IPIC’s professional development offerings. Contact Jacilyn for questions regarding upcoming webinars and courses.
Robyn is responsible for proposing, developing and maintaining, the overall appearance, design and branding of all communications and marketing collateral. Contact Robyn for any advertising inquiries.
IPIC Board of Directors
The members of IPIC’s Board of Directors are elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). The Board is composed of nine members: four officers, the immediate past president and four directors.
Every member of the Board is elected for a term of one year. However, IPIC has adopted a practice which, subject to the vote by the members at the AGM, provides for continuity by allowing directors to serve on the Board for two years with two new members being elected each year.
After being absent from the Board for at least a year, a former director may be invited by the Nominating Committee to become the treasurer. This person makes a five year commitment: after being treasurer, he or she normally becomes secretary then vice president, president and chair of the board and finally, past president.
The Nominating Committee is composed of the president and chair of the board, the two immediate past presidents, and a fourth member-at-large. The Nominating Committee considers, among others, the names of IPIC members who, on their committee application form, have expressed an interest in serving on the Board. The Nominating Committee also takes into consideration volunteer involvement by members as well as the requirement of maintaining a representative Board of Directors.
Jason Hynes is a partner with Bereskin & Parr LLP, and Head of the Waterloo Region office. Jason’s patent practice focuses on mechanical, telecommunications and software innovations. In particular, he has a strong interest in working with high tech entrepreneurs and start-ups. Jason is also available to assist clients in trademark, copyright, trade secret, and related intellectual property licensing matters and disputes. Prior to joining Bereskin & Parr, Jason gained valuable industry experience in litigation and patent preparation while working for a worldwide mobile communications company. Jason also gained experience in mechanical design and manufacturing engineering while completing his undergraduate co-op terms in the automotive and high-tech manufacturing fields. Jason is Chair of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada's (IPIC) Trade Policy Committee. He is also the Chair of the Kitchener-Waterloo Intellectual Property Group (KWIPG). Jason is an Adjunct Professor at the Western University, Faculty of Law where he teaches a course on Advanced Intellectual Property. He made the University Students’ Council (USC) Teaching Honour Roll for the academic year 2016-17. Elizabeth regularly advises corporations on in-depth intangible asset management including licensing, contract, and transactional work with particular emphasis on assisting SMEs achieve their long-term legal strategy to leverage their intellectual capital and assist in the overall growth and development of their company. In her litigation practice, Elizabeth represents clients in matters before the Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal, Ontario Superior Court and Ontario Court of Appeal. Elizabeth gained significant experience in the intellectual property litigation group of a major national firm and continued her practice at the nation`s top ranked litigation boutique before founding Dipchand LLP. Elizabeth is a member of IPIC's Conference and IP Trade Policy committees. Jordana is a top-notch advocate, recognized on a national and global level for her deep expertise in all areas of intellectual property law, particularly in patent and trademark disputes. Jordana is also particularly well known for her expertise in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, among others. She regularly acts in proceedings under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, patent impeachment and infringement actions, judicial review proceedings, and damages actions. She also regularly works with clients concerning the protection and optimization of their intellectual property portfolios and enforcement of their intellectual property rights. Nathaniel is an intellectual property litigator and strategist, with an emphasis on patent, commercial IP, and IP-adjacent life sciences regulatory issues. Nathaniel’s litigation practice includes all types of technology-driven IP litigation. He acted in Canada’s first litigation involving the patentability of human genes and in litigation that led to revamping of Canadian Intellectual Property Office guidelines for patentability of computer-implemented subject-matter. Nathaniel is a registered Canadian patent and trademark agent and serves numerous emerging and high-growth company clients on mission-critical IP issues. Nathaniel also formerly chaired IPIC’s Life Sciences Committee. Nathaniel also has a depth of experience advising on international trade-related intellectual property matters, having served as Chair of IPIC’s IP Trade Policy Committee during Canada’s negotiation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and Trans-Pacific Partnership.
