Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) Gather and Celebrates Exceptional Members During First In-Person Conference and Gala in Three Years

Yesterday Friday September 30th the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) wrapped up its first in-person Conference in nearly three years, IPIC2022. IPIC’s annual conferences are regarded as the most important Intellectual Property (IP) event of the year in Canada. The event included two full days of thought provoking and engaging IP programming, networking, IPIC’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), and culminated with an Awards Gala which all took place at the spectacular Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia, September 28-30, 2022.

This year’s conference centered around the theme of Intersection of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) with Intellectual Property. The event was a great success and brought together members from coast to coast to coast and abroad and kicked off with a Year in Review video summarizing the main projects, successes, and opportunities of the past year featuring remarks from immediate Past President Louis-Pierre Gravelle.

“After nearly three years apart, it was a pleasure to finally be together again, in person, with our friends and colleagues, new and old” said Tim Lowman, President of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada 2022-2023. 

The AGM saw the election of a new Board of Directors for the 2022-2023 term including IPIC’s new President & Chair of the Board Tim Lowman of Aird & Berlis LLP. The AGM concluded with a tribute to longstanding member of the Institute Robert E. Mitchell who achieved 56 years of membership with IPIC.

The second day of the conference coincide with National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30th. Introduced in 2021 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a federal statutory holiday that recognizes the tragic legacy of residential schools, the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors of these institutions. IPIC recognized the significance of this day with special guests T’ec Georgina Dan, an ambassador of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre (SLCC), who shared stories with members of Orange Shirt Day, of the generational effects of Residential Schools and how we can continue to honour Truth and Reconciliation Day. IPIC members also participated in a communal moment of silence at noon with ambassadors of the SLCC.

The Awards Gala took place on Friday evening and was an elegant gathering that brought together IPIC members, partners and stakeholders to celebrate exceptional achievements over the past year. Six award were distributed throughout the night, the first were this year’s Foundation Awards. The Patent and Trademark Institute Education Foundation (PTIEF) is a registered charity managed by IPIC that awards prizes to the candidates who obtain the highest marks in the patent and trademark agent exams.The Foundation’s Award for the highest mark overall in the 2021 Trademark Agent Exam was awarded to Michele Clarizio of Torys LLP in Toronto. The J. Edward Maybee Memorial Prize for the highest overall mark in the 2021 patent agent exam and the Marie F. Morency Memorial Prize for the highest mark in Paper A of the Patent Agent Examination were both awarded to Shuo Xing of Bereskin & Parr LLP in Toronto. 

The IPIC Member Awards followed with the Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award for a young professional/future leader member of IPIC who has demonstrated significant leadership, commitment, and dedication to increasing awareness of IPIC along with the value and future of the IP profession in Canada being bestowed to Tamara Winegust of Bereskin & Parr LLP. IPIC’s Outstanding Contribution Award aims to recognize a Committee member who has made a significant contribution to its committee and to IPIC, this year’s winner was Paul V. Lomic of Lomic Law.

The night concluded with the IPIC Member of Distinction Award. This award aims to recognize IP professionals who have made a significant contribution to the Institute over at least 20 consecutive years. The individual have demonstrated significant leadership, commitment, and dedication to increasing awareness of IPIC and the IP profession in Canada. This year’s Member of Distinction Award winner was Past President, Leonora Hoicka who retired from IBM in late 2020.

Throughout her career, Leonora has been a member and avid supporter of IPIC, as well as other intellectual property associations for which she was a frequent speaker. Leonora was privileged to be elected by the IPIC membership to the IPIC Board as a Councillor and then to the Executive, and served as President in 2008-2009. With the formation of CPATA, Leonora was able to volunteer her services to assist the College in the transition of the patent agent qualifying examination from CIPO and in its patent agent competency project which is ongoing. In April 2022, Leonora was elected to the CPATA Board as one of four members chosen by the licensees. Please note due to her current role within the College of Patent Agents & Trademark Agents (CPATA) the membership to IPIC that is provided to Member of Distinction Award winners will not commence until such time Leonora Hoicka’s tenure with CPATA is complete.

“IPIC2022 was a huge success. We didn’t know what to expect when planning an in-person meeting coming out of the pandemic. Our registration was as high as ever, and that speaks to not only the strength of the program put together by our volunteers, but also the strength of the friendships and community making up this profession. I can’t wait to do this again for Winnipeg 2023!” said Adam Kingsley, CEO of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada.

Don’t miss out on next year’s IPIC2023 in Winnipeg, stay tuned to www.ipic.ca for more information, see you next year!