IPIC Announces Lorne M. Lipkus as the Recipient of the Member of Distinction Award

The IPIC Member of Distinction Award aims to recognize IP professionals who have made a significant contribution to the Institute over at least 20 consecutive years. The individual will have demonstrated significant leadership, commitment, and dedication to increasing awareness of IPIC and the IP profession in Canada. IPIC’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Lorne Lipkus is this year’s recipient of the Institute’s Member of Distinction Award.

Lorne’s leadership in advocating the importance of anti-counterfeiting enforcement has helped shape Canadian laws and policies to better protect brand-owners and guide our IPIC community. Lorne has made significant contributions to professional development by leading in depth workshops, mentoring others, and equipping IP professionals with tools and resources. Lorne’s persistent efforts in ensuring strong IP protections in Canada and abroad, building a collaborative IP community, promoting networking and knowledge-sharing, and raising awareness about counterfeiting have notably contributed to IPIC and advanced the field of IP in Canada. – Paula Clancy, IPIC President 2023-2024

Lorne M. Lipkus is a founding partner in the Toronto, Ontario, law firm of Lipkus Law LLP. He practices throughout Canada, at the border and online in intellectual property litigation with a principal focus on protecting the intellectual property and the intellectual capital of his clients. His personal engagement with his clients enables him to customize end-to-end proactive and defensive solutions to combat the piracy, theft, and counterfeiting of his client’s property. In addition to strategic defensive work, he actively litigates all manner of anticounterfeiting cases (copyrights, trademarks, and industrial designs), cases involving theft of confidential information, trade secrets, corporate opportunities, and tangible property, by former employees, competitors, or others, as well as computer and other fraud and abuse. Lorne’s success is largely attributable to his extensive experience obtaining and enforcing extraordinary remedies including Anton Piller Orders, Preservation Orders, injunctions, and other declaratory relief. In addition to civil litigation, he has a proven track record working with law enforcement, customs, and other professionals. He regularly assists law enforcement in securing information and evidence necessary to obtain a criminal search warrant.

To be recognized in this way by this prestigious organization, that I have always held in the very highest regard is both humbling and overwhelming. To be among those who have been previously honoured, even more so. – Lorne M. Lipkus

Lorne coordinates and secures the resources necessary to execute criminal search warrants; coordinates multi-country investigations and enforcements; deals with all aspects of anti-counterfeiting border enforcement; consults with respect to comprehensive brand protection programs to be implemented or already existing, both domestic and international; and creates multi-platform training programs designed and utilized by industry, government and law enforcement. He has had considerable experience in coordinating all aspects of enforcement issues involving Canadian legislation impacting on counterfeiting/pirating activities including the Copyright Act, Trademarks Act, Patent Act, Industrial Design Act, the Radiocommunication Act as well as Criminal Code offenses relating to intellectual property fraud.

In addition to his litigation team, Lorne has also developed an extensive and effective network of professionals, including expert forensic investigators, computer forensic specialists, e-discovery professionals and others, to ensure the appropriate resources can be utilized quickly and cost-effectively for the benefit of his clients.

Lorne oversees the maintenance of information on the service of over 10,000 Anton Piller Orders, preservation orders, cease and desist letters, separate actions, investigations, and law enforcement seizures across Canada and online. He is actively involved in computer, domain name and internet issues relating to antipiracy\counterfeiting enforcement. He coordinates the use of effective remedies to protect intellectual property including working with the Canadian AntiFraud Centre to terminate the payment processing of businesses dealing in counterfeit products, government agencies licensing businesses, by-law enforcement officials and others who deal with remedies associated with those found to be involved with intellectual property related fraud.

Fun facts about Lorne: his office has a prominent sign that says, “My favourite people call me Grandpa”. His wife Terry says that he has had more varied jobs than anyone she has ever met ranging from delivering newspapers, selling cleaning supplies and cosmetics, being a dishwasher, short order cook, carpenter, painter, handyman, gardener, operating a snow removal, manufacturer of candle’s, audio speaker, decoupages, and even selling ladies brassieres, to name a few. Lorne has been writing songs and poetry since he was 16 years old and has written each of his 9 grandchildren a song about them soon after they were each born, in spite of his musical and poetic challenges.