IPIC Announces Jean Lee as Recipient of the Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award

The Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award is presented to a young professional or future leader member of IPIC who has made significant contributions to an IPIC Committee, Community, or other substantial IPIC initiative over the past year. This individual will have demonstrated significant leadership, commitment, and dedication to increasing awareness of IPIC along with the value and future of the IP profession in Canada. IPIC’s Board of Directors is delighted to announce Jean Lee as the recipient of this year’s Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award, presented on October 13, 2023.

Jean Lee has made significant contributions to the Young Practitioner’s Committee (now Emerging Leaders Committee, “ELC”) Industrial Design Committee, Public Awareness Committee, and the Life Science Committee. As Chair of the Emerging Leaders Committee (ELC), she introduced new initiatives to ensure continuity and engagement with future IP practitioners by renaming the committee, revamping student outreach, and engaging the ELC with the IPIC’s Indigenous student outreach. On the Industrial Design Committee Jean was active providing feedback and comments to CIPO through IPIC initiatives. IPIC is grateful for all Jean’s hard work and enthusiasm, and we look forward to continuing as a beneficiary of her efforts in the future. – Tim Lowman, IPIC President 2022-2023

Jean Lee is a Senior Associate, Patent and Trademark Agent at Norton Rose Fulbright LLP. Her practice primarily focuses on patent prosecution and drafting and managing IP portfolios in the field of life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and chemical arts. She has worked with a broad range of clients, including more recently from industries such as plant-based food industry, psychedelic medicine, apparel, and fashion. Jean's practice also includes a growing industrial design portfolio.

I am absolutely honored to know that what I am doing is appreciated by IPIC, which to me also means that I was able to contribute to the profession as a whole. – Jean Lee, Roger T. Hughes Future Leader Award Recipient 2022-2023

Jean studied pharmacology at the University of British Columbia before obtaining her law degree at the University of Toronto and has practiced intellectual property law for a decade. Jean currently serves as the Chair of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada’s Emerging Leaders Committee and facilitates the Emerging Leaders Networking Group. As Chair of the ELC, she stepped up to the plate by introducing new initiatives to ensure continuity and engagement with future IP practitioners by revamping student outreach, renaming the committee, and engaging the ELC with the IPIC’s Indigenous student’s outreach. As a member of the Industrial Design Committee, she provides substantial feedback and comments to CIPO through IPIC initiatives.

Jean has, in my opinion, exhibited significant and important contributions as a young and emerging leader of IPIC. In particular, Jean has served with IPIC for just under a decade, and during this period, has made important contributions as a member of various IPIC committees, including both the Young Practitioner’s Committee (now Emerging Leaders Committee), as well as the Industrial Design Committee. Of particular note, during Jean's leadership terms in the Emerging Leaders Committee, Jean brought with her long-time knowledge of committee activities, which became crucial for continuity during the tough pandemic years and thereafter. Jean has also always brought a much-needed serious "can do" attitude to our work in the ELC committee. Her contributions and efforts are deserving of acknowledgment and recognition by this esteemed award. – Ahmed Elmallah, Associate, Bennett Jones LLP

When Jean is not working, she is a winter-triple-threat: She skis, snowboards, and is currently taking adult figure skating lessons working through her spins and single jumps. She also grew up in 5 different countries and is trilingual (hoping to be quadrilingual one day) –reach out to her to find out which countries and languages!

About the Honourable Justice Roger T. Hughes

The Honourable Justice Roger T. Hughes (Ret.) is a former Judge of the Federal Court of Canada and valued member of the Intellectual property Institute (IPIC) for 48 years. Justice Hughes served as President of IPIC, formerly the Patent and Trademark Institute of Canada, from 1996-1997. Throughout his long-standing membership to IPIC he served on multiple committees offering his experience, knowledge, and expertise to benefit the association, our members, and the IP profession.

Justice Hughes is a recognized expert in intellectual property matters, he obtained his LLB at the University of Toronto in 1966 and was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1968 and in Alberta in 1979. Prior to his appointment to the Federal Court of Canada in June 2005, he practised law in Toronto as an Associate and Partner at Sim, Hughes, Ashton & McKay and Sim & McBurney specializing in Practice restricted to Patents, Industrial Designs, Trademarks, Trade Secrets, Copyright, Licensing, Franchising, Products Liability and Related Matters.

Justice Hughes was awarded Member of Distinction status from IPIC as a reflection of the contributions and honour he has brought to the IP profession.