Gowlings strengthens IP team in Calgary

28 April 2015

Gowlings, one of Canada's leading full-service law firms, is delighted to announce that it has expanded the intellectual property capabilities of its Calgary office with the additions of Dan Polonenko as principal and Patrick Stewart Smith as partner.

Both Polonenko, who arrives from Gowlings' Vancouver office, and Smith, who comes from the firm's Ottawa office, have moved their practices to Calgary in response to the growing demand for IP protection and enforcement across a number of sectors in Alberta.

"From oil and gas and agriculture to health care and information technology, the need to protect and defend our clients' intangible assets has never been greater," said Scott Jolliffe, Gowlings chair and CEO. "The arrival of Dan and Patrick positions our Calgary IP team as one of the city's premier IP groups, with the capacity to provide a full suite of IP services to our clients in Alberta and beyond."

Polonenko is a registered patent agent who holds a PhD in plant physiology and microbiology from the University of Waterloo, and completed his post-doctoral training in biochemistry at McGill University. With a practice focused on patent drafting and prosecution in the life sciences industry, he works with a range of clients in Western Canada, including universities, technology incubators and high-tech companies, as well as clients involved in biotechnology, health, medical devices, agriculture and forestry.

Polonenko also offers extensive advice on intellectual asset management, helping clients develop and deploy strategies that enable them to derive maximum value from their IP portfolios. Last year, he was ranked as one of the world's top-300 IP strategists in the inaugural edition of IAM Strategy 300.

Smith is an elite IP litigator and patent agent who delivers strategic patent, trademark, regulatory and life-cycle counsel to clients across the oil and gas, natural resources, life sciences, agriculture, biotechnology and chemical industries. In addition to his legal training, Smith is also a registered professional engineer.

Ranked as a leading IP practitioner by Best Lawyers, Managing IP and IAM Patent 1000, which described him as "aggressive, experienced and technically savvy," Smith has appeared in over 100 reported decisions relating to patents, trademarks and copyright before all levels of court.

Polonenko and Smith join established Calgary IP partners Regina Corrigan, a top-ranked trademarks and technology lawyer and head of Calgary's IP department, and Doak Horne, who was named Calgary's IP Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers. Also working alongside these senior professionals is associate Lisa Buriak.

"The tremendous talents of our Calgary IP team will be invaluable to businesses who want to ensure that their IP assets are both maximized and protected," said Robert MacDonald, firm-wide leader of Gowlings' IP Group. "Not only will clients benefit from the comprehensive IP services we provide - they'll also have access to our exceptional capabilities in business law and high-stakes litigation."

As a global leader in intellectual property law, Gowlings is home to top-tier practices in patents, trademarks, copyright, IP litigation, life sciences and more. With nearly 150 legal professionals in offices across Canada as well as in Moscow, clients around the world depend on Gowlings to deliver practical, cost-effective legal advice to help their businesses grow and thrive.

From left: Dan Polonenko, Lisa Buriak, Regina Corrigan, Doak Horne, Patrick Smith