Our Services

Intellectual Property

The intellectual property associated with a business is frequently the most valuable business asset and a key differentiator in a competitive marketplace.  A business owner must ensure that there is adequate legal protection for the IP associated with the business.  This includes goodwill, trademarks, patents, know-how, confidential information, innovative processes, and copyrights.  If IP is not protected at the appropriate time the benefits can be lost. In addition, if you have not taken the necessary steps to protect and register your IP, you may not be able to capitalize on it when you sell or finance your business.

Goldman Sloan Nash & Haber LLP’s intellectual property lawyers are well placed to assist business owners in protecting their IP and enforcing their rights against others.  We have assisted many business owners in obtaining protection for and enforcing their IP in both the bricks and mortar world and on the Internet. John McKeown leads our group. He has been recognized as one of the world’s leading trademark professionals for many years by the World Trademark Review.

Brand Management

We have significant experience relating to brand management and the components that make up a brand.  We have assisted many brand owners concerning the choice of a brand name, branding on the Internet, protecting brand equity and the other components that make up a brand by obtaining trademark registrations and developing effective brand management policies. These matters have also been discussed in Brand Management in Canadian Law, a book authored by GSNH IP lawyer John McKeown and published by Carswell, a division of Thomson Reuters. A link to the fourth edition is set out here.

We offer a full range of services in this area including preparation of opinions relating to availability and registrability of trademarks, prosecution of applications for trademarks, industrial designs and copyright, advising clients concerning domain names, licensing and other agreements, dealing with trademark oppositions, infringement litigation and dispute resolution.

Copyright Law and Industrial Designs

Our Intellectual Property lawyers also have written McKeown, Fox on Canadian Law of Copyright and Industrial Designs.  This book provides a comprehensive statement of Canadian law and practice and has been the bedrock of Canadian copyright research and argument for more than half a century.  The book has been referred to by the Supreme Court of Canada and other appellate courts as an authoritative source on numerous occasions.  A link to the 4^th edition of the book is here.

Canadian Intellectual Property Law & Strategy published by Lexis Nexis is directed at lawyers outside Canada and provides strategic advice concerning Canadian trademark, copyright and industrial design laws. A link to the 2018 edition of the book is here.

We offer a full range of services in this area including preparation of opinions relating to the subsistence and ownership of copyright, obtaining copyright registrations, assignments, infringement and validity opinions, licensing and other agreements, confidential information, infringement litigation and dispute resolution.

Emerging Companies

We have considerable experience in advising established and emerging companies relating to the protection of their intellectual property. We have acted for social media companies, technology and computer companies and innovators of consumer products. We have also advised businesses concerning medical devices, business methods, drug delivery systems, new chemical entities, diagnostic methods, biopharmaceuticals, cell-based therapies and cancer therapeutics.

We offer a full range of services in this area including patentability and freedom to operate searches and opinions, research and development agreements, preparation and prosecution of patent applications, technology transfers, trade secrets, infringement litigation and dispute resolution, due diligence investigations and advice concerning social media issues and disputes.

Marketing & Advertising

In an economy closely regulated by federal and provincial legislation, we also assist clients structure their advertising and promotional efforts in a way that complies with relevant legislation. Currently we are providing advice to cannabis companies concerning the newly enacted legislation.

We offer a full range of services in this area including, misleading advertising – ad copy clearance, contest rules – development and review, consumer packaging and labeling issues and consumer protection legislation.

Our team provides topical information to clients through a monthly bulletin and a bimonthly newsletter that provides alerts relating to emerging trends and issues in this fast paced area of law.

Topical Newsletters and Alerts

If you are interested in receiving a copy of our monthly IP blog please email us your request at social_law@gsnh.com with the subject line “IP N.”

If you are interested in receiving a copy of our bimonthly newsletter please email us your request at social_law@gsnh.com with the subject line “IP N.”

To contact a GSNH Intellectual Property lawyer, please email John McKeown at mckeown@gsnh.com.