Ranked first tier in every category, Gowling Lafleur Henderson was hailed by peers and clients for its bench strength. The firm's dominance spans across eight offices in Canada, two in Europe, and more than 700 lawyers. "Gowlings has a national presence, an ability to work in both official languages, and a strong reputation as patent agent," said a client.
Its patent practice is considered among the best in the nation. "Gowlings is phenomenal," noted a competitor. A client praised Konrad Sechley and Judy Erratt for their prosecution work, their "strong background in science and a good knowledge of the patent system". Competitors said the addition of Arthur Renaud to the firm's Ottawa office adds to Gowlings' already deep team. Renaud, experienced in all areas of IP litigation, previously led Bennett Jones' IP group in Toronto.
Gowlings represented Eli Lilly against Novopharm before the Federal Court of Appeal, regarding a selection patent on a compound the company used for its drug Zypreza. The court reversed the trial court's decision invalidating the patent, finding the trial judge had inadequately applied tests of anticipation, obviousness and double patenting. In doing so, the court once again affirmed the validity of selection patents and remitted the matter to the trial courts for further consideration.
Led by senior litigators Gilles Daigle and Kevin Sartorio, the firm's copyright practice regularly handles matters before the Supreme Court of Canada. Gowlings for decades has represented SOCAN in submissions to the Copyright Board, often first to rule on new media issues.