Industry

Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences

We help our clients protect their intellectual property, raise investment capital and resolve disputes.

The pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences sectors are key contributors to Canada’s economy, developing products and services that improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

The rapid development and adoption of virtual medicine is disrupting how people are cared for and how companies in the sector do business. The shift from treatment of disease to prevention, diagnostics and cure is attracting a host of exciting new entrants from both the traditional pharmaceutical, biotech and life sciences fields and from new players. As development occurs, the various industries in this ecosystem recognize the need to protect what they have created — the intellectual property rights of new inventions and processes.

Keeping pace with the fast-moving nature of these sectors also means managing the complex risks inherent in the existing commercial and regulatory environment.

How we can help

At Osler, our firm has been modelled to address client needs at every stage. Our top-ranked Intellectual Property team is respected for its diverse strengths, including excellence in IP litigation, particularly our leading patent litigation practice, and for securing intellectual property rights through prosecution, licensing, and strategic portfolio advice.

Osler acts as an essential business partner by developing and executing global intellectual property strategies in prosecution and litigation that align with our clients’ objectives. Our firm has a substantial presence in pharmaceutical-related litigation and dispute resolution, in particular patent and class action. Local and international clients from a broad range of industries retain Osler for our leading IP prosecution services before every level of the Canadian courts, as well as before international tribunals.

Our firm routinely acts as counsel to the world’s largest and leading generic pharmaceutical companies. Strategically situated in the major English and French-speaking R&D hubs of Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Ottawa, our lawyers help guide investors, emerging and established companies, and research organizations through all stages of growth.

Osler also represents many clients on the buy-side in this sector, including private equity groups, venture capital funds, angel investors and investment banks focused on this area of business. In addition to working with Canadian funds, our team advises various U.S. funds on their Canadian investing and exit transactions.

Our lawyers further bring expertise in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, private and public financing transactions, fund formation, collaborations, technology transfer, licensing and regulatory matters. Our life sciences group members hold relevant degrees in experimental medicine, biochemistry, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, pharmacology and epidemiology.

Key Contacts

Nathalie Beauregard

Partner, Emerging and High Growth Companies, Montréal

Nathaniel Lipkus

Partner, Intellectual Property, Toronto

J. Bradley White

Partner, Intellectual Property, Ottawa


Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Canada: Canada’s Leading Lawyers for Business: Recognized in Life Sciences, Intellectual Property and IP Litigation
  • Who’s Who Legal: Osler lawyers recognized in Life Sciences