• People
  • Services
    • Protect IP
      • Patents
      • Trademarks & Brand Protection
      • Marketing & Advertising
      • Industrial Designs
      • Copyright & Digital Media
      • Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance
      • Plant Breeders’ Rights
    • Enforce IP
      • IP Litigation & Enforcement
      • Patent Litigation & Enforcement
      • Pharmaceutical Litigation
      • Trademark Litigation & Enforcement
      • Trademark Oppositions & Cancellation Proceedings
      • Industrial Designs Litigation & Enforcement
      • Copyright Litigation & Enforcement
      • IP Crime & Anti-Counterfeiting
    • Grow IP
      • IP Strategic Advisory
      • IP Licensing & Transactions
  • Industries
    • Aerospace, Aeronautics & Aviation
    • Agricultural Sciences
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Automotive
    • Cannabis
    • Chemical & Biotechnology
    • Cleantech
    • Consumer Products
    • Electronics & Computer Technology
    • Energy, Oil & Gas
    • Financial Services & Technology
    • Food & Beverage
    • Internet, Digital Media & E-Commerce
    • Luxury Goods & Apparel
    • Manufacturing, Industrial Goods & Machinery
    • Medical Devices
    • Nanotechnology
    • Pharmaceutical & Biologics
    • Psychedelics
    • Quantum Technologies
    • Railways
    • Robotics
    • Software, Information & Cloud Technology
    • Telecommunications
  • Insights
    • IP Insights
    • Rx IP Updates
      • Court Proceedings
    • Client Success
    • News
    • Events
    • Archives
      • Rx IP Update Archive 
        • Rx IP Update - November 2022
        • Rx IP Update - December 2022
    • Resource Centres
      • Patents: Canada’s New Act and Rules
      • COVID-19 and Canadian Intellectual Property law
      • 2022: Canadian IP Year in Review
      • 2023: Canadian IP Year in Review
      • 2024: Canadian IP Year in Review
  • Careers
    • Life at Smart & Biggar
    • Opportunities
    • Students
  • Who we are
    • Who we are
    • Rankings & Recognition
    • Diversity & Inclusion
    • Our History
    • Media & Press
    • Ottawa
    • Toronto
    • Montréal
    • Vancouver
    • Calgary
    • Waterloo Region
Logo

Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

  • EN
  • FR
  • Locations
Logo
  • People
    • People

      Smart & Biggar is Canada’s largest and highest ranked intellectual property firm. Our reputation and strength is a measure of the quality of our people, and we are proud to have the broadest and deepest bench for IP in Canada. With over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents, we offer legal expertise and technological knowledge across a wide range of industries and scientific and engineering disciplines, with leaders in every field.

      Read More

      Lawyers & Practitioners

      • Search People
      • Nicholas Aitken
      • Arvin Angue
      • Daniel Anthony
      • Paul Archambault
      • Adam Aucoin
      • William Audet
      • Robert Baker
      • Christie Bates
      • Christian Bekking
      • Stephen Beney
      • Brett Benham
      • Andrea Berenbaum
      • Pelle Berends
      • Daniel Bereskin
      • Janice M. Bereskin
      • Audrey Berteau
      • Shaivi Bhatt
      • Mark Biernacki
      • Adam Bierylo
      • Adam Bobker
      • Christian Bolduc
      • Jennifer Boothby
      • Charles Boulakia
      • Bryant Boulianne
      • Timothy Bourne
      • Ken Bousfield
      • Nicole Boyle
      • Chantalle Briggs
      • Jonathan G. Burkinshaw
      • Matthew Burt
      • Isi Caulder
      • Brigitte Chan
      • Wynnie Chan
      • Herman Cheung
      • Hyun Woo Choi
      • Kyle Classen
      • Marco Clementoni
      • Colin Climie
      • Chris Collett
      • Toba Cooper
      • Noel Courage
      • Joshua Crawford
      • Daniel Davies
      • Carmela De Luca
      • Ryan De Vries
      • Tierney GB Deluzio
      • Reshika Dhir
      • Meghan Dillon
      • Jean-Sébastien Dupont
      • Laura Easton
      • Mark Evans
      • Peter Everitt
      • Michael Fenwick
      • Pierre-Olivier Ferko
      • Lionel Fishman
      • Patricia Folkins
      • Cameron Gale
      • Natalie Galley
      • Marcus Gallie
      • Christine Genge
      • Jonas Gifford
      • Stéphanie Girard
      • Elliott Gold
      • Matthew Graff
      • Katherine (Katie) Graham
      • Micheline Gravelle
      • David Greer
      • Christopher A. Guaiani
      • François Guay
      • Sheldon Hamilton
      • Soraya Handjani
      • Alan Harris
      • Rachel Harrison
      • Irshaad Hashim
      • Brandon Heard
      • David Heller
      • Brittany Hellier-Grant
      • Sally Hemming
      • Jennifer Higgins
      • Graham Hood
      • Jason Hynes
      • Alissa Hyppolite
      • Lynn Ing
      • Olivier Jean-Lévesque
      • Katie Jeziorski
      • Alexandra Johnson Dingee
      • Emily Johnston
      • Yoon Kang
      • Ellen Kiernan
      • John Knox
      • Chris Kowal
      • Jamie-Lynn Kraft
      • Victor Krichker
      • Nora Labbancz
      • Nicole LaBerge
      • Y. Artemis Lai
      • Daphne Lainson
      • Adam Lakusta
      • Dominique Lambert
      • Jessica Lamy
      • Philip Lapin
      • François Larose
      • Julie E. Larouche
      • Guillaume Lavoie Ste-Marie
      • Steve Leach
      • France Leclaire
      • Jennifer Ledwell
      • Bobby Leung
      • Jeff Leuschner
      • Chen Li
      • Lei Liu
      • Linli Liu
      • Kwan T. Loh
      • Julia London
      • Maddie Lynch
      • Joanna Ma
      • Alfred A. Macchione
      • Chris MacMillan
      • Benjamin Mak
      • Jennifer Manley
      • Daphne L. Maravei
      • Sandra Marone
      • Stephen Martin
      • Brigide Mattar
      • Andrew McIntosh
      • Sarah McLaughlin
      • Michelle Ménard
      • Philip C. Mendes da Costa
      • Emily Miller
      • David Morrison
      • Luba Naiberger
      • Iris Ngo
      • Michal Niemkiewicz
      • Matthew Norton
      • Evan Nuttall
      • Tony Orsi
      • James Jun Pan
      • Ainslie Parsons
      • Nancy Pei
      • Svitlana Penner
      • Chelsea Pham
      • Justin Philpott
      • Mark Pidkowich
      • Nancy Pierre
      • Scott Pundsack
      • James Raakman
      • Karl Racine
      • Mohamed Rahal
      • Nikola Rajic
      • Bhupinder Randhawa
      • Sunil Rao
      • Dan Raymond
      • Kimberly Ren
      • Mark L. Robbins
      • Patrick Roszell
      • Francesca Roy
      • Jessica Rustige
      • Mark Sajewycz
      • Ryan Sampson
      • Jane Sarjeant
      • David Schwartz
      • Reagan Seidler
      • Michael Sgro
      • Gurbir Sidhu
      • Elliott Simcoe
      • Alistair Simpson
      • Jeffrey Slater
      • Parnian Soltanipanah
      • Joshua W. Spicer
      • Mark Starzomski
      • David St-Martin
      • Theodore Sum
      • Kohji Suzuki
      • Melanie Szweras
      • Andrea Tapp
      • Robert Thomson
      • Benjamin Todd
      • Victoria Townsend
      • Martin Tremblay
      • Alice Tseng
      • Andrea Uetrecht
      • David Walters
      • Charles Wang
      • Jeremy Want
      • Tim Webb
      • Steven Webster
      • Tamara Céline Winegust
      • Urszula Wojtyra
      • Christine Wong
      • Alexandra Wray
      • Emily Xiang
      • Mandy Yee
      • Skylar Yoo
      • Leanne Young
      • Jennie Yum
      • Michal Zielinski
      • Ron Ziola
      • Matthew Zischka
      • Sanro Zlobec
      No data found.
  • Services
    • Services

      Today’s fast-paced innovation economy demands a higher level of expertise and attention to detail when it comes to IP. Our highly skilled team of lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents advise clients on a wide variety of strategic business, brand and technology matters leveraging their deep expertise in intellectual property to help them succeed with IP.

      Read More
      • Protect IP

        • Patents
        • Trademarks & Brand Protection
        • Marketing & Advertising
        • Industrial Designs
        • Copyright & Digital Media
        • Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance
        • Plant Breeders’ Rights
      • Enforce IP

        • IP Litigation & Enforcement
        • Patent Litigation & Enforcement
        • Pharmaceutical Litigation
        • Trademark Litigation & Enforcement
        • Trademark Oppositions & Cancellation Proceedings
        • Industrial Designs Litigation & Enforcement
        • Copyright Litigation & Enforcement
        • IP Crime & Anti-Counterfeiting
      • Grow IP

        • IP Strategic Advisory
        • IP Licensing & Transactions
  • Industries
    • Industries

      Across all industries, intellectual property is at the heart of innovation and is key to accelerating business value and growth. Developing a clear IP strategy and knowing how to tap and leverage IP to align with business goals can unlock competitive advantages and make the difference between industry leaders and followers.

      Read More
      • Aerospace, Aeronautics & Aviation
      • Agricultural Sciences
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Automotive
      • Cannabis
      • Chemical & Biotechnology
      • Cleantech
      • Consumer Products
      • Electronics & Computer Technology
      • Energy, Oil & Gas
      • Financial Services & Technology
      • Food & Beverage
      • Internet, Digital Media & E-Commerce
      • Luxury Goods & Apparel
      • Manufacturing, Industrial Goods & Machinery
      • Medical Devices
      • Nanotechnology
      • Pharmaceutical & Biologics
      • Psychedelics
      • Quantum Technologies
      • Railways
      • Robotics
      • Software, Information & Cloud Technology
      • Telecommunications
  • Insights
    • Insights

      At the forefront of IP in Canada, and actively involved as leaders in industry committees and associations, we stay up-to-date and proactively report on the latest developments in intellectual property law in Canada and around the world. Breaking IP news, changes in the law, important new decisions, and information on key IP issues are provided here through our IP publications and resources.

      Read More
      • IP Insights
      • Rx IP Updates
        • Court Proceedings
      • Client Success
      • News
      • Events
      • Archives
        • Rx IP Update Archive 
          • Rx IP Update - November 2022
          • Rx IP Update - December 2022
      • Resource Centres
        • Patents: Canada’s New Act and Rules
        • COVID-19 and Canadian Intellectual Property law
        • 2022: Canadian IP Year in Review
        • 2023: Canadian IP Year in Review
        • 2024: Canadian IP Year in Review
  • Careers
    • Careers

      Many of the world's most commercially important innovators and most prominent brands trust Smart & Biggar to protect and enforce their IP and to provide them with strategic IP counsel. We have developed a reputation as a firm of talented lawyers and patent and trademark agents with integrity, business savvy and tremendous acumen. That’s why we look for the brightest people with combined talent and strengths in law, business, science and technology. 

      Read More
      • Life at Smart & Biggar
      • Opportunities
      • Students
  • Who we are
    • Who we are

      Smart & Biggar is widely recognized as Canada’s leading firm for intellectual property, and with over 180 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents in six offices, we are also Canada’s largest firm focused purely on IP and related specialty areas.
       

      Read More
      • Who we are
      • Rankings & Recognition
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • Our History
      • Media & Press

Noel Courage

Principal
  • Smart & Biggar LP
Language(s): English
  • T:416.957.1655
  • ncourage@smartbiggar.ca
  • Toronto

Noel's practice focuses on the patenting and licensing of biotechnological, chemical and mechanical inventions. He provides opinions on patent validity and infringement issues. He also advises on IP-related agreements, such as licences. Noel also has experience in regulatory, trademark and copyright law, and provides advice on IP portfolio management strategy. His regulatory work includes advising on strategy for data exclusivity, patent term extension (CSP), Patent Medicine Prices Review Board (PMPRB) and Patented Medicines (NOC) Regulations (PMNOC).

Noel is a Co-Chair of the Intellectual Property Courses Committee which manages intensive summer IP courses delivered jointly by McGill University School of Continuing Studies and the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). He has also lectured at meetings of the US and Canadian law associations. Noel has authored many articles on IP law and technology. While completing his law degree at Dalhousie University, Noel received prizes for academic excellence in patent and trademark law and contract law.

Qualifications

  • Ontario Bar, 1997
  • Registered Patent Agent, 2004
  • US Registered Patent Agent, 2004
  • Dalhousie University, LL.B., 1995
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland, B.Sc. (Biochemistry), 1992

Related Services

  • Marketing & Advertising
    • Industrial Designs
      • IP Strategic Advisory
        • IP Licensing & Transactions
          • Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance
            • Patents
              • Plant Breeders’ Rights

                Related Industries

                • Chemical & Biotechnology
                  • Cleantech
                    • Medical Devices
                      • Energy, Oil & Gas
                        • Nanotechnology

                          Rankings & Recognition

                          • Best Lawyers

                            Intellectual Property Law, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice

                            2020-2025
                            Best Lawyers in Canada
                          • Euromoney LMG

                            Life Sciences Star in IP

                            2024
                            LMG Life Sciences
                          • IAM

                            IAM Patent 1000

                            2019-2024
                            IAM Patent 1000 - The World’s Leading Patent Professionals
                          • Lexology Index

                            Patents

                            2024
                            Lexology Index: Canada
                          • Lexology Index

                            Life Sciences

                            2017, 2019-2020, 2023-2024
                            Lexology Index: Canada
                          • Lexology

                            Legal Influencer in Healthcare & Life Sciences and Intellectual Property

                            2020
                            Lexology Legal Influencers
                          • Lexpert

                            Intellectual Property

                            2019-2025
                            The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory
                          • Lexpert

                            Leading Lawyer in IP

                            2022-2025
                            Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada
                          • Lexpert

                            Propriété intellectuelle

                            2022-2023
                            Lexpert Special Edition: Technology and Health Sciences
                          • Lexpert

                            Life Sciences & Health

                            2025
                            The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory
                          • LMG Life Sciences

                            Leading Life Sciences Lawyers in Intellectual Property

                            2022-2023
                            Leading Life Sciences Lawyers
                          • Lexology Index

                            Patents

                            2019-2020, 2024
                            Lexology Index: Patents
                          • WIPR

                            Leaders

                            2023-2024
                            World IP Review Leaders

                          Related Publications & Articles

                          • Elevate IP – New Canadian Funding Program to Elevate your IP Game

                            July 14, 2023
                            Innovative Canadian companies can benefit from funding available for IP strategy and filingsInnovative Canadian companies should take not...
                            Read More
                          • Intellectual Property Strategy for Protecting Software: Supplementing Utility Patent Protection with Industrial Designs

                            May 05, 2023
                            An often-overlooked form of intellectual property (IP) protection for software applications is industrial design protection for a graphical us...
                            Read More
                          • Global Trends in Battery Technology: A Patent Perspective

                            February 17, 2023
                            As the drive towards renewable energy use gains pace, there has been an increase in global patent filings relating to battery technology. Whil...
                            Read More
                          • Getting Transparent About Transparency: Canadian Registration and Reporting of Clinical Trials

                            December 12, 2022
                            Clinical trials are vital to the advancement of modern medicine, leading to the generation of new treatments and diagnostic methods. Just as i...
                            Read More
                          • PMPRB Regulations Saga Coming to an End? New Draft Guidelines Issued

                            November 10, 2022
                            After almost two years of delays, the highly contentious amended Patented Medicines Regulations (the Regulations) came into for...
                            Read More
                          • What’s it Worth? Valuation of IP

                            May 05, 2022
                            Explore IP valuation methods for startups, focusing on the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) approach. Learn about key resources, steps in the valuat...
                            Read More
                          • Identifying and Enforcing Trade Secrets in the Food and Beverage Industry

                            June 23, 2020
                            Trade secrets provide a business with an opportunity to obtain a commercial advantage over competitors who do not know or use the secret. Trad...
                            Read More
                          • Challenging a Competitor’s Granted Patent at the Patent Office

                            September 25, 2018
                            A court action is the most effective proceeding to invalidate a competitor’s patent, since invalidity issues can be explored in detail with si...
                            Read More
                          • News
                          • Speaking
                          • Industry Involvement

                          54 Smart & Biggar practitioners recognized in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2025

                          March 11, 2025

                          Smart & Biggar principals recognized in Lexpert’s Leading 500 Cross-Border Lawyers: A Guide to Doing Business in Canada

                          January 14, 2025

                          48 Smart & Biggar professionals featured as leading practitioners in the 2024 edition of Lexology Index: Canada

                          December 13, 2024

                          14 Smart & Biggar practitioners recognized in the 2024 LMG Life Sciences rankings

                          October 11, 2024

                          24 Smart & Biggar lawyers and agents recognized in the 2024 Who’s Who Legal: IP

                          September 26, 2024
                          • "IP Essentials: Crafting Ownership and Strategic Plans in Academia and Beyond", speaker, University of Toronto, March 4, 2025
                          • IP for British Columbia Start-Ups, KAST and Community Futures Central Kootenay, June 19, 2024
                          • IP Funding Resources for Canadian Companies, IPIC, June 6, 2024
                          • Sparking Funding Opportunities, IP Funding Strategies, March 7, 2024
                          • Intellectual Property Funding Crash Course, MaRS Discovery District, January 23, 2024
                          • Dealing with Data – Licensing and IP, Ministry of the Attorney General, December 11, 2023
                          • AI and Beyond: Canadian Software and Data Licensing Workshop, Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), December 7, 2023
                          • Innovation for a Greater Sudbury – IP 101, Intellectual Property Ontario (IPON), November 9, 2023
                          • Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy and Funding for Kootenay Businesses, Community Futures Central Kootenay and Kootenay Association for Science and Technology (KAST), October 25, 2023
                          • Using New WIPO Standard ST.26 To Improve PCT Sequence Listings, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), February 23, 2023
                          • Workshop – Prior Art and Freedom to Operate Strategies, 2022 IPIC/McGill Summer IP Courses, Wednesday, July 20th, 2022
                          • IP Workshop – Trade Secrets and NDAs, Spark Centre, May 25, 2022
                          • Accelerating IP, Innovacorp, May 17, 2022
                          • Patents for Humanity Competition, US Patent and Trademark Office, December 15, 2021
                          • Intellectual property 101 for research administrators, CARA Conference, December 10, 2021
                          • How to Leverage your IP Strategy for Success, Ryerson University, November 9, 2021
                          • An Introduction to Patents, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, November 9, 2021
                          • Patent Cooperation Treaty Challenges, The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), October 19, 2021
                          • Accelerating IP, Innovacorp, October 19, 2021
                          • AIPLA PCT Seminar, AIPLA, July 26, 2021
                          • Prior Art and Freedom to Operate Strategies, IPIC/McGill University, July 22, 2021
                          • Effective Inventor Interviewing, IPIC/McGill University,  July 19, 2021
                          • IP Overview Session for Pioneer Program, Spark Centre, June 8, 2021
                          • Intellectual Property & Commercialization – Science & Medicine, Technology Transfer And Commercialization Office (TTCO), May 27, 2021
                          • Deal Basics to Protect, Own and Commercialize Your IP, Spark Centre, April 28, 2021
                          • Advanced IP Topics for Biomedical Companies, Ryerson Biomedical Zone, April 8, 2021
                          • Intellectual Property & Commercialization – Engineering, Memorial University, Technology Transfer and Commercialization Office, March 25, 2021
                          • Basics of Patents and IP, Ryerson University, February 26, 2021
                          • IP Workshop – Trade Secrets and NDA’s, Spark Centre, February 18, 2021
                          • Hatchery Pitch-A-Thon, Y Combinator & Hatchery, January 29, 2021
                          • COVID-19 & IP Practice: Fresh Start: Getting into Gear For 2021, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), December 17, 2020
                          • Plant Breeders’ Rights, Copyrights and Trademarks in Canada, Community Futures Central Kootenay (British Columbia), December 9, 2020
                          • It’s time to talk about Canadian Intellectual Property with Noel Courage, Communitech, July 28, 2020
                          • The Patentability of Diagnostic Inventions in the US, Canada and Europe, Dehns, July 23, 2020
                          • Mitigate Risk and Leverage Opportunity Post COVID-19, TechPlace and Haltech, July 13, 2020
                          • 2020 IPIC/McGill Summer IP Courses, McGill School of Continuing Studies, July 6-22, 2020
                          • Personal Health Information: Artificial Intelligence and its Use of Health Data, Toronto Computer Lawyers Group (TCLG), March 11, 2020
                          • Dealing with IP – Update on IP Trends and Recent Developments, Toronto Computer Lawyer’s Group, November 27, 2019
                          • Recent Changes to Canadian IP Legislation and their Impact on Day-to-Day Operations, Toronto Computer Lawyers Group, November 27, 2019
                          • Intellectual Property Lunch & Learn Session, Biomedical Zone, November 20, 2019
                          • Cross Border Growth – Moving IP, International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA), October 3, 2019
                          • 2019 Summer Courses in Intellectual Property, McGill School of Continuing Studies, July 8-24, 2019
                          • BioNova Boost: IP strategy talk for life science startups, BioNova, May 8, 2018
                          • LES Toronto: Specs, Drugs & Rights They Stole – Trade Secret Tales from High Tech to Pharma, Licensing Executives Society, September 19, 2017

                          Memberships

                          • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
                          • Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), Fellow
                          • Law Society of Ontario (LSO)
                          • Toronto Intellectual Property Group (TIPG)
                          • International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI Canada)
                          • College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA)
                          • International Trademark Association (INTA)
                          Logo
                          • People
                          • Who we are
                          • Accessibility
                          • Privacy Policy
                          • Terms of Use
                          • Group Relationships Statement
                          • Supplier Code of Conduct 

                           

                          • Locations
                            • Ottawa
                            • Toronto
                            • Montréal
                            • Vancouver
                            • Calgary
                            • Waterloo Region
                          • Services
                            • Protect IP
                            • Enforce IP
                            • Grow IP
                          • Industries
                          • Insights
                            • IP Insights
                            • Rx IP Updates
                            • Client Success
                            • News
                            • Events
                            • Archives
                            • Resource Centres
                          • Careers
                            • Life at Smart & Biggar
                            • Opportunities
                            • Students

                          Subscribe to our Newsletters

                          SUBSCRIBE

                          Follow Us

                          About Smart & Biggar

                          Smart & Biggar LP, Smart & Biggar LLP and Smart & Biggar Alberta LLP operate as part of the IPH Limited group. For more information, see “ Who we are”.

                          © 2025 Smart & Biggar. All rights reserved.

                          Credits

                          Bereskin & Parr joins Smart & Biggar

                          Bereskin & Parr has joined Smart & Biggar, Canada's leading team for intellectual property, and now operates as Smart & Biggar.

                          Continue to your page.

                          Noel Courage

                          Instructions: Click the print button to generate a PDF bio with the default options. To customize the bio with additional sections, select any of the options on the right before printing.

                          Default Options

                          • Bio
                          • Qualifications
                          • Related Services
                          • Related Industries

                          More Options

                          When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.
                          When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.