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Canada’s Intellectual Property Firm

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      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.

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      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.

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      • Protect IP

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      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.

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      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.

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      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. 

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      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.
       

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Melanie Szweras

  • she/her/hers
Principal
  • Smart & Biggar LP
Language(s): English
  • T:416.957.1678
  • mszweras@smartbiggar.ca
  • Toronto

Melanie’s practice focuses on drafting and prosecution of applications relating to biologics, diagnostics, biotechnology, food and pharmaceuticals. Melanie offers strategic advice and expertise to her clients, provides validity and freedom to operate opinions and is involved in related patent litigation and licensing.

Melanie’s privacy work includes advising organizations on compliance with Canadian privacy laws, including PIPEDA, assisting with preparation of privacy policies, terms and conditions, outsourcing agreements and general management of personal information. Her regulatory work includes advising on Health Canada regulated labelling and advertising and on health-related regulations, such as those relating to notices of compliance, certificates of supplementary protection and the Patented Medicines Price Review Board.

Melanie lectures on aspects of Biotechnology and The Application Process at the University of Toronto’s Patent & Trade Secrets Law course and Osgoode Hall’s LLM Patent Law course. Melanie is the Chair of the Continuing Professional Development Committee for the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC). Melanie is also the Vice-Chair of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Biotechnology Committee.

Melanie received numerous awards throughout her education, including the Medical Research Council Studentship and a University of Toronto Open Scholarship. She was also the Bronze Medalist for her class of 2003 at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Qualifications

  • Ontario Bar, 2004
  • The Osgoode Certificate in Privacy & Cybersecurity Law, 2024
  • Osgoode Certificate in Privacy Law and Information Management in Healthcare, 2024
  • US Registered Patent Agent, 2006
  • Registered Patent Agent, 2006
  • Osgoode Hall, York University, LL.B., 2003
  • University of Toronto, Ph.D. (Genetics), 2000
  • University of Toronto, B.Sc. (Genetics), 1994

Related Services

  • Patents
    • Patent Drafting & Prosecution
    • Patent Counselling, Opinions, & Advice
    • Patent Portfolio Management
    • Due Diligence
  • Marketing & Advertising
  • IP Strategic Advisory
  • IP Licensing & Transactions
  • Life Sciences Regulatory & Compliance
  • IP Litigation & Enforcement
  • Plant Breeders’ Rights

Related Industries

  • Chemical & Biotechnology
    • Pharmaceutical & Biologics
      • Agricultural Sciences
        • Food & Beverage
          • Cannabis

            Rankings & Recognition

            • Best Lawyers

              Biotechnology Law

              2020-2022
              The Best Lawyers in Canada
            • Best Lawyers

              Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice

              2024
              The Best Lawyers in Canada
            • Best Lawyers

              Intellectual Property Law

              2023-2025
              Best Lawyers in Canada
            • Expert Guides

              Patents

              2019-2021
              Expert Guides: Women in Business Law
            • Expert Guides

              Life Sciences

              2022
              Expert Guides: Women in Business Law
            • IAM

              IAM Patent 1000

              2021, 2023-2024
              IAM Patent 1000 - The World’s Leading Patent Professionals
            • Lexology Index

              Patents

              2020, 2022-2024
              Lexology Index: Canada
            • Lexology

              Healthcare & Life Sciences

              2021
              Lexology Legal Influencers
            • Lexpert

              Intellectual Property

              2023-2025
              The Canadian Legal LEXPERT® Directory
            • Mondaq

              Thought Leaders - Data Protection

              2023
              Mondaq Thought Leadership Awards

            Related Publications & Articles

            • CIPO’s Patent Fee Increases for 2024

              July 27, 2023
              On June 21, 2023, Rules Amending the Patent Rules were published in the Canadian Gazette, Part II[1] (the “Amendments”), which will result in ...
              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
            • Amendments to the Canadian Patent Rules are coming into force on October 3, 2022

              June 09, 2022
              The final text for amendments to the Patent Rules (Rules), previously announced, was registered at the Orders in Council of Canada o...
              Read More
            • AI in Focus: Brain-Computer Interface Technologies

              February 04, 2022
              Mind-controlled exoskeletons and advanced neuroprosthetics; virtual and augmented reality; wearable devices that use brain-based data to influ...
              Read More
            • News
            • Speaking
            • Industry Involvement
            • In the Media

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

            March 11, 2025

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

            December 13, 2024

            Smart & Biggar joins IP leaders across the legal space at the AIPLA 2024 Annual Meeting

            October 22, 2024
            • "CDCR Career Night", Centre for Discovery in Cancer Research at McMaster University, May 7, 2025
            • "Privacy", Treefrog Accelerator Program, March 10, 2025
            • “Privacy Implications and IP”, World Trade Centre Toronto's Life Sciences Commercialization program, January 24, 2025
            • "IP Protection and Commercialization of Medical Devices", World Trade Centre Toronto's Life Sciences Commercialization program, January 21, 2025
            • "IP Intro to Data Privacy & AI Regulatory Considerations in Canada", the 12th annual Do It In Durham Entrepreneurship Week, November 20, 2024
            • "Doing Business in Canada – Compliance with Privacy Obligations", Lexology webinar, April 25, 2024
            • "Mitigating Seemingly Small Actions to Make a Big Impact on Organizational Culture – An Interactive Workshop",  Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), December 8, 2022
            • "Heading North? What you need to know about patents in Canada, eh!", American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), September 21, 2022
            • "Biotech and Pharmaceutical Patent Law: Litigation Trends and Developments", The Knowledge Group, September 16, 2022
            • "Biotech and Pharmaceutical Patent Law: Cutting-Edge Issues to Watch For Biotech and Pharmaceutical Patent Law", The Knowledge Group, September 16, 2022
            • "AIPLA Women in IP Law 2022 Global Networking Event", American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), April 7, 2022
            • "Intersection of IP and Life Sciences Innovations", McMaster University, January 24, 2022
            • "IP Life Sciences Conference 2021", LT Innovation, October 12, 2021
            • "2021 Molecular Genetics Career Development Symposium", University of Toronto, May 31, 2021
            • "IP 101: Basics of Intellectual Property", City of Vaughan, April 7, 2021
            • "Is IP Important for Researchers and Startups?", United Health Toronto, October 29, 2020
            • "2020 AIPLA Women in IP Virtual Global Networking Event", American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), September 29, 2020
            • "Intellectual Property Protection and Commercialization of Cannabis", AUTM 2019 Canadian Region Meeting, June 23-26, 2019
            • "MedEdge 2.0", Richmond Hill Economic Development, June 11, 2019
            • "Intellectual Property Protection and Commercialization of Cannabis", University of Toronto, March 27, 2019
            • "Intellectual Property (IP) 101 for Beginners", Office of Research Administration (ORA), October 10, 2018
            • "Developing Clinical Point-of-Care (POC) Diagnostics for Improving Healthcare Outcomes", McMaster University, September 26-27, 2018
            • "State of the Union on Pharma in Canada", Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), September 6, 2018
            • "The Redefining Early Stage Investments Conference", Life Science Nation, April 10, 2018

            Memberships

            • American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
            • Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), Fellow
            • Law Society of Ontario (LSO)
            • Women in Bio (WIB)
            • College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA)

            Publications

            • "Patent laws and regulations 2025", International Comparative Legal Guides (ICLG) - Patents 2025, October 9, 2024
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            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”.

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            Bereskin & Parr joins Smart & Biggar

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

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            Melanie Szweras

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