Canadian firm is the first from outside the company’s Asia-Pacific footprint.

IPH has announced that Canadian IP agency Smart & Biggar will be joining its network of leading IP firms across the Asia-Pacific region. As part of the agreement, IPH will acquire the IP agency practice of Smart & Biggar which will have an interest in the legal practice of Smart & Biggar as permitted by Canadian regulation.

This represents IPH’s first acquisition outside of Asia Pacific and is a significant strategic initiative and exciting next step in IPH’s aspiration to be the leading IP services group in secondary IP markets, the company said in a statement.

“We are excited to welcome the Smart & Biggar team to IPH,” said IPH managing director and CEO Andrew Blattman. “Smart & Biggar’s practitioners and employees are of the highest quality and the firm has an outstanding international reputation as a leading IP firm in Canada. The Australian and Canadian IP markets are very similar, and together we will be well positioned to provide clients with a comprehensive IP service offering with an international reach, while offering strong career development opportunities for our people.”

The new entities will continue to operate under the existing Smart & Biggar brand following completion of the transaction, which is anticipated to occur in September 2022. “At Smart & Biggar, we have the honour of working with many of Canada’s and the world’s most important innovators and brand owners, many of whom have entrusted us with protecting, enforcing and commercializing their IP rights for over a century” said Smart & Biggar managing partner Matthew Zischka. “Joining the IPH group will supercharge our service offering and enable future investment and growth of our Canadian business. We look forward to continuing to help clients in Canada and around the world safeguard and leverage their IP and technological assets.”

Smart & Biggar has more than 100 lawyers, patent agents and trademark agents in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and Calgary. The firm files more than 8,000 patent and trademark applications annually.

IPH is an Asia Pacific-based intellectual property services group, comprising a network of member firms working in eight IP jurisdictions and servicing more than 25 countries. The group includes IP firms AJ Park, Griffith Hack, Pizzeys and Spruson & Ferguson and online IP services provider Applied Marks. IPH employs more than 900 people working in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.