Matthew Zischka > Smart & Biggar > Toronto, Canada > Lawyer Profile
Smart & Biggar Offices
1100-150
York Street
TORONTO, ON, M5H 3S5
Canada
- Firm Profile
- Go to...
Matthew Zischka
Work Department
Patents
Position
Managing Director
Career
Matthew Zischka is the Managing Director of Smart & Biggar. He leverages 20 years of patent prosecution, licensing, and litigation experience with deep industry knowledge to commercialize and protect intellectual property. Matthew is adept at counselling and guiding electrical, electronics, software, and mechanical clients through complex IP challenges. He provides legal opinions and advice on transactions, licensing, assertions of patent infringement, and interpretation of commercial contracts and agreements. He is known for his attention to detail, technical knowledge, and understanding of industry changes. Clients and colleagues note him to be an “excellent” lawyer and “a great ambassador for the profession.” He often lectures on intellectual property law topics and is a former Course Director for the McGill/IPIC Patents Course. In addition to being annually recognized by Lexpert, Matthew is consistently listed as an expert in Canadian intellectual property law and patent law in various national and international directories, including The Best Lawyers in Canada, IAM Global Leaders, IAM Patent 1000, World IP Review Leaders, Who’s Who Legal for Canada and IP, and Managing Intellectual Property’s IP Stars Handbook: Patents. Fellow of IPIC and Executive Council Member of AIPPI Canada. BASc, LLB. Registered Patent and Trademark Agent. Called to the Ontario Bar in 1995 and called to the British Columbia Bar in 2022.
Memberships
- Member, International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI);
- Executive Council Member, AIPPI Canada
- Fellow, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada; Chair of the Patent Legislation Committee, past member of the International Patent Issues Committee, past member of the Patent Agent Examination Board (2003-2005)
- Member, American Intellectual Property Law Association
- Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Education
Lawyer Rankings
Canada > Intellectual property
The leading intellectual property boutique in Canada, Smart & Biggar focuses exclusively on IP law from its five offices across the country. The team’s generous national footprint was further boosted in September 2023 following its combination with fellow Canadian IP boutique, Ridout & Maybee, which added an additional 30 lawyers to the group. It also plugs into a significant international platform through its recent membership of the IPH Limited Group, which brings together a network of six firms across nine jurisdictions. In Toronto, Mark Evans
is a go-to specialist for contentious and non-contentious trademark matters, while IP litigator Mark Biernacki contributes strong experience in an array of patents, trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs. The Toronto team also includes IP disputes expert Sheldon Hamilton; Yoon Kang, who specializes in life sciences patent litigation and prosecution; life sciences expert Nancy Pei; managing director Matthew Zischka; Graham Hood, who was appointed trademarks practice group leader in August 2023, and Urszula Wojtyra. In Ottawa, key figures include Steven Garland, a 30-year veteran in IP litigation; life sciences patents and chemicals/bio practice group leader Daphne Lainson, who was also appointed in August 2023; Elliott Simcoe, who draws on over two decades of experience in electrical and computer-related matters; and Kohji Suzuki, who utilizes a mastery of strategic IP enforcement. Montreal-based litigator François Guay is also highly regarded. Also in August 2023, Jean-Sébastien Dupont in Montreal was promoted to IP litigation practice group leader and Jonas Gifford was appointed patents engineering and ICT (EICT) head.