Stikeman Elliott provides a full range of business law services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life science-based companies and their investors. We also advise companies in other industries on healthcare-related matters and act in connection with development and financing of healthcare infrastructure.

From life sciences start-ups to multinational corporations, our lawyers provide expert advice on mergers, acquisitions, financings, securities, taxation, employment, licensing, strategic contracts and joint ventures, patent portfolio development, copyright and trade-mark, issues, and much more. We also have significant experience conducting reviews of intellectual property assets, contractual obligations, corporate structures, and litigation portfolios of life sciences companies in support of mergers and acquisitions, financing, licensing and other major business transactions.

With offices located in cities that dominate life sciences research and health-product manufacturing, we have developed extensive expertise in this sector. We have acted or currently act for companies and individuals in the health-care sector, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, researchers, health-care facilities based in Canada, the U.S., and elsewhere, and other organizations in the health-care sector. We have developed particular expertise in biotechnology and pharmaceutical issues in Montréal and Toronto, reflecting their historical importance as centres for the industry, and in Ottawa in the area of regulation. Our regulatory lawyers assist a variety of clients, including large multinational drug companies, in attaining regulatory approval from Health Canada and other government agencies on new drug submissions, labelling, good manufacturing practices, and non-prescription drugs.

Regulatory Approvals Process

We have cultivated strong relationships with health sector regulators throughout our network of offices, anchored by our lawyers in Ottawa. Accordingly, we can assist clients in navigating the complex regulatory approval process for pharmaceutical and healthcare products.

Stikeman Elliott has extensive experience dealing with Health Canada on the approval and regulation of therapeutic drugs, for example, with respect to the anti-depressant Citalopram (Celexa). We have also made representation for clients to Health Canada on its "look-alike, sound-alike" regulations.

Intellectual Property Matters

Stikeman Elliott has assisted companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and healthcare sectors in the acquisition, commercial exploitation and protection of their intellectual property. The services we provide fall into three core areas: (i) obtaining and perfecting intellectual property rights through preparation and prosecution of patent, trademark, copyright and industrial design applications; (ii) commercial exploitation of intellectual property rights through a variety of business instruments including the acquisition and licensing of intellectual property assets; and (iii) enforcing intellectual property rights primarily through litigation.

Our group includes a number of leading practitioners in the intellectual property field in Canada who have appeared as counsel in significant litigation and who have been involved in some of Canada's most significant commercial transactions. Our lawyers have appeared before the Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Patent Medicines Prices Review Board, the Trademarks Opposition Board, and the Copyright Board.

Infrastructure Development

We have been highly active in the growth of innovative financing for healthcare infrastructure development in Canada, including Public-Private Partnership financing completed on any combination of Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Maintain models. We have acted for developers, lenders and sponsors in a variety of hospital, research facility and long-term care facility development projects.