ROBIC

History

The firm was founded in 1892 as the patent agency MARION & MARION by the Marion brothers, both of whom were engineers. Raymond A. Robic joined the firm in 1917. The ROBIC name found its way onto the firm’s letterhead in 1932 and under the leadership and vision of the late Raymond A. Robic, author, teacher and inventor.

In 1970, the law firm of LEGER ROBIC RICHARD was formed to provide specialized legal services primarily in the field of Intellectual Property (IP) and for more than thirty years, ROBIC has diversified its practice to include Business Law and commercial litigation. This fully integrated firm is now known as ROBIC, LLP.

Practice Areas

ROBIC consists of a group of multi-disciplinary professionals in the field of Intellectual Property, specialising in patents, trademarks, copyright, and industrial designs. This group works with a team of lawyers, who develop and deliver the firm’s Business Law services.

Patents

The patent and industrial design practice groups conduct patentability searches, as well as drafting, filing and prosecution of patent and industrial design applications worldwide. These practice groups specialize in providing validity and infringement opinions and also contribute to the valuation process related to the transfer, acquisition and financing of technology and technology-driven companies. The firm’s patent agents have expertise in the mechanical, chemical and electrical arts, with specific proficiency in electronics, physics, telecommunications, metallurgy, chemistry, pharmacology, biotechnology, and computer technology.

Trademarks & Copyright

The trademark and copyright practice groups conduct trademark registrability searches and prosecute applications for the registration of trademarks and copyright worldwide. This practice group represents clients before the Trademarks Opposition Board of the Canadian Trademarks Office, the Copyright Tribunal, other administrative bodies and the Appellate Courts having jurisdiction in these areas.

Business Law & Corporate Law

The Business Law practice group offers services in the fields of contracts, corporate law, technology transfers, licensing, mergers and acquisitions, the structuring of consortiums and joint ventures, research and development collaboration projects, financing transactions, advertising, entertainment law and competition law.

Litigation

Members of the litigation practice group represent clients before all levels of the Quebec and Federal Courts, as well as before the Supreme Court of Canada and many other specialized administrative tribunals. The firm’s litigators also specialize in litigation relating to Technology Law and Commercial Law.

Notable Members of the Firm

ROBIC’s practitioners author and update two comprehensive IP works: the "ROBIC - CANADIAN TRADE-MARKS ACT ANNOTATED" and the ROBIC–CANADIAN COPYRIGHT ACT ANNOTATED.

Jacques A. Léger, Q.C., was appointed to the Superior Court of Quebec on September 18, 2006 and on January 23, 2009, he was named to the Court of Appeal of Quebec.

Members of the firm have held the title of both President of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada and Chair of the National Intellectual Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association, in addition to being officers of various international associations including AIPPI, ASIPI, LES, FICPI, INTA and IBA.

The firm’s attorneys have been invited to lecture at Montreal business schools and law faculties as well as at the Bar School of the Province of Quebec, McGill University and before the Judges of the Federal Court of Canada and the Superior Court of Quebec.

ROBIC partners Laurent Carrière and François M. Grenier were recognized by the 2011 LEXPERT/American Lawyer Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada as two of the best lawyers in Canada, and more particularly in Quebec in the fields of Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Litigation.

A survey of Canadian lawyers identified partners of the firm such as Laurent Carrière (IP litigation and IP), François M. Grenier (IP litigation and IP), François Painchaud (Technology Transactions), Hugues G. Richard (IP litigation and IP) and Bob H. Sotiriadis (IP litigation and IP) as some of the leading practitioners in Canada according to the Canadian Legal LEXPERT Directory 2011. The recognition as leading practitioners by Lexpert is based upon a comprehensive and independent survey of the Canadian legal community.

Hugues G. Richard, François M. Grenier, Laurent Carrière, Bob H. Sotiriadis, François Painchaud, Barry Gamache, Louis-Pierre Gravelle and Nicolas Sapp were named among the best IP lawyers in Quebec by The Best Lawyers 2012 Edition.

The International Who's Who of Patent Lawyers 2011 Edition has recognized François M. Grenier among the best lawyers in the field of patents in Canada. Furthermore, Hugues G. Richard and Bob H. Sotiriadis were named among the best lawyers in the field of trademarks in Canada.

The 2011 edition of the PLC Which Lawyer? Yearbook, an international publication, ranked ROBIC as "Recommended" in the Intellectual Property field and 'Recognised' in the Life Sciences field. Furthermore, François M. Grenier and Hugues G. Richard were each listed as some of the top litigation lawyers in IP. PLC Which Lawyer? is a unique guide for in-house lawyers that identifies the most recommended firms and lawyers in the world within specific fields of practice.

Recent Case Law

ROBIC - LEGER - CANADIAN TRADEMARKS ACT ANNOTATED

Lesters Foods Ltd. v. Lesters Delicatessen and Hot Smoked Meat Inc., 2008 QCCS 2010, EYB 2008-133593, J.E. 2008-1261, 2008 CarswellQue 4205, Cour supérieure du Québec, 2008

Cerverceria Modelo, S.A. de C.V. v. Marcon, 2008 CarswellNat 3399, Trade Marks Opposition Board, 2008

Maison Cousin (1980) Inc. v. Cousins Submarines Inc., 2006 CarswellNat 115, 2006 CF 2, 51 C.P.R. (4th) 81, 286 F.T.R. 60 (Eng.) (F.C.)

Tommy Hilfiger Licensing Inc. v. Produits de Qualité I.M.D. Inc., 2005 CF 10, 2005 FC 10, 37 C.P.R. (4th) 1, 267 F.T.R. 259 (Eng.) (F.C.)

Société des loteries du Québec c. Club Lotto International C.L.I. Inc., 2001 CarswellNat 1592, 204 F.T.R. 21, 13 C.P.R. (4th) 315 (F.C.T.D.)

Standard Knitting Ltd. v. Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha, [2000] 8 C.P.R. (4th) 285, 189 F.T.R. 108, Federal Court of Canada—Trial Division, 2000

I.T. Logistics inc. v. Jitlogistic inc., [1999] REJB 1999-11857 (C.S.)

Aircraft Technical Publishers v. ATP Aero Training Products Inc., 1998 CarswellNat 2452, [1998] 160 F.T.R. 62, 84 C.P.R. (3d) 480 (F.C.T.D.)

Montres Rolex S.A. v. Balshin, 1992 CarswellNat 155F, (1992) [1993] 1 F.C. 236, 45 C.P.R. (3d) 174, 147 N.R. 297, 58 F.T.R. 240 (note), Federal Court of Appeal

Renaud Cointreau & Cie v. Cordon Bleu International Ltd., 1992 CarswellNat 708, 45 C.P.R. (3d) 374, 58 F.T.R. 191 (F.C.T.D.)

ROBIC – LEGER CANADIAN COPYRIGHT ACT ANNOTATED

L.S. Entertainment Group Inc. v. Formosa Video (Canada) Ltd., 2005 FC 1347, 48 C.P.R. (4th) 401, 281 F.T.R. 99 (Eng.)

Interbox Promotion Corp. c. 9012-4314 Québec Inc., 2003 CF 1254, 34 C.P.R. (4th) 329, 253 F.T.R. 1

Cité Amérique Distribution inc. c. C.E.P.A. Le Baluchon inc., [2002] R.J.Q. 1943, REJB 2002-33112, J.E. 2002-1407

Galerie d'art du Petit Champlain inc. v. Théberge, 2002 CarswellQue 306, Supreme Court of Canada, 2002

Productions Avanti Ciné-Vidéo Inc. c. Favreau, 1999 CarswellQue 2742, Cour d'appel du Québec, 1999

Magasins Greenberg Ltée v. Import-Export René Derhy (Canada) Inc., 1995 CarswellNat 1866, 95 F.T.R. 49, 61 C.P.R. (3d) 133 (F.C.T.D.)