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Chris Hunter

Chris Hunter
Chris Hunter Partner | Toronto
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Chris has advised:

  • A global food company on its C$1-billion acquisition of a foreign competitor's Canadian business, including providing strategic advice on a complex brand ownership/licence-back arrangement

  • A leading Canadian retailer on its global branding strategy and several-hundred-million-dollar acquisition of a number of global brands, including one of Europe's top sportswear companies

  • An aerospace company on its divestment of significant patents and technology to a foreign purchaser

  • Nortel Networks Limited (NNL) on all intellectual property aspects such as trademarks and branding relating to its divestment of assets and businesses, including on its record-breaking C$4.5-billion sale of 6,000 patents to a consortium comprising Apple Inc., EMC Corporation, Ericsson, Microsoft, Research In Motion (now BlackBerry) and Sony, and negotiating aspects of the precursor sale agreement with Google

  • One of Canada's leading banks on the technical aspects of DataTreasury's multimillion-dollar patent infringement claim relating to the electronic imaging and reconciliation of cheques. This is the most significant litigation relating to non-practising entities (sometimes referred to as "patent trolls") in Canada

  • A global incontinence products company on an intellectual property portfolio assessment and patent infringement risk in a number of their foreign acquisitions, including providing freedom-to-operate analyses of over 3,600 European patents

Awards & Recognition

Chris is recognized as a leading lawyer in the following publications:

  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2013–2024 (Intellectual Property Law)

  • Who’s Who Legal: Global 2023 (Intellectual Property – Patents)

  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2021–2023 (Intellectual Property)

  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – 2014–2019 and 2021–2023 (Recommended in Intellectual Property/Computer & IT Law)

  • IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Professionals 2022 (Intellectual Property Transactions)

  • Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars 2022 (Transactions Star)

  • Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2015–2017 and 2021–2022 (Patents)

  • WTR 1000: The World's Leading Trademark Professionals 2021

Professional Activities

Chris is actively involved in the Intellectual Property bar. He is also an active member of The International Trademark Association, The Toronto Intellectual Property Group, The American Intellectual Property Law Association, The Licensing Executives Society, the Canadian Bar Association and the Ontario Bar Association.

Chris is an adjunct professor of the commercialization of intellectual property course at Osgoode Hall Law School.

Publications
Education
Registered Canadian Trademark Agent – 2010
Registered Canadian Patent Agent – 2002
Registered to Practice Before the United States Patent and Trademark Office – 2002
Admitted to the Ontario Bar – 2000
LLB, University of Victoria – 1998
MASc (Engineering), University of Toronto – 1995
BASc (Engineering), University of Toronto – 1991
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