Background

Kathleen Marsman is a patent agent in the Ottawa office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Kathleen graduated from the University of Waterloo in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Honours Biochemistry and went on to obtain a Master of Science and Doctorate from the University of Alberta in Nutrition and Metabolism. Kathleen completed the Canadian Bioinformatics Workshop in 2000. She became a registered Canadian patent agent in 1999, and a registered U.S. patent agent in 2001. Kathleen has laboratory experience with techniques in the fields of biochemistry, cell culture, histology, molecular biology, radiochemistry and immunology.

Areas of Practice

• Intellectual Property specializing in drafting and prosecution of patent applications relating to all areas of biotechnology.

Rankings and Recognitions

• Recognized in the 2011 Canadian Legal Lexpert® Directory (Biotechnology)

Professional Experience

• Preparing and prosecuting patent applications in fields relating to biotechnology, life sciences, bioinformatics, chemical and pharmaceutical inventions for Canadian, U.S., and International patent offices.
• Advising start-up companies and established companies on patent strategy and portfolio management.
• Providing opinions on patentability, infringement, validity and freedom-to-operate issues.
• Advising and assisting with technology transfer in Canadian Universities and Health Care institutions.
• Intellectual property due diligence for portfolio acquisitions and company financings.

Professional and Community Activities

• Publications in industry journals, such as BioBusiness Magazine (February 2009): "The Patent Watch: Showcasing Canadian Technology", BioBusiness Magazine (June/July 2009): "The Patent Watch: Taking an Inventive Approach to Flu Pandemic"; and BIOTECanada Insights Magazine (Fall 2008): "The intellectual Property Environment in Canada".
• Co-author of Biotechnology and Chemical Patent Practice in Canada, (2nd Edition 2008) published by Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (complementary copy available upon request).
• Member: Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), Canadian Society for Nutritional Sciences, and Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM).
• Reviewer on Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Proof of Principle (PoP) grant committee since 2004.
• Volunteer reader to grade 1 students, and member of national and regional BLG Reads to Kids Committee.
• Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology and The Journal of Nutrition. Contributor of articles to BIOTECH magazine, Biotechnology Focus magazine, and Canadian Biotechnology Industry Guide.