Peter Giddens 

overview

Peter Giddens is a Partner in our Toronto office, the Co-Chair of the firm's Intellectual Property Group, and a certified registered trademark agent in Canada.

Peter counsels clients concerning the acquisition, clearance, management, protection, enforcement and licensing of intellectual property, with a particular emphasis on trademark, copyright and domain name issues.

Peter advises clients concerning the availability of trademarks for use and registration, prepares and prosecutes applications to register trademarks before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office, co-ordinates international filings and manages domestic and foreign trademark portfolios. Peter also negotiates trademark license agreements and other agreements affecting IP rights. Peter also manages and protects the trademark portfolios for international franchise systems, and assists our Business Law and Franchise + Distribution Law Groups with IP issues across a broad range of industries. A significant portion of his practice is representing clients in contentious matters such as trademark opposition and expungement proceedings before the Trademarks Opposition Board and domain name dispute proceedings under the UDRP and CDRP. Peter also advises clients and other lawyers with respect to matters of trademark infringement and passing off. Peter assists our corporate and commercial lawyers on transactions involving the acquisition or disposition of IP assets, and with commercial agreements impacting IP rights. Peter is frequently asked to consult regarding corporate re-branding initiatives and to provide strategic advice concerning the proper use and maintenance of intellectual property assets.

After articling with the firm's Toronto office in 1997-98, Peter joined the Intellectual Property group as an associate lawyer in 1999 and has been a partner since 2006.

Representative Matters

• Acted as intellectual property counsel to Rogers Media in its acquisition of CityTV from CTVglobemedia
• Acted as intellectual property counsel to AXA Canada in its acquisition of The Citadel General Assurance Company
• Acted as intellectual property counsel to Trader Media Corp. in its acquisition by Yellow Pages Media Group
• Advised Rogers Stadium Limited Partnership, part of Rogers Communications, on intellectual property issues during its purchase of the Toronto SkyDome (now Rogers Centre)
• Acted as intellectual property counsel to Rogers Communications in its acquisition of The Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and continues to provide intellectual property advice to the team's ownership, including sponsorship, licensing and marketing activities
• Provides ongoing counsel to world-famous brands in industries including: beverage alcohol, insurance, financial services, furniture retail, professional sports; entertainment; film production; telecommunications; education; cosmaceuticals; food; security; professional services; software; kitchen appliances
• Meets with government officials regarding proposed changes to Canada's trade-mark legislation and regulations

Publications

News

Education

• Dalhousie University, LLB - 1997
• Dalhousie University, B.Sc. (Hons. Biology) - 1994

Year Of Call

• Called to the Ontario bar - 1999

Directorships and Professional Associations

• International Trademark Association (INTA), Chair of the Trademark Office Practices Committee (2018-2019)
• International Trademark Association (INTA), Vice-Chair of the Trademark Office Practices Committee (2016-2017)
• International Trademark Association (INTA), Trademark Office Practices Committee (2010-2011)
• Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), IPIC/CIPO Joint Liaison Committee on Trade-mark Practices
• Foreign Affiliate Member of American Intellectual Property Law association (AIPLA)  
• International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
• Canadian Bar Association
• Ontario Bar Association

Awards & Rankings

• Recognized in the 2020 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory as a Repeatedly Recommended lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property 
• Recognized by Chambers Global (2020) as a Recognized Practitioner in the area of Intellectual Property
• Listed in Who’s Who Legal: Canada 2019 as a leader in Trademarks
• Recognized by Chambers Canada (2020) as a leading lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada (2020) as a leading lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property Law
• Listed in 2019 Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars - The Guide to the World's Leading IP Firms and Practitioners
• Listed in Who’s Who Legal Canada: 2018 as a leader in Trademarks
• Recognized by Best Lawyers in Canada (2019) as a leading lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property Law
• Listed in Best Lawyers in Canada (2018) as a leading lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property Law
• Repeatedly recommended, Intellectual Property, in the 2017 Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory
• Listed in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2016 as leading lawyer in the area of Intellectual Property
• Listed in World Trademark Review's WTR 1000 – The World's Leading Trademark Professionals
• Listed in Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars - The Guide to the World's Leading IP Firms and Practitioners
• Recipient of the International Trademark Association Service Award for the Advancement of Trade Mark Law, 2005