With an advanced scientific background that informs her domestic and cross-border intellectual property experience, Karen is a skilled advisor to clients with intellectual property interests in both Canada and the U.S.
Karen has extensive experience advising clients on pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food and drug law and intellectual property issues. She brings deep technical skills to clients’ work in therapeutics, molecular biology, immunology, regenerative medicine, personalized and precision medicine, vaccines and drug delivery systems, making her go-to counsel for patent protection issues of all kinds.
Karen has substantial experience in all aspects of patents, including drafting and prosecution, and regulatory issues relating to acquiring, maintaining and defending patent rights. She also provides advice on risk management of intellectual property and regulatory matters. For investors interested in life science companies, Karen assists in evaluating technologies and intellectual property portfolios.
Karen is a registered patent agent in the United States and Canada. Having worked in the United States previously, Karen is one of a handful of patent agents residing in Canada who has passed both the U.S. and Canadian patent agent exams and is allowed to represent any applicant before the United States Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.
2016-2023 | Best Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in intellectual property law |
Before joining Torys, Karen practised as a technology specialist and as a patent agent at U.S. intellectual property law firms, where she represented and advised many life science companies and universities.
Karen has published a number of papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has presented her work at many international conferences. In addition, she is a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, the Toronto Intellectual Property Group and Women in Bio. As an Adjunct Professor at Western University Faculty of Law in 2013 and 2014, she taught a course on intellectual property law.