A litigator practising in life sciences, Nicole’s fluency with scientific subject matter makes her particularly skilled at working with expert witnesses and transforming complex scientific concepts into persuasive advocacy.
Nicole’s commercial litigation practice focuses on the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and life sciences sectors. Her experience extends across patent and trademark litigation, product liability and class actions, and regulatory and judicial review proceedings.
Nicole frequently represents international and North American pharmaceutical companies in patent infringement, impeachment and related proceedings, including under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulation. She also represents life sciences clients in regulatory matters, including in proceedings for judicial review, and has assisted Canadian and international companies in defending and enforcing trademark rights in Canada.
Nicole’s litigation work also includes defending health product, medical device and agricultural product manufacturers in product liability actions across Canada, including in class proceedings. She has appeared as counsel in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, at the trial and appellate level in the courts of Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan, and in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Chambers Canada, 2024
2024 | Chambers Canada—Up and coming lawyer in intellectual property: litigation |
2024 | Benchmark Litigation—Future Star |
2022-2023 | The Legal 500—Rising star in intellectual property |
2022-2024 | IAM Patent 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners—Leading lawyer in litigation |
2022-2024 | Best Lawyers in Canada—Leading lawyer in intellectual property law |
2024 | Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory —Leading lawyer in life sciences and health |
2019-2021 | Managing IP's IP Stars—Rising Star |
Nicole is an active member of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), serving as the past Chair of the IPIC Foundation Committee and the IPIC Young Practitioners Committee. She is also a contributing author of the Patent Enforcement Chapter in Blanchard’s Life Sciences Law in Canada .
Nicole is a member of the Advocates’ Society and the Defense Research Institute (DRI). Nicole is a frequent advocacy advisor in the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Law Practice Program’s Trial Advocacy Course and is a regular volunteer with Pro Bono Ontario.