Ian is a former partner of Marks & Clerk and previously practiced as a Canadian patent agent in the areas of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals and chemistry for almost three decades. In his current role, Ian serves as a liaison between our Canadian practice and key clients around the world.

Over his career as a patent agent Ian was recognized by IAM Patent 1000 as a “leading light” and hailed as an ‘amazing agent’ by his peers. He has also been listed as a Patent expert by Lexology Index (formerly Who’s Who Legal). He is a Fellow of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and former member of the Joint Liaison Committee - Patents. Ian is also a former member of the AIPLA, AIPPI, and FICPI organizations.

Ian obtained a Bachelor of Science in 1984 with honours in chemistry from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. He also obtained a Master of Science in 1987 and a PhD in 1990 from the University of British Columbia, specialising in the biophysical study of protein interactions. He then spent three years as a Research Associate in the Institute for Biological Sciences at the National Research Council of Canada, where he was an inventor and first became interested in patent agency as a career.