skip to main content




Peter McBurney

Peter W. McBurney, P.Eng.

Senior Advisor
People > Peter W. McBurney, P.Eng.

Peter specializes in patent and industrial design preparation and prosecution; patentability and freedom-to-operate opinions; assistance in designing to avoid infringement; and licensing in a wide range of fields, but particularly electronics. He has practised directly before both the Canadian and United States Patent Offices and has had wide experience in patent prosecution in other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia.

Awards & Recognition

  • Registered Patent Agent (Canada), 1959
  • Registered Patent Agent (United States), 1959
  • Registered Professional Engineer, Province of Ontario, Canada, 1957

Professional Involvement

Professional Activities

  • Following graduation from university in 1957, Peter trained to become a patent agent in the patent department of Canadian General Electric in Toronto, Canada. Later he joined the IP department of a large general law firm in Toronto, following which, after 10 years, he and Donald F. Sim, Q.C., with Harold G. Fox, Q.C as counsel, founded a boutique patent and trademark agency firm with which he remained for more than 45 years in the capacity of Founding Partner, Senior Partner or Senior Consultant.
  • Peter served on the Council of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) for 8 years and was President of IPIC in 1986/87.
  • He is the author of a number of articles pertaining to various aspects of patent practice and has been a speaker at seminars for clients and conferences sponsored by technical groups and societies interested in intellectual property.

Memberships

  • Professional Engineers Ontario
  • Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)
  • AIPPI Canada

Community Involvement

  • Past President of the Old Millside Resident's Association 
  • Public Representative on the Discipline Committee (2014-2017) and on the Appeal Committee (2018) of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

Education

  • Hon. B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (Electronics), Queen's University, 1957
  • Certificate of Engineering, Carlton University, 1955

Expertise