
Life Sciences
- Overview
- Who To Contact
- Representative Matters
- Recent Developments
Our lawyers and patent agents understand the intersection of science and business. We use that knowledge to help our clients capitalize on innovations and advances in science and technology to grow their businesses. Whether you are a startup driving innovation, a growth-stage company seeking capital or an established player guiding the future of the industry, Aird & Berlis can provide the comprehensive legal services you need to succeed in the life sciences sector.
We provide targeted, scalable Canadian legal advice on the issues facing life sciences businesses, including regulatory, M&A, financing, capital markets, licencing, commercial agreements, intellectual property, labour and employment, privacy, litigation and dispute resolution and tax counsel. The knowledge and experience of the members of our Life Sciences Group ensures a deep understanding of the legal considerations unique to clients operating in this space. Many of our intellectual property professionals and patent and trademark agents hold a PhD, MSc or BEng degree in relevant fields of study, including pharmacology, chemistry and medical sciences, infection and immunity.
Aird & Berlis represents a variety of life science, pharmaceutical, health science, veterinary, agricultural, food and beverage, technology and biotechnology companies, as well as medical device manufacturers, hospitals, universities and research institutions. We act for early-stage, emerging and mature businesses.
Our extensive capital markets expertise helps clients take their business to the next level by assisting with financing and go-public transactions, including initial public offerings, reverse takeovers and qualifying transactions, as well as resulting listings on the Canadian Securities Exchange, TSX, TSXV and NEO Exchange.
Aird & Berlis has the domestic and cross-border legal and regulatory expertise to advise companies, investors, lenders and other market participants who are pursuing opportunities in this space, including in the following specialized areas:
Psychedelics – Aird & Berlis is a recognized leader in the psychedelics industry. We advise private and public psychedelics companies, including companies with a focus on pharmaceutical developments, nutraceutical products and clinics. The legal, regulatory and investment landscape of the psychedelics industry continues to rapidly evolve in Canada, the United States and around the world. Aird & Berlis is at the forefront of this change, just as we were with Canada’s cannabis industry. We advise clients on the complex international and Canadian domestic regulations associated with psychedelics, including compliance with the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, Criminal Code, Health Canada Act and the Food and Drugs Act. As a full-service law firm, we can draw on the expertise of professionals across all our practice areas to serve the entire suite of legal and patent needs of our psychedelics clients.
Pharmaceuticals – Our team is dedicated to helping clients succeed in Canada’s highly-regulated, rapidly evolving pharmaceutical sector. We act for pharmaceutical developers, hospitals, universities, research institutions and Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies. Our lawyers and patent agents have extensive experience advising on pharmaceutical patent litigation, including infringement and validity actions, as well as proceedings under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations.
Medical Devices – We support medical device companies throughout each stage of the product lifecycle. Our lawyers and patent agents support inventors, manufacturers, developers, licensors, distributors, hospitals, investors and other stakeholders. Our work covers diagnostic devices, targeted drug delivery, surgical instruments, assays, wound dressings and prosthetics. We regularly provide support with respect to Health Canada product regulations and licencing requirements in connection with the manufacturing of medical devices.
Food and Beverage Products – Aird & Berlis has experience advising food and beverage companies on all aspects of their businesses. We advise on regulatory compliance, including with respect to food safety legislation, such as the Canadian Food and Drugs Act, and dealing with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from the perspective of imports and exports, as well as licences, inspections and product recalls.
Other notable areas of our life sciences expertise include agriculture, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, diagnostics, genomics, green technologies, immunology, nanotechnology, therapeutics, veterinary and virology.
Contacts
-
BioFull bio
Sherri earns the trust of her clients by adeptly managing complex and time-sensitive corporate finance transactions and by providing relevant, busines...
-
BioFull bio
Richard is a creative and results-driven corporate finance lawyer. Both domestically and internationally, Richard brings his business knowledge to th...
-
BioFull bio
With extensive experience in a broad range of corporate finance and commercial matters, Jeffrey offers clients a practical and business-minded approac...
Group Members
Representative Matters
-
Cybin Inc. Completes Acquisition of Small Pharma Inc.
On October 23, 2023, Cybin Inc. (NYSE American: CYBN) (NEO: CYBN) and Small Pharma Inc. (TSXV: DMT) announced the completion of Cybin's acquisition of all of Small Pharma's issued and outstanding secu... -
Cybin Announces At-the-Market Equity Program of Up to US$35 Million
On August 23, 2023, Cybin Inc. announced the renewal of its previously established at-the-market equity program that allows Cybin to issue and sell up to US$35 million of common shares from treasury t... -
Cybin Completes Overnight Marketed Public Offering of Units
On August 4, 2023, Cybin Inc. (NEO:CYBN) (NYSE American: CYBN) announced the closing of its previously announced overnight marketed public offering. -
Cybin Enters US$30-Million Common Share Purchase Agreement
On May 30, 2023, Cybin Inc. entered into a common share purchase agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, an institutional investor. -
Juno Pharmaceuticals Acquires Omega Laboratories
Juno Pharmaceuticals Corp., a leader in the commercialization of specialty pharmaceutical products, announced its acquisition of Omega Laboratories. -
Signet Healthcare Partners Completes Growth Equity Investment in Juno Pharmaceuticals Corp.
Juno Pharmaceuticals Corp., a Canadian specialty generics pharmaceuticals company, announced that it had received a strategic growth investment from Signet Healthcare Partners, a New York-based health... -
Biomind Completes RTO of Crosswinds Holdings, Private Placement and Listing on NEO Exchange
Biomind Labs Inc. (formerly Crosswinds Holdings Inc.), completed a plan of merger under the BVI Business Companies Act 2004 (British Virgin Islands) between Biomind Research Corp and a wholly owned su... -
Cybin Completes $34.5 Million Overnight Marketed Offering
On August 3, 2021, Cybin Inc. (NEO: CYBN) (the “Company”), a biotechnology company focused on progressing psychedelic therapeutics, completed an overnight marketed offering pursuant to a prospectus su... -
Small Pharma Completes $63 Million Brokered and Non-Brokered Private Placements, Qualifying Transaction and Initial Listing on the TSX Venture Exchange
Aird & Berlis acted as Canadian legal counsel to Small Pharma with a team that included Richard Kimel, Melanie Cole, Danny Kharazmi, Sean Green (Capital Markets), Emily Chittick and Al Turnbull (Artic... -
PsyBio Completes Reverse Takeover and $14.5 Million Private Placement
Aird & Berlis represented PsyBio Therapeutics, Inc. in a reverse takeover transaction and $14.5 million private placement.
Recent Developments
-
Firm News
Aird & Berlis Welcomes Nine New Partners
Aird & Berlis is pleased to announce that Meaghan Barrett, Jacob Brown, Holly Cunliffe, Alex Kagan, Amy Marcen-Gaudaur, Dasha Peregoudova, Stefan Radovanovich, Russell Sanders and Leah Silber have bec... -
Event
Psychedelics: A Complex and Changing Regulatory Landscape Focused on Scientific Research and IP Protection
- 04:00 PMJoin our panel of industry experts for a complimentary webinar to learn about recent scientific research on psychedelic medicine, updates to the shifting regulatory landscape, and how to navigate the ... -
TheSpotlight
Whose Liability Is It Anyway? The Court Clarifies the Burden in Summary Trials and Infers Inducement
In Janssen Inc. v. Pharmascience Inc., 2022 FC 62, the Federal Court highlighted two important issues: the burden in summary trial proceedings and the evidentiary burden for proving inducement of pate... -
Article
New Tier, New Horizons for the Canadian Securities Exchange
In order to continue to evolve with developments in the Canadian capital markets, particularly with many more established companies choosing the CSE as their preferred Canadian stock exchange, the CSE...