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People

Melanie Baird

Partner

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Tel: +1 437 873 9083

Email: mbaird@tyrllp.com

Professional Designations:
Bar Admission (Ontario), 2008
Trademark Agent, 2010

Practice Areas:

  • Arbitration
  • Class Action Defence
    • Advertising & Consumer Claims
    • Appellate Litigation
    • Commercial Disputes
    • Directors & Officers Liability
    • Patent Litigation
    • Trademark & Copyright Litigation
  • Life Sciences & Pharma Litigation
  • Privacy & Technology Disputes

Melanie is an exceptional trial lawyer and the head of the firm's Intellectual Property Litigation Group. She is the go-to Canadian adviser for an array of world-leading life sciences and technology companies.

Melanie's diverse intellectual property and commercial litigation practice encompasses patent, trademark, complex commercial, class actions, product liability, regulatory and technology disputes. Known for her bold and creative approach to advocacy, she is adept at devising strategic options and navigating cross-border issues.

Melanie has been consistently recognized as a leading litigator both in Canada and globally. She was named IP Litigator of the Year by Benchmark in 2022 and again in 2023. She is ranked as one of the Top 100 Women Litigators in Canada and one of the Top 250 Women in IP worldwide and is recognized by every major legal directory including Lexpert, IAM Patent 1000 and Chambers.

Melanie excels at litigating cases in emerging fields. She acted on the first biologic and the first biosimilar drug patent cases in Canada in addition to numerous precedent-setting trials, applications, and appeals. Melanie works extensively with life sciences companies on complex litigation and regulatory issues of all sorts and is intimately familiar with the business of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. In particular, she has extensive experience leading litigation under the Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations. Melanie also has broad experience in the software, technology and social media fields, handling commercial, patent, trademark, copyright and licensing disputes. She is a registered Canadian trademark agent.

Click on a case to view details.

Bausch Health, Canada et al. ats Pharmascience Inc. re: SUBLINOX® Bausch Healthcare Co. Inc., Valeant Canada S.E.C. et al. ats The Province of British Columbia (Canadian Opioid Class Actions) Charette v. Trinity Capital Corporation Cronos ats Langevin Crown Equipment Corporation ats Crown Lift Truck Services Crown Equipment Corporation ats Crown Lift Truck Services Facebook ats United American Corp. Florida Food Products LLP ats Kerry Group Services International, Ltd. et al. G&W Distilling Inc. et al. ats Stephen Christoper Goodridge and Judith Ann Goodridge Glofish Inc. v. Oceanview Enterprise et al. IBM Canada Limited ats Hawk Technology Systems LLC Instagram ats United American Corp. International Business Machines Corporation ats Smart Cloud Inc. Janssen Inc. ats Teva Canada Limited re: VELCADE® Janssen Inc. ats AbbVie Corporation re: STELARA® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Natco re: IMBRUVICA® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Apotex Inc. re: OPSUMIT® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Generic Medical Partners Inc. re: OPSUMIT® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Hospira Healthcare Corporation re: REMICADE® Janssen Inc. et al. v. JAMP Pharma Corporation re: OPSUMIT® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Sandoz Canada Inc. re: OPSUMIT® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Sandoz Canada Inc. re: UPTRAVI® Janssen Inc. et al. v. Sandoz re: IMBRUVICA® Janssen Inc. v. Apotex Inc. re: PREZISTA® Janssen Pharmaceutica NV v. Apotex Inc. re: ODEFSEY® Kenvue ats Glyco Biosciences Mill Street Brewery ats The Tragically Hip Newmont et al. ats Zacon The Kennedy Trust ats Hospira Healthcare Corporation Valeant Canada LP v. Generic Partners Canada Inc. re: GLUMETZA® Various Law Firms Various pharmaceutical companies Various technology and software companies Willow Biosciences ats Aurora Cannabis
Professional Affiliations

Melanie is an executive member of The Advocates' Society Mid-Career Advocates Committee, as well as an active participant in many other legal and Intellectual Property related organizations.

Teaching Engagements

Melanie regularly speaks and teaches on advocacy and intellectual property topics.

  • Remedies in Patent Law Intellectual Property Institute of Canada Patent Case Law Review Webinar Series, annually from 2021 through 2023.
  • Claim Construction Issues 10th Annual University of Toronto Patent Colloquium, January 28, 2022.
  • An Evening with the Commercial Bench The Advocates Society, January 20, 2022.
  • Managing Your Leadership Agenda Women in Law Leadership Forum, Canadian Lawyer, September 9, 2021.
  • Patent Litigation Breakout Session Canadian Bar Association, IP Symposium, May 20, 2021.
Education
  • University of Western Ontario (with Distinction, Dean's Honour List), LLB, 2007
  • University of Western Ontario (with Distinction, Dean's Honour List), Genetics and Media Information and Technoculture, BSc, 2004
  • Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2024 (Intellectual Property: Litigation)
  • Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyers – Independently Rated Lawyers – 2022-2024 (As nominated by senior in-house counsel)
  • Chambers Canada: Canada's Leading Lawyers for Business – 2021–2024 (Intellectual Property: Litigation)
  • IAM Global Leaders 20205
  • IAM Patent 1000: The World's Leading Patent Professionals – 2020-2024 (Recommended Individual – Patent Litigation: Gold)
  • WTR 1000: The World's Leading Trademark Professionals – 2021-2024 (Recommended Individual – Enforcement and Litigation)
  • The Best Lawyers in Canada – 2020-2025 (Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice, Corporate and Commercial Litigation, Health Care Law, Insurance Law, Intellectual Property Law)
  • Benchmark Canada Awards – 2022 and 2023 (IP Litigator of the Year)
  • The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory – 2019-2024 (Litigation – Corporate Commercial; Litigation – Intellectual Property; Life Sciences & Health; Intellectual Property)
  • Benchmark Canada (2020-2024: Top 100 Women in Litigation – Canada; 2017-2023: 40 & Under Hot List; 2017-2024: Litigation Star)
  • Managing Intellectual Property's IP Stars (2020-2024: Top 250 Women in IP worldwide; 2018-2024: Patent Star and Trademark Star)
  • Lexpert Special Editions (2022-2024: Technology and Health Sciences, Litigation; 2021: Cannabis and Technology, Health Sciences)
  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2025 (Leading Partner in IP)
  • The Legal 500 Canada – 2020-2023 (Next Generation Partner – Intellectual Property)
  • Who's Who Legal: Global – 2021-2024 (Life Sciences – Patent Litigation, IP – Patents)
  • Who's Who Legal: Canada – 2021-2024 (Life Sciences and Patents)
  • Lexpert Rising Stars 2021: Canada's Leading Lawyers Under 40
  • Euromoney's LMG Life Sciences Expert Guide 2019 (Intellectual Property)
  • LMG Life Sciences Awards 2017 (Canadian Rising Star)