Natalie Raffoul
Canada
Brion Raffoul LLP
329 Churchill Ave. N
Ottawa, Ontario
K1Z 5B8
Tel: 613.521.8844 x 102
Email:
nraffoul@bripgroup.com
Web:
www.bripgroup.com
Natalie Raffoul is a world-renowned IP lawyer and managing partner of BRION RAFFOUL LLP, a law firm specializing in intellectual property (IP) law. Ms. Raffoul is an expert in the patenting of software, business methods, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and the legal issues surrounding such subject matter.
Since 2020, Natalie has been recognized in the IAM Strategy 300: The World’s Leading IP Strategists as a Global Leader, leading the way in the development and implementation of strategies that maximize the value of IP portfolios. In 2019, Natalie was appointed to Ontario, Canada’s first Expert Panel on IP, and in 2020, she was appointed as an advisor to the Joint Minister’s Roundtable on the Ontario Health Data Platform. She is also an IP advisor to the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) established in June, 2020. In 2021 and 2022, she led and taught several Train-the-Trainer courses for the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) internationally, and, in 2021, Natalie contributed to a new WIPO pilot program for assessing the IP strategy of green technology companies in Europe and Brazil. She is consistently ranked among the world’s leading patent practitioners by the world leading patent professional’s IAM Patent 1000 publication annually since 2014.
In 2017 she was shortlisted as one of seven (7) most Highly Recommended patent prosecutors in Canada, and once again shortlisted in 2019. In 2018, she was recognized in the Who’s Who Legal as a world leading expert for Patents in Canada and by Acquisition International, The Voice of Corporate Finance, as the Most Influential Woman in Patent & Trademark Law in Ottawa. As early as 2015, Ms. Raffoul was recognized by Lawyer Monthly in the Women in Law Awards as the Top Female Patent Lawyer in Canada, and by Corporate LiveWire as the Patent Lawyer of the Year in Canada.
Natalie’s success stems in large part from a passion for spurring innovation in the tech sector since her career start in 2000. Ms. Raffoul works closely with companies to develop and refine IP procurement strategies within the context of a particular company’s business goals and environment. She is a regular lecturer at the Sprott School of Business (Carleton University) and is a faculty member for the Ottawa Lead To Win entrepreneurship program. She has also been invited to speak at the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) on such noteworthy cases as the Amazon decision issued by the Federal Court of Appeal. Natalie is also Director of the joint IPIC/McGill Understanding Patents Course, and lectures on the patenting of software and business methods, as well as on international patent practice.
Ms. Raffoul’s expertise has led to her being appointed to the Ontario government’s only Expert Panel on Commercializing IP in Ontario, which is being led by Chair Jim Balsillie, ex-CEO of BlackBerry.
Ms. Raffoul specializes in filing and prosecuting patent and design applications for her Canadian clients worldwide. She provides advice to her clients, in English and in French, on worldwide patent filing strategies and portfolio management, including trade secret considerations. Her technology expertise includes: electronics, communications and networking, manufacturing, consumer products, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and mobile applications.
As a lawyer, Natalie also works with her clients on a mix of IP enforcement issues (with regard to patents, designs, copyright, trademarks, and trade secrets) in the pre-litigation context. She has negotiated numerous successful agreements for her clients, that cover IP rights in Canada and globally. She is also experienced in drafting customized IP ownership agreements, software license and service agreements, end-user license agreements (EULAs), Material transfer agreements (MTAs), and non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).
Natalie holds a degree in electrical engineering from Western University (London, Canada) and a Juris Doctor in law from Queen’s University (Kingston, Canada). She is also a registered patent agent.
- E.Sc. (Electrical), University of Western Ontario
- D. (Law), Queen’s University
- Registered Canadian Patent Agent
- Registered U.S. Patent Agent
- Eng., Professional Engineer of Ontario
- Barrister & Solicitor (Ontario)
- Notary Public (Ontario)
- Co-Chair, Licensing Executive Society International (LESI) Annual Meeting (August 2020-)
- IP Expert, Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPA)) (June, 2020 -)
- IP Expert, Joint Minister’s Roundtable (JMR) for the Ontario Health Data Platform (OHDP) (May 2020 – )
- Appointment to the Ontario government Expert Panel on Commercializing IP in Ontario, Chaired by Jim Balsillie, ex-CEO of BlackBerry (April 2019 – )
- Ottawa Hospital Foundation, Chair of Governance Committee, Appointed in 2019, and Board Member (2017 – 2021)
- Licensing Executive Society International (LESI) Education Committee, Co-Chair (2018 – )
- McGill/IPIC, Co-Chair of Intellectual Property Courses on Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright, Montreal (2018 – )
- AIPPI, Green Technology Standing Committee, Chair (2018 – ), Secretary (2016 – 2018), Member since 2013
- LES USA Canada, Licensing Executives Society Standards Initiative, IP Management for Startups Committee (2017 – )
- IPIC Advocacy Group, representing Canadian IP professional before MPs, including Cabinet Ministers to raise awareness of key IP issues (2015 – 2018)
- McGill/IPIC, Director of Patent Course, Montreal (2016 – 2018)
- LES USA Canada Board Nomination Committee (2018 – 2019)
- Secretary, LES USA Canada Foundation Board (2016 – 2018)
- LESI, Chair of YMC Committee (2017 – 2018)
- Chair of 2nd Pan-American LESI YMC Event, Ottawa, June 10, 2016
- Chair of Speaker Bank Committee, IPIC Women in IP Networking Group (2016 – 2018)
- Board Reviewer – Lead To Win (Business Development Program for Entrepreneurs) – Ottawa (2011 – )
- Organizing Committee, 2017 LES IP100 meeting, for IP Owners by IP Owners
- Board Member and Engagement Committee Chair, Western University Alumni Association Board, London, Ontario (2013 – 2017 )
- Chair of the Campaign Cabinet of the Caring and Sharing Exchange, Ottawa (2013 – 2016)
- Director – Signority Inc., Ottawa (2012 – 2014)
- Lead To Win Faculty Member and Lecturer (Winter 2012, Fall 2013, Winter 2014, Spring 2015)
- Mock Interviewer for the Legal Links & Bridges Mentoring Program, The University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law (Common Law Section) (2011, 2013)
- Board Member and Secretary, Vanier Community Service Centre (2010 – 2012)
- Board Member, Vanier Community Association (2010 – 2013)
- Programming Committee Member and Fundraising Committee Member, Dress for Success Ottawa National Capital Region (2010 – 2011)
- American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)
- International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
- International Trademark Association (INTA)
- Licensing Executive Society (LES USA & CANADA)
- Licensing Executive Society International (LESI)
- Royal Ottawa Golf Club
- LESI (Licensing Executive Society International) – Moderator: “Regulatory & Legislative Trends Affecting Standard Essential Patents (SEPs)” – May 1, 2023
- TechAlliance – Speaker: “Building your Data Room” – December 13, 2022
- IAM AI IP Europe – Moderator: “Integrating AI into law firms and IP departments” – November 3, 2022
- CAN-TECH Law – Speaker: “Intellectual Property Update: “What Technology Law Practitioners Need to Know” – November 2, 2022
- TechExit – Speaker: “IP Strategy for Your Exit” – October 19, 2022
- AUTM (Association of University Technology Managers) – Speaker: “Defining Tech Transfer Roles & Managing Expectations” – May 21, 2022
- WIPF (World IP Forum) Speaker: “Prosecuting Software Patents for Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML)” – May 5, 2021
- Digital Supercluster – Speaker: “Top 10 IP Pitfalls for Companies in the Digital Space” – April 21, 2021
Founded in 2008, Brion Raffoul LLP is a premier Canadian IP law boutique based in Ottawa. Since our founding, the firm has been committed to providing excellent quality service in a timely manner to meet all of the intellectual property needs of our clients.
We have a strong Canadian client base that includes local inventors and businesses, as well as multinational corporations, universities, and Canadian government agencies, in various technical domains, such as artificial intelligence, cyber security, telecommunications, electronics, machines, heavy equipment, consumer products, sports apparel, metallurgy, oil and gas, microbiology and pharmaceuticals. From start-ups, to universities and government agencies, to both private and publicly-traded companies, we represent the intellectual property interests of our clients worldwide.
We are an energetic group of professionals and staff that work closely together to deliver the best service to all of our clients. That energy and passion has led us to being recognized as one of the Top 50 Most Active Patent Filers in Canada every year since 2013.
We are able to provide our IP services in English, French, Spanish.