Demian Barbas
Partner, Patent Agent
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Related services and key industries
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Biography
Demian Barbas drafts and prosecutes patent applications, providing validity, infringement, freedom to operate and patentability opinions, and preparing due diligence reports, particularly in the field of life sciences, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, biotechnology, polymer chemistry and metallurgy. He also has experience filing and prosecuting plant breeder’s rights applications. Dr. Barbas provides strategic advice to clients regarding patent portfolio management in more than 42 countries.
He has developed unique experience in protecting inventions relating to peptide-based and nucleotide-based therapy, food science and natural products.
Dr. Barbas represented clients at appeal hearings in front of the Patent Appeal Board in Canada and has negotiated multiple times with Canadian and American examiners directly at the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He also represented a client during negotiations with Japanese examiners directly at the Japanese Patent Office.
Dr. Barbas also provides technical assistance in litigation matters and commercial transactions.
His doctoral thesis focused on the molecular and physiological characterization of dopaminergic and serotonergic receptors (G-protein coupled receptors) involved in learning and memory. Dr. Barbas received scholarships from the NSERC, FCAR-FRSQ and the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the University of Montreal during his doctoral studies.
He is currently the Montréal local chair of our intellectual property group.
Dr. Barbas speaks French, English and Spanish fluently.
Professional experience
Collapse allPh.D., Biochemistry, Université de Montréal, 2005
B.Sc., Biochemistry, Université de Montréal, 1999
- Canada (patents) 2009
- United States (patents) 2009
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Lithion Recycling: Member of the Montreal office's team that acted as counsel in protecting the company's processes for recycling lithium-ion batteries. Provided general corporate and employment law advice relating to the company's partnering and financing opportunities. Member of the team that advised Lithion Recycling on a Series A equity financing for an amount of up to C$125 million
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Advised Acasti Pharma Inc. in its due diligence process in connection with its acquisition of Grace Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held emerging biopharmaceutical company focused on developing innovative drug delivery technologies for the treatment of rare and orphan diseases
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Advised ExCellThera Inc., a clinical-stage molecular medicine company delivering molecules and bioengineering solutions to expand stem and immune cells for therapeutic use and that has entered into a licensing agreement with a global pharma, in its general management and consolidation of its IP portfolio
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Member of the team that advised Lithion Recycling Inc. on a Series A equity financing for an amount of up to C$125 million
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Advised Enerkem Inc., a company specializing in the production of renewable fuels and chemicals by gasification of non-recyclable waste, in its general management and consolidation of its IP portfolio, and member of the team that advised the company in its due diligence process relating to its IP in connection with Repsol's investment of $170 million, of which $75 million is in the company equity and $95 million in convertible debt
- Awards for his doctoral research work
- “Similarities and differences between the U.S. and Canadian patent practice: how to effectively prosecute patents in Canada,” Carolina Patent Trademark & Copyright Law Association fall meeting, Isle of Palms, SC, September 24, 2011.
- Affiliate, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada