Jay Zakaïb
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.Partner at Gowling WLG
- Called to the bar
- 1999
- Languages
- English, French
Intellectual PropertyIntellectual PropertyAbout Jay Zakaïb
Owners of patents and other IP rights are the clients Jay Zakaïb usually stands beside. A litigation partner at Gowling WLG in Ottawa, Jay works to keep a client's product exclusive, or to win damages when that exclusivity has been lost. Patent cases are the core of it, and most come from five industries: agri-food, manufacturing, petrochemicals, material sciences and life sciences. Jay's clients have included Eli Lilly, Amgen, Goodyear and Sobeys.
Engineering came first. Jay studied chemical engineering at McGill University, with a minor in biotechnology, and before law school spent time as a chemical engineer supporting manufacturing at several microelectronics companies, IBM among them, on research as well as commercial-scale production. McGill then awarded Jay law degrees in both the common law and the civil law, and the call to the Ontario bar came in 1999.
Jay is fully bilingual and has litigated in English and in French. For more than fifteen years, Jay's advocacy has played out in the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, plus other courts and regulators across Canada. In 2020 Jay was one of the IP lawyers on a remote ADR team set up in the firm's Ottawa office, offering mediation, arbitration and early neutral evaluation in either official language.
Teaching ran alongside the practice. For many years Jay lectured at the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, with courses covering an introduction to IP, patent law and IP litigation.
Practice areas
Patent enforcement
The patent rights Jay enforces and protects run from chemical compounds, including small molecules and macromolecules, to formulations and materials. They also cover manufactured goods such as medical devices and food products, along with manufacturing processes and new uses for known integers.
Patent Register listings and NOC proceedings
For pharmaceutical clients, Jay brings judicial review applications over the listing of patents on the Patent Register, and enforces listed patents in Notice of Compliance proceedings.
Trademarks and administrative reviews
Brand owners rely on Jay in trademark litigation over enforcement and validity. Jay has also advised on and argued judicial reviews of decisions made by the Registrar of Trademarks and its delegates, the Commissioner of Patents, the Minister of Health and the Minister of the Environment.
Patent agent work and regulatory strategy
Jay is a licensed patent agent who helps clients manage prosecution and regulatory requirements, using enforcement, regulatory strategy and, where it's available, data protection. That includes advice on claiming requirements and subject matter objections for medicines and on approval rules for subsequent entry biologics (SEBs). Trade secrets and competition law are part of the advice too.
Education & credentials
- Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical), minor in Biotechnology, McGill University (1992)
- LLB, BCL (National Program), McGill University (1997)
- Called to the Ontario bar (1999)
- Licensed patent agent
Notable cases
- Apotex Inc. v. Shire LLC and Shire Pharma Canada ULC, SCC file 39662 (leave application from 2021 FCA 52)
Jay Zakaïb and Alex Gloor of Gowling WLG were counsel for Shire LLC and Shire Pharma Canada ULC, which own a patent on the compound lisdexamfetamine, in Apotex's bid for leave to appeal a Federal Court of Appeal judgment. The Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the leave application with costs on October 7, 2021.
Decisions where Jay Zakaïb appeared as counsel, from public court records. Past cases don't predict future results.
Awards & recognition
- Chambers Canada, Intellectual Property: Litigation (Nationwide), Band 5, Chambers and Partners (2027)
- The Best Lawyers in Canada, Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice (recognized since 2025), Best Lawyers
Publications & speaking
- Self-represented litigants in IP litigation, McGill Intellectual Property Law Student Association (2020)
- Patent law lecture, Fordham IP conference
- Technology transfer and IP protection, Bio-Europe
Memberships & affiliations
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada: Jay Zakaïb is a member of IPIC.
- Canadian Bar Association: The Canadian Bar Association counts Jay among its members.
- Carleton County Law Association: Jay also holds membership in the Carleton County Law Association.
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This listing was generated by AI from public sources in October 2026. It may contain errors, and we can’t guarantee it’s accurate or complete. Before you rely on anything here, verify it on their firm’s website. Confirm Jay Zakaïb’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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