John Norman

About John Norman

John Norman is a partner in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office who litigates patent disputes for multinational life sciences and technology companies. A lot of that work runs across several patents at once and turns on small molecules, vaccines or biologics, and Norman has led small molecule and biologic disputes brought under Canada's PM(NOC) Regulations. The Federal Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada are all regular stops.

Science came first. Norman earned a BSc and an MSc at Memorial University of Newfoundland, then a PhD in Biochemistry at Dalhousie University, where an LLB followed. Called to the Ontario bar in 2003, Norman is ranked in Chambers Canada for Intellectual Property: Litigation and was named Best Lawyers' 2027 "Lawyer of the Year" in Ottawa for Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice.

Not every file ends up in court. Pharmaceutical clients also bring Norman in to shape business strategies meant to hold up when sophisticated challengers come at them from several directions, and to weigh in on regulatory exclusivity, from data protection and certificates of supplementary protection to which patents get listed. On top of client work, the partner co-heads Gowling WLG's Switzerland country desk, building Canada-Swiss links in life sciences and technology.

BIOTECanada has been part of the picture for years. Norman sat on its Board of Directors from 2013 to 2022, was one of the organization's counsel when it intervened at the Supreme Court of Canada in Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. v. Canada (Health), and served on the advisory group for its 2025 Gold Leaf Awards. You'll also see Norman speaking and writing about patent litigation strategy in pharma and tech.