Matthew Zischka
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.Principal at Smart & Biggar
- Called to the bar
- 1995
- Languages
- English, French, German
Intellectual PropertyIntellectual PropertyAbout Matthew Zischka
Matt Zischka is a principal in Smart & Biggar's Toronto office who brings an engineer's eye to patent work. Public and private companies turn to Zischka with inventions in electrical engineering, software, cloud and mobile technology, and medical devices, along with newer territory like AI, cryptography and fintech. The practice is available in English, French and German.
Zischka studied electrical engineering at Waterloo and law at Queen's, and was called to the Ontario bar in 1995. Registrations as a trademark agent and patent agent sit alongside admission in British Columbia, and Zischka's also registered to practise before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The work doesn't stop at filing. Zischka advises on deals and licences, helps clients read commercial agreements and set up IP policies, and supports litigation. In Badawy v 1038482 Alberta Ltd (2018 FC 807), Zischka and Laura Easton acted for the defendant Schneider Electric, and the patent infringement claim was struck out at the pleadings stage.
Teaching has run alongside practice for decades. Zischka taught patent law as a sessional instructor at Queen's Faculty of Law from 2007 to 2010, lectured in the IPIC-McGill summer patents program from 2001 to 2017 (directing it in 2003), and has trained future patent agents through IPIC. A Fellow of IPIC who has chaired its Patent Practice Committee, Zischka also sits on AIPPI Canada's executive council, and reporters at Canadian Lawyer, The Globe and Mail and Law.com have sought out the principal's views on patent policy.
Practice areas
Patents for technology companies
Patent advice for public and private companies on inventions ranging from software, cloud and mobile technology to electrical systems and medical devices. Zischka also handles patents in AI, cryptography and fintech.
IP transactions and advisory
Advice on IP in transactions and licensing, on how commercial agreements should be read, and on setting up IP policies inside a business.
Litigation support
Acted with Laura Easton for Schneider Electric, the defendant in Badawy v 1038482 Alberta Ltd (2018 FC 807), where the patent infringement action was struck out at the pleadings stage.
Education & credentials
- B.A.Sc. (Electrical Engineering), University of Waterloo (1990)
- LL.B., Queen's University (1993)
- Ontario Bar (1995)
- Registered Trademark Agent (1995)
- Registered Patent Agent (1997)
- British Columbia Bar (2022)
- Registered to practise before the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Awards & recognition
- The Best Lawyers in Canada (Intellectual Property Law, Technology Law), Best Lawyers
- IP Stars: Patent star, Managing IP
Publications & speaking
- How the Amazon ruling affected business-method patents (with Colin B. Ingram), Managing Intellectual Property (2013)
- Patentability and Patent Claims, An Introduction to Claims Drafting, IPIC-McGill Summer Program
- The Intellectual Property Rights Chapter of the USMCA and its impact on competitivity and innovation in the region, AIPPI Canada, A Trilateral IP Cup (2026)
- Developments in Patent Law Harmonization, AIPPI Canada (2025)
- Computer implemented inventions: patent eligibility in Canada, AIPPI US Global Educational Forum (2017)
- A Primer on Intellectual Property, Canadian Bar Association online CLE (2007)
Memberships & affiliations
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC): Fellow and chair of the Patent Legislation Committee; previously chaired the Patent Practice Committee and sat on the International Patent Issues Committee and the Patent Agent Examination Board (2003 to 2005).
- AIPPI Canada: Member of the executive council.
- International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI): Member.
- American Intellectual Property Law Association: Member.
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: Member.
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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 Matthew Zischka’s licence and standing in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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