Own Innovation
Automatically compiled listing. Details may contain errors.7 lawyers · Waterloo Region
One of 102 law firms listed in Kitchener, and one of 5 handling Intellectual Property.
About Own Innovation
Own Innovation is devoted to intellectual property. The Kitchener firm pairs legal and business services so that institutions and fast-growing companies can turn their innovations into commercial value in Canada, and it helps tech startups and other businesses secure ownership of their IP. James Hinton founded the firm, and the team now numbers 17 IP professionals.
Hinton is an IP lawyer who also acts as a patent agent and a trademark agent before the Canadian IP Office, and works directly with the US Patent and Trademark Office for Canadian companies. Hinton came to law from mechanical engineering, having managed fibreglass projects and worked in the heavy truck industry. Hinton holds a Bachelor of Engineering from McMaster University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto, and is a fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, studying IP and innovation policy.
Many of the team came to IP from technical or industry work. Kent Howe was VP legal and director of intellectual property at a Canadian AI company before joining, and John Bannister spent several years as an engineer in the aerospace industry. Sanj Shivakumar did cancer research and has contributed to peer-reviewed publications. Daniel Biggs majored in linguistics and computer science at McGill, Osman Ismaili worked at IP boutiques in Toronto and Ottawa and at a global legal software company, and Elizabeth Hinton is a Professional Engineer with consulting experience in civil engineering.
Anna Shin finished Western Law in 2025, specializing in intellectual property, information and technology law, and stayed on full time after articling with the firm. On the administrative side, the team includes a Certified Canadian Patent Administrator, a certified Canadian Trademark Administrator with more than 10 years in IP administration, and a colleague with over 30 years in intellectual property.
Practice areas
Patents and trademarks
Patent work sits at the centre of the firm's services. Own Innovation prepares, files and prosecutes utility and design patent applications as well as trademark applications, including office action and ESSR responses, and adds portfolio management, internal IP policies and toolkits, and IP education.
Strategy and analytics
The firm's strategy advice is built on research data, analytics and its experience with growing companies. Deliverables include sector landscapes, freedom to operate studies, portfolio analysis and patentability assessments.
Agreements and technology transfer
On the transactional side, the firm's work covers licence and collaboration agreements, NDAs, assignments and tech transfers, along with M&A review.
Government IP policy
Own Innovation advises public and not-for-profit bodies, including government departments and agencies, educational institutions and innovation facilitators, along with the private partners they work with.
Enforcement
Its enforcement services run from infringement monitoring and triage through to enforcement and litigation support.
Cleantech and aerospace
In cleantech, Own Innovation has experience with recycling and materials generation, waste and end-of-life management, maintenance technologies, and upgrades or retrofits that save energy and cost. On the aerospace side, its expertise covers mechanical work, fluid mechanics, and wired and over-the-air signal transmission.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleHow Own Innovation works
Own Innovation treats intellectual property as an asset, not a legal spend. Its IP strategies are data driven and aim to guide where clients put their resources when developing and owning IP, and its support combines targeted strategy with legal services to help companies start up, scale up and shore up their IP position.
Milestones & recognition
- In 2020 James Hinton co-founded the Innovation Asset Collective, which offered Canadian companies financial support for filing and prosecuting patents, among other services.
- James Hinton of Own Innovation appeared before the Finance Committee as an individual to speak to budget 2022.
In the community
- Hinton advocates for pro bono legal services and, at incubators and accelerators both local and national, helps entrepreneurs with IP and IP strategy.
Affiliations & connections
- Council of Canadian Innovators: James Hinton collaborates with the Council of Canadian Innovators on national IP strategy and innovation initiatives.
- Balsillie School of International Affairs: James Hinton is a fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, working on digital and technology governance.
- Western University: James Hinton teaches IP to engineers as an assistant professor at Western University.
Lawyers 7
Daniel Biggs
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent (Canada, US)
James W. Hinton
Owner & Founder
John Bannister
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Kent Howe
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Osman Ismaili
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Intellectual Property
Rachel Wang
IP Strategist
Intellectual Property
Sanj Shivakumar
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Law schools
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Queen's University 2 of 7 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Own Innovation works from Unit 210 at 137 Glasgow Street, inside Catalyst137. The building was a Uniroyal-Goodrich tire warehouse, built in 1957 and never insulated, until its exterior was reclad and a new roof added to give it a completely new envelope. Catalyst137 was created to support innovation in the community and to give Internet of Things companies the resources they need to scale up.
Catalyst137 adjoins the Iron Horse Trail and has spent a lot of money on new and improved trail entrances so tenants can walk, jog or bike to work. About 5 km long, the trail links Kitchener and Waterloo and is the spine of Kitchener's multi-use trail corridor. Its name reflects its industrial heritage along a former rail corridor.
Legal support staff 2
Law clerks, paralegals and articling students at this firm. They are not licensed lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
- How does Own Innovation handle an infringement dispute that needs to go further?
- When an infringement matter needs further action, Own Innovation provides access to options that lower the risk of litigation, or supports litigation through established partners, backed by its understanding of the client's IP position.
- Does Own Innovation offer Canadian national filings for companies based outside Canada?
- Yes. Own Innovation commits to cost competitive Canadian national filings for both local and global companies.
- Will Own Innovation take on software and other computer-implemented inventions?
- Yes. Own Innovation has cultivated a passion for patenting computer-implemented inventions, work other IP professionals have avoided. Members of its team trained and practised in software and computer development, and bring industry experience in fields such as robotics, AI, eCommerce and cybersecurity.
- Has Own Innovation worked with university technology transfer offices?
- Yes. Own Innovation has experience with university technology transfer offices, government institutions, and collectives such as incubators, and draws on it to bring clarity that lets clients focus on their development and business goals.
- Can Own Innovation train our developers to protect IP inside the company?
- Yes. Own Innovation offers IP management training and tools that show an organization's leaders and developers why IP needs protecting internally and in collaborations, so future patent and other IP protection opportunities stay open.
Where to find them
137 Glasgow Street, Unit 210, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4X8 · 519-721-3580
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Immigration LawThis 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 the firm’s own website. Verify licence status in the Law Society of Ontario directory ↗
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