Own Innovation
8 lawyers · Waterloo Region
One of 105 law firms listed in Kitchener, and one of 5 handling Intellectual Property.
About Own Innovation
Own Innovation is an intellectual property firm in Kitchener, Ontario, founded by IP lawyer James Hinton. The firm works only on IP, and its clients are high-growth technology companies, startups, and institutions that want to turn research and inventions into commercial value. The work covers patent and trademark preparation and prosecution in Canada, the United States, and internationally, along with IP strategy and analytics, IP agreements, licensing and technology transfer, and enforcement of IP rights. The firm also advises government departments and agencies on IP policy.
The firm's approach starts with how it frames intellectual property: it's a business asset, not just a legal expense, and the firm uses data-driven analysis to decide where a client should invest in protection. The team runs to roughly 15 IP professionals, including IP lawyers, patent agents, trademark agents, patent scientists and engineers, and IP managers and clerks, and several members hold both a law degree and patent-agent qualifications. Hinton studied mechanical engineering at McMaster University and worked in engineering and manufacturing before earning a law degree at the University of Toronto, and that technical background runs through the firm's work with hardware and technology clients.
Practice areas
Milestones & recognition
- The firm was founded by IP lawyer James Hinton, who is qualified as a patent agent and trademark agent before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office and works directly with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on behalf of Canadian companies.
- In 2020 the founder co-founded the Innovation Asset Collective, a federally funded patent collective set up to help Canadian companies build and manage intellectual property.
- The founder is an assistant professor at Western University, teaching intellectual property to engineering students, and holds fellowships at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
- The founder has appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance to testify on intellectual property and innovation.
In the community
- The firm supports pro bono legal work and mentors entrepreneurs on IP strategy at technology incubators and accelerators.
- The founder has volunteered with Communitech, the Kitchener-Waterloo technology hub, and works with the Council of Canadian Innovators on Canada's national IP strategy.
Good to know
Wheelchair accessibleLawyers 8
Daniel Biggs
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent (Canada, US)
Intellectual Property
Elizabeth Hinton
Patent Engineer and Intellectual Property Specialist
James W. Hinton
Owner & Founder
Intellectual Property
John Bannister
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Intellectual Property
Kent Howe
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Intellectual Property
Osman Ismaili
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Intellectual Property
Rachel Wang
IP Strategist
Sanj Shivakumar
Intellectual Property Lawyer and Patent Agent
Intellectual Property
This firm’s lawyers at a glance
- Called to the bar
- 2018 · median 8 years in practice 1 of 8 lawyers
- Law schools
- University of Toronto (2), Osgoode Hall Law School, Queen's University, University of Leicester, University of Windsor 6 of 8 lawyers
Who handles what
The neighbourhood
Own Innovation works out of Unit 210 at 137 Glasgow Street, inside Catalyst137. The building is a former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire warehouse from 1957 that was redeveloped and reopened in 2017 as a large hardware and Internet of Things technology hub, filled with startups, manufacturers, prototyping equipment, and shared workspace across roughly 475,000 square feet. For a firm whose clients are technology companies turning inventions into protected assets, being based inside a working hardware campus puts it right next to the kind of businesses it serves.
Legal support staff 2
Law clerks, paralegals and articling students at this firm. They are not licensed lawyers.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Own Innovation do?
- Own Innovation is an intellectual property firm. It handles patents and trademarks, IP strategy and commercialization, IP agreements and licensing, technology transfer, and enforcement of IP rights, and it advises on IP policy.
- Can Own Innovation file patents and trademarks in the United States as well as Canada?
- Yes. The firm prepares and prosecutes patent and trademark applications in Canada, the United States, and internationally, and the founder works directly with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for Canadian companies.
- I'm a startup founder in Waterloo Region. Can Own Innovation help protect my technology?
- Yes. The firm focuses on high-growth technology companies, startups, and institutions, and it helps them build and protect the IP behind their products.
- Does Own Innovation handle trademarks, or only patents?
- Both. Alongside its patent work, the firm has trademark agents on staff and prepares and prosecutes trademark applications in Canada and abroad.
- Can Own Innovation help with IP licensing and technology transfer?
- Yes. The firm drafts IP agreements and handles licensing and technology transfer, along with IP strategy and commercialization.
- Where is Own Innovation located and how do I reach it?
- The firm is at 137 Glasgow Street, Unit 210, in Kitchener, Ontario, inside the Catalyst137 technology hub. You can reach it by phone at 519-721-3580.
Where to find them
137 Glasgow Street, Unit 210, Kitchener, Ontario N2G 4X8 · 519-721-3580
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