Law and venture capital firms form partnership at MaRS Discovery District

Toronto, ON – Law firm Ogilvy Renault and venture capital firm BioScience Managers have created a joint venture called Bioscience Exchange @ MaRS. The initiative will be an anchor tenant at MaRS Centre, located in downtown Toronto’s new research community.

Leading lawyers and patent agents from Ogilvy Renault’s intellectual property and business law groups will be based at the office on a secondment basis, collaborating with MaRS’ diverse set of tenants in the academic, business and scientific communities. These lawyers and agents will offer advice on all stages of the business cycle, from patenting inventions to establishing trademark and marketing strategies to help commercialize discoveries and structure transactions.

“We are excited to team up with BioScience Managers in this exciting collaborative initiative,” said Joan Van Zant, Partner and National Co-Chair of Ogilvy Renault’s Intellectual Property group. “Our team is looking forward to working outside a traditional office environment and on the ground with companies seeking to take their research to the next level at MaRS.”

BioScience Managers will base investment manager Michael Midmer in the new office and rotate through members of its international investment team as it considers investment opportunities in Canada. BML team members include the former head of global research planning at Ciba and the former head of strategy and acquisitions at Merck.

Together, the partners say they intend to create an inclusive and collaborative environment by inviting other venture capital firms, banks, and interested stakeholders to participate in workshops and other interactive events to support the life sciences and technology sectors and help entrepreneurs and researchers commercialize their discoveries. These workshops and lectures will include advice on business plan development, raising capital, developing intellectual property and strategic planning.