What Moffat & Co. does

Moffat & Co. is a private, mid-size intellectual property law firm headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (Suite 715, 11 Holland Ave), with a working history going back to the early 1970s. The firm provides full-stack IP legal services across seven practice areas: patents (drafting, prosecution, opinions, and litigation), trademarks (registration, opposition, expungement, enforcement), copyrights, industrial designs, integrated circuit topographies, plant breeders' rights, and licensing/technology transfer. Its team — roughly twenty-plus professionals and twenty support staff — is composed of registered Canadian Patent Agents, registered Canadian Trademark Agents, and Barristers & Solicitors, with a distinctive concentration of advanced technical credentials spanning mechanical, chemical, electrical, and computer engineering, biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, geology, pharmacy, and architecture, including multiple Ph.D. holders and a Professional Engineer.

The firm serves a horizontally segmented client base ranging from individual inventors and Canadian SMEs/startups to multinational corporations with international portfolios, and it represents client interests in over 200 countries through referral and correspondent networks (with active ties to ASIPI, CIOPORA, and the Canadian Consulate General in Brazil). Delivery is direct, white-serve professional engagement — primarily relationship- and referral-led, supplemented by content marketing (IP blog, articles) and a LinkedIn/Facebook/Instagram presence — with fees that are hourly, fixed-fee, or project-based and not publicly disclosed. The firm operates a sister-firm relationship with Macera & Jarzyna LLP, through which articling students complete their articles before being called to the Bar and joining Moffat & Co.; this functions as a structured talent pipeline.

Commercially the firm is partner-owned, with no disclosed external investors, parent company, funding rounds, or M&A activity. Strategic activity is operational: continuous conversion of articlers into associates (Rebecca Huang in 2022, Robert Thompson in 2024, Jordan Davis and Zosia Zielinski in 2025), publication of thought-leadership articles on emerging IP regimes (AI-assisted invention patentability in September 2024; the WIPO Riyadh Design Law Treaty in January 2025), and sustained involvement in international IP associations. There are no proprietary technology products, platforms, or APIs; the 'product' is the human expertise of its agents and lawyers.

Name

Moffat & Co.

Legal name

Moffat & Co.

Website

https://moffatco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Moffat & Co. is a mid-size Ottawa-based intellectual property law firm serving Canadian SMEs, startups, inventors, and multinational corporations with full-stack IP services — patents, trademarks, copyright, industrial design, chip topographies, plant breeders' rights, and licensing — across more than 200 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Law Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

IP Search, Watch & Competitive Intelligence (BPAHAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Copyright Services & Content Protection (BPAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Intellectual property law
• Patent prosecution services
• Trademark registration
• Industrial design protection
• Copyright litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal and IP Professional Services: Revenue generated through professional legal fees for intellectual property services including patent drafting, filing and prosecution, trademark registration and litigation, copyright matters, industrial design protection, chip topography registration, plant breeders' rights, licensing agreements, and technology transfer services. Fees are typically billed hourly, per project, or as fixed-fee arrangements depending on service type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Moffat & Co. is a Canadian intellectual property law firm providing patent, trademark, copyright, industrial design, chip topography, plant breeders' rights, and licensing/technology transfer services. The firm drafts, files, and prosecutes IP applications; conducts searches and opinions on registrability, validity, and infringement; and litigates trademark opposition and expungement proceedings. Services are delivered to individual inventors, SMEs, startups, and multinational corporations seeking IP protection in Canada and internationally across more than 200 countries.

Product overview

Moffat & Co. is a mid-size intellectual property law firm based in Ottawa, Canada, offering comprehensive IP legal services. The firm operates as a single unified legal practice rather than a platform architecture, providing seven core service areas: Patent Services (including agency, prosecution, and litigation), Trademark Services (registration, opposition, and enforcement), Copyright Services, Industrial Design Services, Chip Topography Services, Plant Breeders' Rights Services, and Licenses and Technology Transfers. These services are delivered through a team of IP lawyers, patent agents, and trademark agents who assist clients in protecting intellectual property rights in Canada and internationally across over 200 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Services Patent agency services including preliminary searches, drafting, filing, and prosecution; opinions on patentability, novelty, validity, title, and infringement. Coverage includes structural, electronic, computer hardware and software, chemical, metallurgical, biological, biotechnical, and biomechanical patents for inventors, SMEs, startups, and multinational corporations.
• Trademark Services Trademark litigation, opposition, and expungement proceedings; trademark agency services including searches, drafting, filing, and prosecution; opinions on registrability, validity, title, infringement, product labelling, packaging, and advertising. Provided for Canadian and international brand owners.
• Copyright Services Copyright litigation, preliminary searching, drafting, filing, and prosecuting copyrights, and opinions concerning copyright infringement. Available to creators, publishers, and businesses protecting original works.
• Industrial Design Services Preliminary searching, drafting, filing, and prosecuting industrial design applications; opinions on registrability, validity, title, and infringement. Provided to manufacturers and designers seeking protection for the visual appearance of products.
• Chip Topography Services Preparing, filing, and searching integrated circuit topographies for protection of semiconductor chip designs. Targeted at semiconductor designers and electronics companies.
• Plant Breeders' Rights Services Preparing, filing, and acquiring field studies for plant breeders' rights applications; monitoring the Plant Varieties Journal for recently examined plant varieties for objection/opposition purposes. Serves plant breeders and agricultural innovators.
• Licenses and Technology Transfers Negotiation, drafting, and preparation of license agreements and assignments; strategic planning and counselling regarding the transfer of technology and trade secrets. Provided to clients commercializing or licensing IP assets.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Canadian Consulate General in Rio de JaneirominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2018Moffat & Co. co-hosted a dinner reception with the Canadian Consul General at her Official Residence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Reception celebrated firms and companies from Rio who have entrusted their business to Moffat & Co.
• ASIPI (Inter American Intellectual Property Association)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2018Partners Eduardo Fonseca and James Palmer attended the ASIPI annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro. Firm maintains active involvement in international IP associations.
• Macera & Jarzyna LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister law firm with close operational ties to Moffat & Co. Articling students complete articles at Macera & Jarzyna LLP before joining Moffat & Co. Multiple professionals work across both firms.
• CIOPORA (International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Ornamental and Fruit Plants)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoffat & Co. professionals contributed an article on Plant Breeders' Rights for Cannabis in Canada, published by CIOPORA. CIOPORA is a major international PBR/PVP association with members from 25 countries.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Norton Rose Fulbright Canada: Global law firm with a substantial Canadian IP practice covering patents, trademarks, and IP litigation. Competes for the same multinational IP clients that Moffat serves, while offering global office coverage.
• Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP: Major Canadian full-service law firm with a strong IP group serving technology, life sciences, and consumer products clients. Represents similar multinational client types as Moffat, though operating at much larger scale and broader practice scope.
• McCarthy Tétrault LLP: One of Canada's largest full-service law firms with a recognized IP litigation and prosecution group. Comparable in serving enterprise and SME IP clients, but with significantly broader corporate and litigation capabilities.
• Fish & Richardson: Internationally recognized IP-specialist law firm with strong patent prosecution and litigation capabilities in the US and globally. Comparable IP-only focus but operates at much larger scale with US-headquartered footprint.
• Gowling WLG (Canada): Top-tier Canadian law firm with a substantial IP practice covering patents, trademarks, and litigation. Overlaps with Moffat's IP services but offers broader corporate, regulatory, and litigation capabilities as part of a full-service global platform.
• Fasken LLP: Major Canadian law firm with a notable IP practice covering patents, trademarks, copyright, and litigation across multiple offices. Overlaps with Moffat's enterprise and SME IP clients while providing full-service legal coverage.
• Marks & Clerk Canada: Canadian arm of the global Marks & Clerk IP-specialist network, one of the largest IP practices worldwide. Comparable IP-only focus and patent/trademark prosecution mix, but operates at substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Smart & Biggar LLP: Largest Canadian IP-specialist law firm, headquartered in Ottawa with offices across Canada. Directly comparable to Moffat as a Canadian IP boutique serving inventors, SMEs, and multinationals with patent and trademark prosecution and litigation.
• Ridout & Maybee LLP: Long-standing Toronto-based Canadian IP boutique specializing in patents, trademarks, and industrial designs. Comparable mid-sized IP boutique peer with similar technical bench and Canadian client focus.
• Bereskin & Parr LLP: Leading Toronto-based Canadian IP boutique providing patents, trademarks, copyright, and industrial design services. Closely mirrors Moffat's IP-specialist position, with similar practice mix and client segments (SMEs, multinationals, inventors).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61555799813692
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/moffat-co
• Instagraminstagram.com/moffat.co

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Moffat & Co.