Smart & Biggar
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you need heavyweight Canadian patent or trademark work and Federal Court litigation . they are the country's top-ranked IP firm.
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Comparison
Smart & Biggar vs Gowling WLG
Smart & Biggar and Gowling WLG both land on Depends.
Gowling WLG
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Gowling WLG is an international law firm, not a software product.
| Compare | ||
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Enterprise Canadian patent portfolios | Cross-border disputes and arbitration |
| Who it's not for | Solo founders filing one trademark . fees dwarf the filing cost | Anyone shopping for software; this is a law firm |
| Privacy | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; however, parent company IPH Limited disclosed a cyber security incident in March 2023.⁸ | No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed. |
| Support quality | No client-side support evidence found | Trustpilot 2.4/5 on sparse reviews |
| Public sentiment | Public reviews are overwhelmingly from employees, not clients; rankings and awards dominate the external picture.⁵ | Public reviews are sparse: Trustpilot shows 2.4 for, and Birdeye lists 74 reviews for the Hamilton office.13 |
| Biggest gotcha | Parent IPH's 2023 cyber incident . ask what client-data safeguards changed since⁸ | No published rates. Expect quote-based fees typical of large international firms. |
Pick Smart & Biggar when
- Enterprise Canadian patent portfolios
- Federal Court IP litigation
- Life sciences IP and regulatory
- Multi-jurisdiction trademark strategy
When Smart & Biggar is not a fit
- Solo founders filing one trademark . fees dwarf the filing cost
- US-only or EU-only IP needs . this is a Canadian firm
- Anyone wanting transparent, published pricing
- Tight budgets; boutiques and agents charge far less
Pick Gowling WLG when
- Cross-border disputes and arbitration
- Patent and trademark portfolios
- Cyber breach response counsel
- VC-backed financing rounds
When Gowling WLG is not a fit
- Anyone shopping for software; this is a law firm
- Small teams wanting cheap, routine documents
- Price shoppers; no rates appear online
- DIY founders; no self-serve path exists
Sources
- Smart & Biggar . official sitesmartbiggar.caofficial
- Top Tier IP firm, Legal 500 Canada 2024smartbiggar.canews
- Law Firm of the Year, Best Law Firms Canada 2026smartbiggar.canews
- MIP Americas Awards 2025 winssmartbiggar.canews
- Glassdoor employee reviewsglassdoor.comreview
- Indeed employee reviewsindeed.comreview
review
- IPH Limited ASX cyber security incidentiphlimited.comsecurity
- Canadian Lawyer . Top 10 IP Boutiquescanadianlawyermag.comnews
- World Trademark Review profileworldtrademarkreview.comnews
- Benchmark Litigation profilebenchmarklitigation.comnews
- Product security pagesmartbiggar.caofficial
- Gowling WLG Reviewstrustpilot.comreview
- Gowling WLG - 74 Reviews - Legal in Hamilton, ON - Birdeyereviews.birdeye.comreview
- Gowling WLG (UK) LLP, UK 2026chambers.comreview
review