Stéphane is a registered Canadian patent agent known for his strategic and innovative approach to intellectual property (IP) management, IP strategies, and patent prosecution. With over 18 years of experience, he has managed diverse patent portfolios spanning a wide range of technologies and brings a deep well of technical knowledge and IP strategies to his practice.

Stéphane earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering in 1998 and a Master’s degree in Experimental Medicine in 2000, both from Université Laval. He then joined the laboratory of Dr. Molly Shoichet, renowned leader in biomedical engineering at the University of Toronto, where he pursued his PhD in Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, with a particular focus on regenerative medicine, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. He completed his doctorate in 2006, receiving extensive training in both the engineering and biomedical fields. During his academic journey, Stéphane received numerous awards for his excellence in research.

In 2019, Stéphane was honored with the Marie F. Morency Memorial Prize for achieving the highest national score on the drafting portion (Paper A) of the Canadian Patent Agent Qualifying Examination.

Before joining Hill and Schumacher, Stéphane served as a Patent Portfolio Manager at the Innovations and Partnerships Office at the University of Toronto for nearly a decade. In this role, he worked closely with academic inventors, university start-ups, and high-profile licensees. He managed a highly diverse and impressive patent portfolio, with particular focus on information technology, chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical and electrical engineering, life sciences, and medical devices. Stéphane introduced a proactive approach to IP management in a traditionally reactive environment, driving commercial activities that translated technologies into real-world solutions for both high-profile licensees and university start-ups.

At the University of Toronto, Stéphane developed and executed creative patenting strategies aimed at optimizing worldwide patent prosecution while minimizing costs. These strategies aligned with commercialization efforts, reduced risks, and generated commercial value from technological innovations. He also established in-house IP management processes that streamlined prosecution and minimized legal expenses. Furthermore, Stéphane contributed in raising intellectual property literacy on campus by contributing to the university’s IP education program and teaching concepts of intellectual property to professors and students in a one-on-one format or small group settings.

Earlier in his career, Stéphane was an Intellectual Property Manager at a biotechnology company based in Ontario, and a Scientific Consultant for the IP litigation team at a full-service Canadian law firm.

With years of experience working on research-based inventions, Stephane both enjoys and is driven to collaborate with early-stage entrepreneurs, researcher-inventors, and commercialization offices at academic institutions and research hospitals to advance patent protection and IP strategy.