David Heller
Partner* - Lawyer, Patent & Trademark Agent
Tel: 416-865-3505
Email: dheller@ridoutmaybee.com
Office: Toronto
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David Heller is a partner of Ridout & Maybee LLP in the firm’s Toronto office. His practice encompasses international portfolios protecting a broad range of IP rights, with specialization in the areas of pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, nuclear, mechanical, and chemicals.
Prior to his legal career, David conducted physiology research for the Department of National Defence, and transplantation research for Toronto’s Sunnybrook Medical Centre. He was also Assistant Science Policy Advisor to the Ontario Minister of Labour.
David’s passion for his work comes from helping clients move from the start-up stage to become successful international corporations, in part due to diligent IP protection and enforcement. David has been recognized as a leading IP lawyer in the Chambers Global Guide in 2012, 2013, and 2014, in which he was praised as “commercially aware, to the point and easy to get along with”.
Away from the office David enjoys canoeing, kayaking, snowmobiling, skiing, and spending time with his family.
*David Heller Legal Professional Corporation
- B.Sc. (Honours Biology/Chemistry), University of Waterloo (1989)
- LL.B., University of Toronto (1994)
- Barrister & Solicitor, Province of Ontario (1996)
- Registered Patent Agent, Canada (1997)
- Registered Patent Agent, United States (1997)
- Registered Trademark Agent, Canada (1997)
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada – IPIC
- International Federation of Industrial Property Attorneys – FICPI
- International Association for the Protection of Industrial Property – AIPPI
- International Advisory Experts Award - Intellectual Property (2020)
- Chambers Global Guide (2012, 2013, 2014)
Heller, D. & Pitkin, J. “Fifty Shades of Colour; Registering Colour Trademarks”
Canadian Lawyer InHouse, Vol. 11, Issue 1, January 2016
Heller, D. & Langan, C. “Promises that can kill patents”
Canadian Lawyer InHouse, Vol. 9, Issue 5, October 2014.
Heller D. & Agha, K. “Deep into the Genome: A Roundtable Discussion on IP, Patenting, and Personalized Medicine”
BioBusiness, pp. 10-12, July/August 2012.
Heller, D. & Lee, J. “Amazon Finally Wins”
Canadian Lawyer InHouse, Vol. 7, Issue 3, June/July 2012.
Heller, D. & Komarnicki, V. “Canada: Bar Raised for Attacking Patent Validity in Canada; Duty of Candour Narrowed”
Mondaq, December 19, 2011.
Heller, D. & Lee, J. “Privilege continues to evade patent agents”
The Lawyers Weekly, September 17, 2010.
Heller, D. & Boulakia, C. “Beware Of What Your Canadian Patent Lawyer Is Saying”
APLF IP Law Bugle, March 2010.
Heller, D. & Roach M. The Role of Subsequent Entry Biologics – Intellectual Property 2008
XIV(2), 854-858.
David Heller and Adrian Zahl, “Proposed regulations to adjust generic balance”
Managing Intellectual Property (Focus – Life Science: Canada), March 2005.
Heller, DJ and JD Wilson, “vHarvard Mouse Trapped: Transgenic higher life forms not patentable in Canada”
Carswell: Legal Alert, 21(11):82-85, 2003.
Heller, DJ, “Canada Rules That Transgenic Animals are Nonpatentable”
Genetic Engineering News, 23(2): 6, 59, 60, 2003.
Heller, DJ, “Court allows patent on Harvard Mouse”
Law Times, August 21, 2000.
Heller, DJ, “Will patents on plants be detrimental to the developing world.”
Law Times, July 17, 2000.
- University of Toronto – Masters of Biotechnology Program (Guest lecturer)
- Osgoode Hall Law School, York University – Structuring, Negotiating and Drafting Intellectual Property Licensing Agreements (Instructor)
Meet Our People
The lawyers and patent and trademark agents at Ridout & Maybee LLP bring both legal expertise and real-world industry knowledge to work for our clients. Many of our professionals were leaders in their technical field prior to working in intellectual property law, and hold advanced degrees and certifications.