Tar is a trademark agent at Own Innovation and a firm believer that intellectual property shouldn’t be a mystery to the people who own it. Tar is licensed with the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents and is working toward Class 1 licensure under Jim Hinton. They handle Canadian and US trademark prosecution — filing strategy, examination responses, and portfolio management — and file internationally wherever clients need to go, most often the EU, UK, and Australia directly, and much further afield through the Madrid Protocol. Tar also acts in opposition proceedings, defending clients’ marks and challenging applications that get too close.

Tar came to trademarks by a long route: more than 15 years in patent and trademark work at national and multinational law firms and boutique IP practices, an LSO-Licensed Paralegal practice in Ontario, and consulting with not-for-profits, NGOs, and B Corps on organizational change and process improvement. That background shows up in how the firm runs — Tar works on Own Innovation’s IP management systems and process automation, and on the internal tooling that keeps multi-jurisdiction portfolios moving. Tar is a member of IPIC, recently served on CPATA’s Training Resources Working Group, and holds honours diplomas in paralegal and legal assistant studies.

Tar loves explaining IP to people who’ve never had it explained well — what it actually is, what rights it gives you, and how to get something out of it. Outside the firm, Tar is a visual artist working in sculpture and other media, a long-distance walker who has completed the Camino Francés, and an avid kayaker, hiker, and cook. They’re devoted to animals of every kind, with a particular weakness for dogs and cats, and they support LGBTIQ2A+ initiatives.