Melanie is a scientist and senior associate who practices exclusively in the areas of intellectual property and food and drug regulatory law, with a special focus on the food and agriculture, pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.
Melanie provides strategic advice on intellectual property and regulatory issues, including advising clients on how to identify, protect, and leverage their IP and regulatory assets and dovetail their IP and regulatory strategy.  Melanie’s experience includes drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications, advising on transactions involving patents/patent applications, and advising on the acquisition, validity and infringement of intellectual property rights. Melanie also provides strategic advice on regulatory issues in the food and agriculture sector (including novel food and novel feed approvals for emerging food technologies) and pharmaceutical sector (including patent listing, data protection, and PMPRB issues). 
Melanie has written and spoken extensively regarding IP and regulatory issues, including providing workshops on how to develop an IP strategy for start-ups, and co-authoring a chapter regarding the Canadian regulatory framework for food products developed using biotechnology, including products of gene editing, cellular agriculture, and other non-traditional foods.  
Melanie has an advanced degree in botany and is a registered patent agent in Canada and the United States.