Kassandra Shortt is a partner in the Intellectual Property Group at Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. Kassandra’s practice is focused on complex intellectual property disputes, with an emphasis on patent litigation. Kassandra has experience providing strategic advice and acting in disputes across many innovative industries, including the life sciences, food and agriculture, consumer products, and energy sectors. She has acted as counsel for clients before the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, including proceedings under the Patent Act, Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations, Trademarks Act, Copyright Act, and Industrial Design Act.
Kassandra also provides practical, business-oriented regulatory advice to companies, with particular expertise in products regulated under the Food and Drugs Act and Food and Drug Regulations, and Natural Health Products Regulations. Kassandra has experience advising pharmaceutical companies on all aspects of market access and product launch, including navigating health technology assessment, product listing, and pricing and reimbursement matters.
Kassandra is active in the intellectual property community. She serves on the Intellectual Property Court Practice Committee for the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Professional Development and Emerging Leaders Committees for the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada, the Pharma Standing Committee for AIPPI, and as Vice-Chair of the Patent Group of DRI’s Intellectual Property Litigation Committee. She is the co-author of the Chambers Global Guide: Patent Litigation for Canada and the chapter “Costs” in Intellectual Property Disputes. Her writing on patent litigation has also been published in the journal IP Litigator. For her work, Kassandra is recognized as “One to Watch” by Best Lawyers.
Before joining Cassels, Kassandra was an associate in the Intellectual Property Group at a multinational law firm. She also completed a secondment with GlaxoSmithKline Inc., where she gained valuable experience with commercial, regulatory, and intellectual property matters.
Kassandra’s representative experience includes:
- McCain Foods Limited v. J.R. Simplot Company, 2019 FC 1635, 2021 FC 890, 2021 FCA 4, 2021 CanLII 58911 (SCC) – representing McCain Foods in patent litigation relating to pulsed electric field technology
- Amgen Inc. v. Pfizer Canada ULC, 2020 FC 522, 2020 FCA 188 – represented Pfizer Canada ULC in Patented Medicines (Notice of Compliance) Regulations litigation relating to Pfizer’s biosimilar filgrastim product (prior to joining Cassels)
