Expertise
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Practice Areas:
- Bar Admissions:
- Education:
- Western University Faculty of Law (2024) JD
- University of Toronto (2021) PhD (Pharmacology)
- University of Toronto (2016) BSc (Honours - Specialist in Pharmacology and Major in Biochemistry) (With Distinction)
Details
- Bio
- Cases
- Associations
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Natalie Workewych (she/her)
is an associate at Lenczner Slaght.
Natalie summered and articled at Lenczner Slaght where she gained experience in a variety of practice areas, including intellectual property, public law, and professional liability.
Natalie completed her JD at Western University with an Area of Concentration in Intellectual Property, Information and Technology. During law school, Natalie integrated her passion for science and technology with her legal studies by working as a Clinic Fellow for the Western Intellectual Property & Innovation Clinic and as legal intern for a biotechnology startup. She sharpened her legal research and advocacy skills by participating in the Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Moot and Tort Law Moot Competition.
Upon graduating, Natalie received the Ailbe C. Flynn LLB '97 Memorial Scholarship in Intellectual Property and the Law Society of Ontario Prize for ranking among the top 15 students of her graduating class.
Natalie holds a PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Toronto, during which she bioengineered microfluidic organ models to study the passage of drugs into breastmilk.
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Genentech Inc and Hoffmann-La Roche Limited v Biosimilar Collaborations Ireland Limited
Counsel to Genentech Inc and Hoffmann-La Roche Limited in a PM(NOC) action in the Federal Court in respect of Canadian Patent Nos. 2,788,253 and 2,711,798.
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Counsel to Hoffmann-La Roche Limited in an application for judicial review in the Federal Court, in respect of a decision made by the Minister of Health and its continued course of conduct in respect of the filing of a new drug submission by Biosimilar Collaborations Ireland Limited.
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The Advocates’ Society
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Ontario Bar Association
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Canadian Bar Association
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Two Steps Forward: CIPO Resets on Non-Patentable Subject Matter
On March 24, 2026, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) released a new practice notice on patentable subject matter under the Patent Act (the March 2026 Practice Notice), together with updated examples illustrating its application. The March 2026 Practice Notice replaces the 2020 Practice Notice, which we have previously commented on at length.
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Making a Splash in Patent Law: The Federal Court of Appeal Clarifies Overbreadth and Utility
ProSlide Technology and WhiteWater West Industries are the two largest competitors in the global water slide market. That competitive pressure has, perhaps inevitably, spilled into the courtroom.
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Not My Lack of Use, Not My Problem
Comité interprofessionnel du vin de champagne v Coors Brewing Company marks the second recent FCA decision addressing how a change in trademark ownership affects whether “special circumstances” exist that excuse non-use of a mark in a section 45 proceeding.
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DABUS Down, Not Done: Thaler Appeals Canadian Ruling on AI Inventorship
As we predicted in our earlier comment, Dr. Stephen Thaler – who created an AI system that allegedly conceived two disparate yet novel products – is not giving up his bid to have that system (DABUS) awarded a Canadian patent.
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Dusome v Canada (Attorney General) (“Dusome”) is the latest successful appeal from a decision of the Commissioner of Patents refusing a patent application on the basis of non-patentable subject matter.
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In the recent decision Centric Brands Holding LLC v Stikeman Elliott LLP, the Federal Court of Appeal (FCA) clarified how a change in trademark ownership affects the analysis of whether “special circumstances” exist that excuse non-use of a mark in a section 45 proceeding. The FCA’s decision should be welcomed by companies interested in purchasing or selling marks.
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Reasonable Request for Samples Required
In the recent decision in Bayer Inc v Amgen Canada Inc, Case Management Judge Duchesne of the Federal Court dismissed a request for samples on the basis that Bayer failed to demonstrate that the proposed testing could lead to a result that would assist the trial judge in determining an issue in the proceeding.
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Facebook Loses Privacy Faceoff at the FCA
The proceedings in Canada (Privacy Commissioner) v Facebook Inc arose from the Privacy Commissioner’s investigation into Facebook’s practice of sharing users’ personal information with third-party apps. At the Federal Court, Justice Manson dismissed the Commissioner’s application, finding that the Commissioner had not shown that Facebook failed to obtain meaningful consent from users to disclose their data, and had not shown that Facebook failed to adequately safeguard user data. In its latest decision, Justice Rennie of the Federal Court of Appeal allowed the Commissioner’s appeal, concluding that Facebook indeed breached Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)’s requirement to obtain meaningful consent from users prior to data disclosure and its obligation to safeguard user data.
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Inventor Examination Cannot Be Compelled by Proxy, and Other Practical Lessons
In the recently released decision Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd v Jamp Pharma Corporation, Jamp brought a motion seeking an order that would require Boehringer to make their employee inventors attend to be examined for discovery, failing which the order could be enforced against Boehringer themselves. Boehringer argued that the Rules do not contemplate such an order. Associate Judge Duchesne agreed.
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Insights on the Independence of Expert Evidence
In the recently released decision dTechs EPM Ltd v British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority and Awesense Wireless Inc, the Federal Court of Appeal (“FCA”) weighed in on the role and independence of experts in patent cases. In particular, the FCA provided guidance on (1) the role counsel may play in preparing expert reports; (2) an expert’s role in claim construction; and (3) the difference in the role of an expert where anticipation is alleged based on prior use versus prior publication.
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Seven New Associates
Canada’s leading litigation firm welcomes seven talented new associates, further strengthening its expertise.
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Lenczner Slaght Welcomes Summer Student Class of 2023
Canada’s leading litigation firm continues to attract top talent with the addition of nine exceptional summer students.
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Lenczner Slaght Advocacy Competition in Legal Ethics and Professionalism 2026
Kyle Magee, Risa Kirshblum, Jim Lepore, Sean Lewis, Brieanna Miklaucic, and Natalie Workewych served as judges at Western Law’s Annual Advocacy Competition in Legal Ethics and Professionalism.
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2025 Snapshot: Through the Lens of Lenczner Slaght
We’ve released our 2025 Snapshot, highlighting the most significant developments, decisions, and trends in litigation from the past year across 21 practice areas. Reflect on 2025 and look ahead to 2026 through the lens of our expert litigators.