“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.” For Gowling WLG’s team in Hamilton, these words – famously spoken by George Bernard Shaw – accurately reflect how we’ve come to understand our role in the city where we live and work.
Indeed, in times of opportunity and in times of struggle (including this difficult past year), our team has endeavoured to play a larger part in the success of our community. This, of course, means continuing to deliver the high quality of service that our clients expect and deserve from us. But it also requires going further by harnessing our local connections and global platform to give clients rare opportunities they may not have found otherwise.
For years, Hamilton has a remained one of Canada’s best-kept secrets – a hidden market teeming with energy, ideas, and culture. Now, as the world comes to appreciate our city for the global innovation hub and regional tourist destination it is, we continue to explore creative new ways to give our clients and neighbours the best chance at success. The potential of such a “community first” approach, as evidenced in the examples below, is virtually limitless.
From the research lab to the global market. When Dr. Ali Emadi joined the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre at McMaster Innovation Park (MIP) in 2011, he was determined to revolutionize the electric motor vehicle market. The result was the development of groundbreaking switched-reluctance motor technology, designed without the use of rare earth metals – a more efficient electric motor that can be readily manufactured at a fraction of the cost of competing technologies.
Dr. Emadi and his colleagues soon enlisted the support of Sacha Babic, who leads our office’s corporate commercial practice, to help take this technology to market under the moniker Enedym Inc. With the support of our team, Enedym is today one the most prominent advanced technology ventures residing at MIP and primed for even greater success as a global leader in the field of switched-reluctance motor technology.
Our team was grateful for the opportunity to leverage our global platform and local connections in contributing to Enedym’s exponential growth to date.
Putting Hamilton at centre stage. The Hamilton Urban Precinct Entertainment Group, a private sector consortium, is ready to embark on a landmark $400M+ revitalization project, which will see the modernizing of the City of Hamilton’s major entertainment facilities and the development of much-needed residential, commercial and mixed-use properties.
The plan lays the foundation for a world-class entertainment hub right in the heart of downtown, one guaranteed to drive tourism and boost the city’s reputation as a premier sports and cultural centre.
Pamela Green, who heads our commercial real estate & lending practices in Hamilton, played an integral role in bringing both the private sector consortium and the initial proposal to life, harnessing her broad networks and deep sector knowledge.
Not losing sight of the bigger picture for our community, she is working closely with the consortium to further the plan in a way that will increase affordable housing and employment opportunities, helping Hamilton attract new investment and fueling its ongoing commercial renaissance across multiple fronts.
Linking local possibilities to global opportunities. In 2014, Hamilton startup Greenlid developed a bio-based, leak-proof formulation for a biodegradable mosquito trap, which earned them a winning spot in a local competition for entrepreneurs.
One of their prizes for winning the competition was in-kind legal services from our team. Susan Tandan, who leads our IP team in Hamilton – along with her colleagues in our IP and corporate practices – met with the creators of the startup company (now called Autom River Inc.) to discuss the challenges and opportunities they faced as a young company.
In due course, our team helped Autom River Inc. find its corporate footing and develop a robust global IP portfolio, which protects its inventions and brand across six continents.
Autom River Inc. now offers a number of environmentally friendly products worldwide – including their mosquito trap, which aids in the reduction of diseasecarrying mosquito populations.
As Hamilton’s economy continues to expand and diversify, we look forward to finding new ways to help our community thrive. Whether it be assisting startups with thorny IP issues as they scale, or accelerating our city’s growth with sophisticated real estate solutions, it remains our “privilege to do whatever we can.”
Connect with Gowling WLG Hamilton office here.
