Toni Polson Ashton

Toni Polson Ashton’s commitment to trade-mark law and its evolution has led to serving as Chair of the National Intellectual Property Section of the Canadian Bar Association; on the International Trademark Association (INTA) Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, Steering Council, Legislative Analysis, Meetings, International, Geographical Indications, Famous & Well-Known Marks and INTA 2012 Annual Meeting Project Team Committees; vice-chair CET1 – trade-marks, FICPI; a member of The University of Akron School of Law IP Advisory Council, and vice-chair JLC trade-mark committee, IPIC. Toni is a senior partner, having practised since 1976, in intellectual property law, with particular concentration on all aspects of trade-mark and related law.

Her 30-year legal practice encompasses counselling clients in the selection and availability of trade-marks, portfolio management, prosecution, policing of trade-marks, opposition and related licensing and packaging issues.

Toni Polson Ashton is included in the Best Lawyers in Canada. The Best Lawyers in Canada list is based on a rigorous peer-review survey that has been developed and refined for more than 25 years. She has spoken/lectured at the Law Society of Upper Canada, the University of Toronto law school and for private/professional organizations within and outside Canada. She has also instructed at Osgoode Hall Law School (Intellectual Property LL.M. Program trade-marks).

Toni co-authors “Hughes on Trade Marks” (LexisNexis) and contributes to “Intellectual Property/Commercial Transactions, Canadian Forms and Precedents – Trade Marks” (LexisNexis); “Halsbury’s Laws of Canada, First Edition: Trade-marks, Passing Off and Unfair Competition 2007” (LexisNexis), and “IP Benchbook – Trade-marks”.

Toni Ashton has appeared in Expert Guides – The Guide to the World’s Leading Women in Business Law; Chambers and Partners where it was stated that she “maintains a sterling reputation as a leader in trade-mark law”. You’ll also find Toni profiled in the International Who’sWho of Trade-marks Lawyers and the International Who’sWho of Business Lawyers; Canada Who’s Who; Martindale-Hubbell DistinguishedTM rated.

World Trademark Review 2012 stated, “the firm’s profile in the market owes much to the outstanding reputation of leading practitioner Toni Polson Ashton, who “knows trademark law and practice – especially on the prosecution side – back to front.” She is a senior figure in the trademark community and has done much to further the development of trademark practice in Canada.” 

Qualifications

• Admitted to the Bar of Ontario (1975)
• Registered Trade-mark Agent, Canada
  

Education

• B.A., University of Toronto (1970)
• J.D., Osgoode Hall Law School (1973)
• Professional Associations
• Fellow - Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) – Vice-Chair JLC Trade-mark Committee
• Canadian Bar Association Ontario/National Section on Intellectual Property Law;
• International Trademark Association (INTA) – Famous and Well Known Trade-marks, and Meeting Committees
• Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association
• Fédération Internationale des Conseils en Propriété Industrielle (FICPI) – Vice-Chair CET1 - Trademarks
• IPSKI (Secretary General 2007-)
• Phi Delta Phi
• Special member, MARQUES
• Pharmaceutical Trade-marks Group (PTMG)
• AIPPI – Trade-mark Committee