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BY SHANNON SUTHERLAND-SMITH

GowlingLafleurHendersonLLP(Gowlings) is anexpert inprotect-ing and defending intellectualproperty (IP) assets worldwide,with key talent right in Calgary.“Intellectualpropertyassetsmay

beconsidered ‘intangible,’but theyare essential to a company’s over-all value and success — nowmorethan ever,” says Regina Corrigan,Calgary IP group practice leader.“Forexample, in1975, intangible

assets for a Fortune 500 companycomprised just 17 per cent of itsmarket value, but today, it’s over80 per cent.”Shesays therightkindofprotec-

tion is critical and, in addition tobeingaleadingfull-servicelawfirmwith offices across Canada and in-ternationally,Gowlings isregardedas one of the world’s pre-eminentIP firms with top-tier practices inpatents, trademarks, copyright, IPlitigation andmore.“In Alberta, we see an incredible

opportunity for companies to har-nessandleveragetheuntappedval-ueoftheirIPassets,”saysCorrigan.“While the number of patents

being issued within the oil andgas industry has quadrupled overthe last 10 years, other industriesare increasingly in the spotlightfor their leading technologies, andthey need proper protection.”Significant innovations are

emerging in health sciences, agri-

culture,environmentalscience, in-formationtechnologyandsoftwaredevelopment.Albertauniversitiesand the province’s technology in-cubators have made considerableinvestments in training talent andsupportinggrowthwithinthetech-nology sector, she says.Themoresuccessful these initia-

tives are, the greater their needsfor increased IP protection andenforcement, Corrigan explains.“In order to meet these needs,

we have expanded our IP team inCalgary to deliver a full suite of IP

services to our clients throughoutAlberta and inWestern Canada.”Theteamcoverseverythingfrom

patentprosecution, trademarken-forcementandcopyrightadvice toIPstrategy, complex litigationandportfoliomanagement.“We also work collaboratively

with other members of Gowlings’firm-wide IP Group, which allowsour clients to benefit from thespecialized expertise of top IPprofessionals across the country.”Gowlingshasconsiderableexpe-

rience to draw from in the sector.

Not only does the firm file moretrademarks and patents than anyother law firm in Canada, but it isalso thecounselof record formorelitigationcases thananyotherfirmin the country.IPenforcement isagrowingcon-

cernandmoreandmorecompaniesare seeking local representation.“That’s why it’s so important to

us to have a seasoned, full-serviceIP team here in Calgary — so wecan advocate for our clients andhelp them navigate these issueseffectively.”

BY SHANNON SUTHERLAND-SMITH

Enbridge exists to fuel people’squality of life — safely, reliablyand, on an ever-increasing basis,sustainably.Linda Coady joined Enbridge,

a North American leader in en-ergy delivery, as the company’schief sustainability officer in June2013 after holding similar leader-ship roles on sustainable develop-ment for the forestry industry, theVancouver 2010 Olympic WinterGames and World Wildlife FundCanada.Enbridge ownsNorthAmerica’s

longest and most complex crudeoil and liquids pipeline, servesmore than two million customersas Canada’s largest gas distribu-tion utility and has investedmorethan$4billioninrenewableenergyacross the continent.Sustainability is an important

concept at Enbridge, which hasbeennamedtotheGlobal100MostSustainable Corporations list forsevenstraightyearsandhasearneda spot on the Dow Jones Sustain-abilityIndices(DJSI) ineachof thepast three years.And as Enbridge’s recently re-

leased 2014 CSR (corporate so-cial responsibility) Report makesclear, the mandate for Coady andher team is integrating sustain-abilityacross thecompany’sNorthAmericanworkforce ofmore than11,000. Enbridge’s 2014 CSR Re-port is available online at csr2014.enbridge.com.“There are efficiencies to be

gained through good environmen-tal performance in termsof energyuse,wasteandwaterreductionand

embracinginnovation,”saysCoady.“The business case is there for

higher levels of performance insocial and environmental areas.Better performance helps compa-nies reduce risks.”CSRreportingisademonstration

of a company’s transparency andaccountability, and investors andthegeneralpublicnowhavehigherexpectations regarding the socialandenvironmentalperformanceofcompanies, as well as their finan-cial bottom lines, says Coady.

Enbridge’s 2014 CSR Report,released late last month, focusedontopicsthat its leaderssaymattermost to the company’s stakehold-ers, includingsystemintegrityandleakdetection, energyandclimatechange, environment and landmanagementandeconomicimpactand benefits.“Leadership in these areas hap-

pensatvarious levels,” saysCoady.“It happens at the level of indi-

vidual employees and contractors.Ithappensattheindustrylevel.Andit happens through some of theseglobal rankings like theGlobal 100and DJSI. At Enbridge, we’re inthere pitching on all three levels.”

A SPEC IAL CALGARY HERALD SER IES ON CALGARY ’S BUS INESS V IS IONAR IESSPONSORED BY CALGARY ECONOM IC DEVELOPMENTFOCUS

ONLEADERSHIP

Linda Coady, chief sustainability officer with Enbridge, says followingsustainable practices is good for business. P H O T O BY W I L A N D RU S C H A K

The team at Gowlings offers leading expertise on protecting intellectual property. C O U RT E SY G OW L I NG S

THIS FEATURE WAS PRODUCED BY THE CALGARY HERALD’S SPECIAL PROJECTS DEPARTMENT ON BEHALF OF CALGARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES. THE HERALD’S EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT HAD NO INVOLVEMENT INTHE CREATION OF THIS CONTENT.

ENBRIDGE PUTS FOCUSON SUSTAINABILITY

GOWLINGS A LEADER ININTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

TOP PRIORITIES

Enbridge’s current sustainabilitypriorities include:n Achieving industry leadership insafety and operational reliability;n Continuing progress on reducinggreenhouse gas emissions. In 2011,Enbridge achieved a 21 per cent re-duction in its own direct greenhousegas emissions below 1990 levels;n Expanding its renewable energyportfolio — which currently includes14 wind farms, four solar energyprojects and a geothermal facility— beyond its current net generationcapacity of 1,600 megawatts;n Integrating social and environ-mental considerations across thecompany’s entire supply chain andprocurement network;n Benchmarking the company’swater and waste management per-formance in 2015 while engaging inindustry outreach in the area of waterstewardship.

BY SHANNONSUTHERLAND-SMITH

A homegrown businessthat helped rural Albertansget connected now servesinternational markets byoffering economically soundtechnologysolutionsthrougha common-sense businessmodel.AxiaNetMediaCorporation

is an expert at bringing fibre-optic communications infra-structure to under-servicedmarkets.“We have established suc-

cesful business models inMassachusetts,France,SpainandSingapore,”saysthecom-pany’s CEO, Art Price. “Butwe’re in the background. Ifwe’rehigh-performing,we’reactually invisible.“Peoplemighthave60apps

on their iPhone that they useeveryday, and those are com-pellingservices,butwe’re thedigital infrastructure thatmakes it possible.”

Axia and its partners haveeither invested or will sooninvest upwards of $2 billioninto its networks, with morethan200serviceprovidersasdirect customers and almost30,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable deployed.But it all started in rural

Alberta, says Price.“It becamequite clear tous

more than a decade ago thathigh-performing,digital con-nectivitywouldbeanecessityfor doing business.”Alberta’sSuperNetgaveAl-

bertans access to affordablebroadbandservicesacrosstheprovince.Thanks toAxia’sNextGen-

eration Network solution,Alberta has a CommunityInterconnect Grid joiningalmost430communitiesandprovidingdirectconnectivityto about 4,000 government,learning, health, library andmunicipal facilities.Residents inmorethan300

communitiesalsohaveaccessto ultra-high-speed servicesthrough 89 service provid-ers who buy bandwidth onAlberta’s SuperNet to reachcustomers in rural areas.“Thiswasasolutionthatbe-

gan in Alberta; we hope to bethebiggest independentNextGenerationNetworkplayer,”says Price.“Wehavetremendousplans

for the future.”

AxiabringsInternet tothe world

Axia NetMedia CorporationCEO Art Price.P H O T O BY W I L A N D RU S C H A K

CAL00624309_1_1

A12 TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2015 CALGARY HERALD