The Group

Bio

Graeme Charlton’s practice focuses on patent drafting, prosecution, and portfolio management in the field of electrical, mechanical and software inventions. Prior to joining Carbon Patent Group, Graeme gained 7 years of experience with a top Canadian intellectual property boutique firm. Graeme completed an engineering degree in Engineering Physics at UBC, earning the Gold Medal in Engineering as the top graduate from UBC Engineering in 2007. Before entering patent practice, Graeme worked as a hardware design engineer for a high-definition digital surveillance camera company.

Graeme has extensive experience in the prosecution of Canadian patent applications for foreign clients in the electrical, mechanical and software fields. Graeme has considerable experience in addressing Canadian subject matter eligibility objections related to software based inventions. Mr. Charlton regularly drafts patent applications and manages patent prosecution and strategy for his clients. He also has experience providing patentability, infringement, and validity opinions. Mr. Charlton works with clients ranging from small to midsize technology start-ups or businesses operating in Canada to large multi-national corporations or institutions based in Canada and in the United States.

Bio

Steve’s practice focuses on patent prosecution for applied physics, electrical, computer-related and mechanical inventions, including medical devices.  Prior to joining Carbon Patent Group in 2020, Steve earned more than two decades of experience in Canada’s two largest patent practice groups:  he joined Canada’s largest intellectual property boutique firm in 1998 and became a partner in 2007, before leaving in 2015 to become a partner of a full-service commercial law firm that includes Canada’s largest overall intellectual property law practice. 

Steve’s physics background has enabled him to tackle a wide range of computer-related inventions and other complex technologies, including machine learning, neural networks and artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, e-commerce, fintech and blockchain, telecommunications, electronic gaming, semiconductor chip annealing and manufacturing techniques, medical radioisotope production, medical imaging and laser / radar imaging, and ultra-high-power arc lamps.  Steve’s practice also focuses on medical devices and mechanical inventions including natural resource extraction and harvesting equipment. 

Steve's patent practice ranges from the routine to the most arcane of procedures:  for example, Steve is one of the very few Canadian practitioners who have successfully filed and prosecuted applications for both reissue and reexamination of issued Canadian patents.  

Steve’s intellectual property practice also includes industrial design registrations, IP due diligence reviews for commercial transactions, portfolio management, legal opinions relating to the ownership, registrability, validity and infringement of intellectual property rights, advocacy before Canada’s Patent Appeal Board, and litigation support.  

Steve is presently on hiatus from drafting new originating patent applications, to prioritize service levels in his high-demand patent prosecution practice.  

Steve is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Victoria, Faculty of Law, where he has taught Patent Law since 2006.  He is a frequent author and public speaker on Canadian patent law topics, having presented to the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC), the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), the Licensing Executives Society (LES), and the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) BC Branch, among other organizations. 

Bio

Mr. Macins’ practice is almost entirely focused on life sciences and pharmaceutical patent drafting, prosecution, and portfolio management.  He also provides patent patentability opinions, infringement opinions, and validity opinions, to universities and start-up companies.  Mr. Macins also has extensive experience in the prosecution of Canadian applications on behalf of foreign clients.  Prior to joining the Carbon Patent Group, Mr. Macins gained 12 years of experience with a national intellectual property boutique firm.

Bio

Mr. McKinnon is a registered Patent Agent whose practice focuses on drafting and prosecuting patents in the fields of chemistry, therapeutics, drug delivery, genomics, protein chemistry, and medical devices. Mr. McKinnon also has experience in conducting patentability searches and providing patentability opinions.  Mr. McKinnon has worked with a variety of clients including academic institutions, large multi-national companies, small and medium sized companies, as well as independent inventors.  Before founding what is now Carbon Patent Group in 2010, he worked in one of Canada’s leading intellectual property law firms for over 7 years and spent 3 years as an in-house Patent Agent split between a successful drug-development company and a large generic pharmaceutical company. Mr. McKinnon has also testified to the Federal Court of Canada as an expert witness in patent matters.