MARKUS COHEN
               Certified Specialist (Intellectual Property Law: Trademark)  

A 1963 J.D. graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Markus was called to the Bar of Alberta in 1964 and the Bar of Ontario in 1968. He received his Master of Laws in Business Law from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1980 and was appointed Queen's Counsel in the same year.

Markus is a long-time member of the Legal and Legislative Affairs Committees of both the Canadian Franchise Association and International Franchise Association. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association, the Licensing Executives Society and the American Bar Association (Forum Committee on Franchising, Intellectual Property Subcommittee and Section of International Law).

Markus, a Canadian trademark agent since 1969, is certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Intellectual Property Law (Trademark) and not only conducts prosecutions of trademark applications, but also represents clients before the Trade-marks Opposition Board. He is officially recognized to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

He is the sole Canadian member of the Board of Editors of Franchising Business & Law Alert published by Law Journal Newsletters, Philadelphia, and is currently the Publications Co-ordinator of the Joint Subcommittee on Franchising of the Ontario Bar Association as well as a member of its Legislative and Regulatory Task Force.  Markus is a Contributing Editor to the forthcoming Franchise Law title of the prestigious Halsbury’s Laws of Canada.

Markus was honoured to Chair the Ontario Bar Association’s 6th Annual Conference on Franchise Law held in November, 2006 and is slated to speak at the 7th Annual Conference this Fall. In September, 2007, Markus will be part of the OBA’s “Operation Update” when he highlights the major court cases and legislative developments in franchise law during the preceding 12 months.

He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Ontario Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association and the International Bar Association.

Markus is pleased to have received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, America’s pre-eminent lawyer rating service. An AV rating signifies a professional who has “achieved the highest levels of professional skill and integrity”. He also is honoured to have been selected by his peers to appear in the 2006 inaugural edition of The Best Lawyers in Canada^SM published by Woodward/White, Inc. of Aiken, South Carolina, and has been notified that he will enjoy a similar appearance in the forthcoming 2008 edition.

Extract from the 2007 edition of …

There are … numerous leading practitioners in Canada. Indeed, with 12 listed lawyers it is the best-represented jurisdiction outside the U.S. Frank Zaid of Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is [one]. Markus Cohen  … is the only other Canada-based lawyer listed among the practice area's stars.