Adam Maunsell is an articling student in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office. He completed his JD at Western University. During law school, Adam was the acting student director for the Western Intellectual Property & Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC). His work ensured that students received practical experience in intellectual property law, while clients were provided pro bono aid for their intangible asset concerns.
Outside of his role at the clinic, Adam was a teaching assistant for a first-year contract law course and the captain of the law school’s co-ed beach volleyball team.
Prior to attending law school, Adam obtained a BEng (co-op) in engineering physics at McMaster University. His extracurricular time was devoted to the McMaster Interdisciplinary Satellite Team, which launched their satellite into space in 2023. Specifically, Adam’s studies focused on nuclear engineering. He performed research at the university and worked at both Bruce Power and Canadian Nuclear Laboratories. He has experience working with robotics, simulations and machine learning.
The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) has materially changed how examiners are instructed to apply the law on patentable subject matter. In March 2026, CIPO replaced its November 2020 practice notice on computer-implemented inventions, medical diagnostic methods, and medical uses. The 2026 notice represents an important development for current Canadian prosecution practice.