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“One of Canada’s leading transactional specialists, François Painchaud has a keen ability to see the larger business picture, and a knack for devising large-scale strategies that bring about the long-term success of his clients.”
Called to the Quebec Bar in 1986, François Painchaud has been a partner at ROBIC LLP for more than 25 years. He specialises in business law applied to key technology sectors, and is frequently involved in the negotiation and drafting of complex transactions relating to technology transfers, licensing and joint ventures as well as in commercial and corporate law, including venture capital, the establishment of consortiums, and mergers and acquisitions.
He held the position of president of the LESI from 2018 to 2019, and the position of director until May 2020. He has also acted as counsel, corporate secretary, and is a member of the same board since 2011. He is a past president of LES USA Canada and was a member of the board of directors from 2001 to 2010. He is also a director of the board of the Cancer Research Society, a Canadian-based non-profit corporation.
Recent prestigious recognitions include IAM Strategy 300 – The World’s Leading IP Strategists 2022; LES USA Canada 2022 – the Frank Barnes Mentor Award; The Best Lawyers in Canada 2022 – Information Technology, Intellectual Property and Technology Law; LEXPERT Special Edition 2021 – Health Sciences, Biotechnology, Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions; LESI Biotechnology, Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions 2021 – the Peter K Hess Award of achievement; Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating 2021; IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Professionals 2020; and The Best Lawyers – Lawyer of the Year 2019, Technology Law in Montreal.
Mr Painchaud serves on the board of directors or as corporate secretary of various private and public organisations operating in life sciences and other technology-related fields. Since April 2018, he has been a member of the board of directors of Searchlight Pharma Inc, a Canada-based speciality pharmaceutical company. He is the corporate secretary of the Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery. He was director and secretary of Axcan Pharma Inc until it became a closed corporation in what was the biggest life sciences buy-out on the Canadian stock market at the time.