Smart & Biggar practitioners and leaders attended the 2026 INTA Annual Meeting in London, England, from May 2 to 6, 2026. Below, a few of our practitioners provide some insights and highlights from the conference.
Interview edited lightly for style and clarity.
Connecting with clients
Graham Hood, Principal and Trademarks Practice Group Leader: In my view, one of the most important reasons to attend the annual meeting is to meet with existing and potential clients, forge new business relationships and strengthen existing ones. I spent every waking hour doing exactly that. London is home to amazing, historic sites and we were fortunate enough to be hosted by clients at many of them throughout the week. It was an annual meeting I won't soon forget.
François Larose, Principal: I enjoyed catching up with many clients, but the interesting part about INTA is that you never know who's right around the corner. I've randomly met people at INTA with whom I end up having longstanding relationships. I really enjoy attending our clients' events, because you not only maintain your existing connections, but also make a lot of interesting new ones.
Tamara Céline Winegust, Principal: INTA is a great opportunity to make and strengthen the human relationships that underpin everything we do. In a place like London, there's no better way to do this than to experience the city together. Instead of having a coffee in a café, we'd pick a spot to explore: the British Museum, the Sky Garden, a walk around the Square Mile... it was a great way to form shared memories and connect as people.
Olivier Jean-Lévesque, Senior Associate: It's easier to feel more engaged when you see clients face to face. You realize you're not just sending work to an email address but working with people you genuinely enjoy interacting with and who clearly care about their work. That personal connection naturally makes you even more invested in delivering great work.
London highlights
François: London is an extraordinary city. It's beautiful in a historic way, but still modern. I had my meetings spread out all over the city and I was able to walk to almost all of them, which gave me a great opportunity to explore and be a tourist. And the weather was great, which was a bonus. Overall, it was a great setting for the conference.
Graham: I joined a U.K. client on a hike up Big Ben, which was very exciting. It was an urban hike, a climb up the spiral staircase, all 334 steps to the Belfry. We learned about the history, the design and the construction of Big Ben. The highlight was our summiting the clock tower at 4:00 pm sharp to see and hear the bell toll right in front of us. It was extraordinarily loud, but, thankfully, they provided us with ear covers.
Janice Bereskin, Principal: There were so many iconic hotels and landmarks to explore. One highlight was experiencing High Tea at Fortnum & Mason—a first for both my client and me.
Tamara: London is full of little nooks and crannies. I had coffee with an associate in a magical onion-filled garden oasis tucked between some back alleys behind Victoria Station. It was great. As it should in the UK, it was a far more involved process to properly prepare the tea I ordered than my colleague's coffee.
Connecting with colleagues
Tim Bourne, Principal: Smart & Biggar hosted our own "Canadian-themed" reception at the Maple Leaf Pub in Covent Garden. I regularly see my colleagues in the Ottawa office, but I just don't get many opportunities to connect with teammates in our other offices. Being at that reception and spending time with them was a great way for me to learn more about them personally.
Olivier: I really enjoyed bumping into colleagues, some of whom I had never met in person and who work in different cities, on random streets in London! I ran into Tamara in a neighbourhood quite far from the convention centre while we were both heading to separate meetings. We had never met in person before, and it was such a coincidence to run into each other.
Final thoughts
Tim: I see these meetings as opportunities to connect with people I wouldn't otherwise have the chance to meet. I attended some wonderful receptions, met with our clients, and reunited with some old friends. All in all, it was an excellent meeting.
Janice: It was wonderful to connect with friends, clients and colleagues while experiencing the history, culture and energy of an incredible host city. Thank you, London and INTA, for a memorable week!