“Everything is about relationships.”

These words from EcoPoxy CEO Jack Maendel come from community-minded thinking. It’s a belief that is wholly shared by Thompson Dorfman Sweatman (TDS), which is why these two forward-thinking groups make such a strong partnership.

About TDS and EcoPoxy

With over 135 years of business experience behind them, TDS is one of the largest law firms in Western Canada. It is a full-service firm with 115+ lawyers across more than 25 service areas in multiple locations throughout Manitoba and Saskatchewan. This unparalleled bench strength gives TDS a unique advantage, complemented by an innovative style that combines teamwork, collaboration and personal service.

This commitment to responsiveness and humanity is part of what drew Jack’s attention, as it mirrored his and his company’s own beliefs.

“Whether you deal with customers, suppliers or whomever, there’s a relationship with everyone.”

Founded by farmers and agricultural workers, EcoPoxy has a unique commitment to its community. It specializes in creating bio-based epoxies that are constructed out of annually renewable resources, such as soybean oil or pinecones, and from waste materials like eggshells or cherry pits.

With such a desirable, sustainable product offering, EcoPoxy began to grow quickly.

“As soon as we made a website that showed we made epoxies made from annually renewable resources, we had customers from the United States, England and from all over the world saying, ‘Hey, where can we get this product?’”

TDS and EcoPoxy’s Growth and Impact

This growth necessitated an intentional approach to protecting EcoPoxy’s intellectual property and technology, an area in which TDS has extensive experience with many practising lawyers, one of whom is Silvia de Sousa, a partner with 30 years of experience in the industry.

“I met Silvia de Sousa at a presentation she gave talking about IP and why it’s important, what it is and why it needs to be protected. We’ve been working together ever since.”

In addition to assisting EcoPoxy with Intellectual Property Law, TDS also supports them in the areas of Corporate and Commercial Law, Financial Services Law, Labour and Employment Law, Privacy and Data Protection and Technology Law.

“That’s the beauty of working with TDS: There are many different lawyers focusing on different things.”

Full-Service Law Firm: Benefits and Advantages

TDS’s ability to offer in-depth services in these important areas is a major advantage to businesses that are both already established or just starting out. It pairs well with North Forge Technology Exchange’s commitment to helping companies develop quickly and responsibly while keeping costs down.

TDS is capable of supporting start-ups in technology, STEM and advanced manufacturing through each stage of their existence—all the way from ideation to development to deployment.

And they’ll do it with a responsive, relationship-focused approach, which Jack and everyone at EcoPoxy can attest to.

“We share stories, we share joys, we share challenges, and through that, a friendship’s evolved that we cherish. Silvia is not just a lawyer; she’s an advisor, and every entrepreneur and CEO needs a team of advisors.”

Hear EcoPoxy CEO Jack Maendel’s full story. Learn more about Silvia de Sousa and TDS’ capabilities in Intellectual Property Law and Start-Ups.