Alyssa is an associate at Aitken Klee LLP in Ottawa. She practices in all areas of intellectual property law, supports artists with entertainment law questions and disputes, and advocates for clients in regulated industries with respect to the Access to Information Act.
Alyssa has experience with litigation before the Federal Court and Court of Appeal, the Ontario Superior Court and Small Claims Court, and the Supreme Court of Canada. Outside the courtroom, she has advised the Government of Canada on IP litigation and counseled businesses about IP, licensing, and regulatory issues. Prior to joining Aitken Klee, Alyssa worked as a Law Clerk for The Honourable Justice Richard Southcott of the Federal Court of Canada.
Alyssa also serves the artistic community as Duty Counsel with the Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS) clinic, helping creators with copyright, trademark, contracts, privacy, defamation, and other concerns.
Alyssa quickly develops expertise in new subject areas and translates complicated concepts into persuasive arguments. She brings her knowledge of pharmaceutical, mechanical, technological, and other patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyright, and associated regulatory regimes to all of her cases.
Education and Qualifications
- State Bar of California (2022 inactive)
- Law Society of Ontario (2019)
- Juris Doctor, Michigan State University College of Law (2018)
- Juris Doctor, University of Ottawa (2018)
- Honours Bachelor of Social Science, University of Ottawa (2014)
Memberships
- Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)
- Canadian Bar Association
Positions
- IPIC, Vice Chair for the Emerging Leaders Committee and Emerging Leaders Networking Group
- IPIC, Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee
- IPIC, Women and IP Networking Group
Publications and Presentations
- Alyssa Gaffen, Angela Sordi, and Jason Geary, “Understanding Neurodiversity”, presented to IPIC2024 in St. John’s, Newfoundland (September 27, 2024)
- Alyssa Gaffen, “Refining theSaccharin Doctrine: A Call for Clarity and Predictability in Canada’s Extraterritorial Patent Law”, Intellectual Property Journal (2020) 32:3 p. 291
- Jeremy de Beer and Alyssa Gaffen, “Intellectual Property Rights in the Recreational Cannabis Market: Craft or Commodity?” University of British Columbia Law Review (2017) 50:3 p. 621.