Alyssa Gaffen

Alyssa Gaffen

Alyssa Gaffen

Associate

Alyssa is an associate at Aitken Klee LLP in Ottawa. She practices in all areas of intellectual property law and advises clients in regulated industries on the Access to Information Act.

Alyssa has acted as Counsel before the Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the Ontario Courts. 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 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

  • The Advocates Society
  • 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.