Gowling WLG

Partner Lawyer, Trademark Agent Certified Specialist - IP (Trademarks)

Paula Clancy is a partner and trademark agent in Gowling WLG's Ottawa office. She is a member of the Intellectual Property Group and her practice focuses on trademarks.

Paula has more than 27 years of experience as a corporate/commercial and trademark lawyer, and she is certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in IP (Trademarks). Her background in business law and intellectual property law is a valuable asset to her clients.

Paula works with in-house counsel as an extension of their legal team to assist with trademark filing strategies, global portfolio management, and procurement. Her clients range from start-ups and SMEs to prominent public companies, including a number of global brands. These clients operate in industries including, technology, fashion, consumer goods, cosmetics, food and beverage, sports, banking, manufacturing, and life sciences. Paula also has experience working with women-owned and minority-owned businesses.

Paula is very active in the intellectual property community, and currently serves as a director of the International Trademark Association (INTA). She also currently serves as president and chair of the board for the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC); Canada's national delegate for the Interamerican Association of Intellectual Property (ASIPI); and "councillor" or "member of council" of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property AIPPI (Canada).

Paula has been ranked for 12 consecutive years as one of the world's top IP lawyers in World Trademark Review's WTR1000, and has recently been recognized in the 2023 editions of Best Lawyers in Canada and The Legal 500 Canada as a leading individual in IP. Paula is a past recipient of the Ottawa Business Journal's Top 40 Under Forty Award and Distinctive Women Magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award. She was a finalist for the Women's Business Network's Businesswoman of the Year Award.

Prior to re-joining Gowling WLG (she practised with the firm from 1994-2008), Paula founded and operated a boutique intellectual property firm in Ottawa. Her firm was ranked in the WTR1000 as a leading Canadian trademark prosecution firm; was certified by WBE Canada as a Women Business Enterprise; and was selected as an Amazon IP Accelerator firm. As a founder and entrepreneur, Paula has picked up valuable insights that help her effectively advise startups and SMEs. She knows from experience how to help them navigate their pain points and challenges.