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Gaelyn Scott is an Executive at ENSafrica and head of the firm’s Intellectual Property practice.  Gaelyn specialises in strategic brand and portfolio management and the enforcement of intellectual property rights, both locally and internationally, with extensive experience in Africa.

She has experience in litigation and dispute resolution relating to intellectual property rights, including trade mark infringement, passing-off and unlawful competition matters, trade mark oppositions and cancellations, copyright litigation, franchising and licensing disputes, corporate name and domain name objections, social media and Advertising Regulatory Board (“ARB”) complaints.  She is a leading expert in the ARB/advertising field in South Africa.

Gaelyn advises clients in relation to the strategic management and enforcement of their intellectual property portfolios and manages several large worldwide trade mark portfolios.  She provides legal services to several clients on a pro bono basis and is an adjudicator on the domain name dispute panel of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law (SAIIPL).  Gaelyn has been published widely in her field of expertise, both locally and internationally, and has consistently been recognised by various international publications and legal directories as one of the leading trade mark litigation attorneys in South Africa.

Gaelyn is well known in the market in which she has a significant profile and is trusted by her clients to provide legal services for IP matters, which is evident in the selection of feedback received from her clients in a recent directory submission.  Clients describe Gaelyn as "proactive, prompt, accessible and highly knowledgeable." One client described her as "the best in South Africa" on IP matters, with another noting that she is "exceptionally efficient dealing with what is a vast and geographically diverse portfolio."  We believe that this highlights her strength and reputation in the market as the go-to lawyer for intellectual property.

Gaelyn founded the intellectual property department at ENSafrica almost eleven years ago and has been responsible for its growth to a team of 50 people and for it quickly becoming a force within the African IP legal market.

Gaelyn has been rated as a leading practitioner in the field of trade mark enforcement and contentious IP matters and is recognised as a leading/recommended lawyer by:

• Chambers Global Guide 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 – Intellectual Property (South Africa)
• The Legal 500 EMEA 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 – Intellectual Property (South Africa)
• Client Choice Awards 2019, 2018, 2017 – Intellectual Property: Trade marks (South Africa)
• World Trademark Review’s 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2017 WIPR Leaders – Leading IP practitioner (South Africa)
• Managing IP: IP Stars Handbook 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – Trade mark strategy and counselling, Trade mark Litigation and Trade mark office proceedings (South Africa), 2016 – Trade marks (South Africa)
• The Best Lawyer 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 – Intellectual Property (South Africa) 
• The Acritas Stars Database and Report 2018 and 2017
• Managing IP: Top 250 Women in IP 2021, 2020, 2016 (one of only three ranked for South Africa)
• The Inaugural World IP Review WIPR Leaders 2016 – Trade Marks (South Africa)

Gaelyn is a member of the following IP associations:

• LES – Licensing Executives Society
• INTA – International Trademark Association – Law and Practice Middle East and Africa Subcommittee, Bulletin Committee (2012)
• ECTA – European Communities Trade Mark Association
• SAIIPL – South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law, associate member, member of the Trade Mark Law Committee

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