MLT AIKINS LLP | MLTAIKINS.COM
Carolyn DeFreese
Trademark Agent • (she/her)
Carolyn is a highly experienced trademark agent with more than 25 years of experience advising clients on registering, protecting and strategically managing trademarks in Canada, the United States and internationally. She is known for her practical, business-focused approach to IP strategy and her ability to manage complex portfolios, contentious matters and global brand protection challenges.
Education & Qualifications
- Licensed Canadian Trademark Agent (2001)
- Qualified Practitioner, United States Patent and Trademark Office (2001)
- Certified in Innovation Governance, Innovation Asset Collective (Level 1 Executive Program) (2022)
Languages
More about me
Carolyn has extensive experience as both a trademark agent and intellectual property strategist. Her practice includes global brand protection strategy, international portfolio management, trademark prosecution, enforcement, opposition and Section 45 proceedings and digital brand protection.
Her career spans national law firms and in-house leadership roles, including more than a decade directing the global trademark portfolio of a major Canadian energy company and later leading the trademark practice at a national law firm. She advises clients on internal trademark governance frameworks, international recordals, coexistence and licensing agreements, domain name disputes and online infringement response protocols.
Carolyn is also a recognized leader in the IP community. She serves as a Director of the Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC) and has been an instructor in Canada’s national Trademark Agent Training programs since 2008. She is widely appreciated for her strategic insight and ability to translate complex IP issues into clear, actionable guidance for businesses.
- Directed global trademark strategy and portfolio integration following a major Canadian energy merger involving more than 70 jurisdictions
- Led trademark practice operations at a national law firm, including portfolio management, workflow oversight and strategic direction
- Developed enterprise-wide trademark governance policies, licensing frameworks and digital brand enforcement programs
- Managed complex multinational portfolios spanning Canada, the U.S. and worldwide, coordinating filing strategies with foreign counsel
- Represented clients in opposition and summary expungement proceedings before the Trademarks Opposition Board
- Served as an accredited IP Advisor for NRC IRAP, helping startups and scaling companies identify, protect and leverage their IP assets
- Director, Intellectual Property Institute of Canada (IPIC)
- Instructor, Trademark Agent Training Course, IPIC (2008–present)
- Program Developer & Instructor, Trademark Agent Exam Tutorials (2025)
- Former Chair, Trademark Agent Training Course Committee, IPIC (2017–2021)
- Former Chair, Membership & Information Committee, IPIC (2012–2015)
- Member, International Trademark Association (INTA) – Publications Committee
- Speaker and Advisor, National Research Council IRAP – IP Assist Program
- Speaker and Content Contributor, Innovation Asset Collective, BusinessLink, Accelerate Okanagan, NWT Tourism