Natalie S. Rizkalla-Kamel
Partner
Head, Toronto Intellectual Property Department; Trademark Agent
- Year of Call, Ontario (2006)
Bio
Natalie Rizkalla-Kamel is a partner and head of the firm’s Intellectual Property Department in Toronto and a member of the Toronto Management Committee.
Natalie specializes in strategic global trademark portfolio management, trademark prosecution, IP enforcement and corporate IP strategy. The 2025 edition of the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 describes Natalie as a “seasoned partner [who] devises clear protection strategies and navigates tricky transactions with finesse.”
Natalie advises clients on acquiring, protecting, and enforcing trademark rights both domestically and globally. She has extensive experience in all aspects of IP strategy and enforcement, representing clients across diverse industries, including retail, cosmetics, manufacturing, cannabis, financial services, and pharmaceuticals—ranging from startups to multinational corporations. She is committed to understanding her clients' business objectives, crafting effective IP strategies, and guiding them toward favourable outcomes. She also provides counsel on the IP aspects of M&A transactions, including due diligence, deal structuring, and IP assignment and licensing agreements, ensuring seamless integration and protection of intellectual property throughout the process.
Natalie is an active member of the global IP community and regularly contributes to discussions on emerging developments in IP law. In 2017, Natalie was named a Lexpert "Rising Star: Leading Lawyer Under 40" for being at the top of the legal profession in Canada, as well as in recognition of her professional achievements and contributions to the community. She is consistently ranked as a World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) Leader and her recent accolades include rankings in World Trademark Review 1000 2025 for trademark prosecution and IP transactions, Chambers Canada 2025 for Intellectual Property, The Best Lawyers in Canada 2025, and the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory 2024 for Intellectual Property. She was also recognized as a Legal 500 Canada 2025 Leading Individual and an IAM Strategy 300 Global Leader 2025.
Prior to joining Gowling WLG, Natalie received an MSc in Civil Engineering from Queen's University, under a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) scholarship, and worked as a structural engineer. She is licensed as a Professional Engineer (PEng) in Ontario.