Gerda Bouwer
Expertise
Gerda serves as director of OAK Law, heading up the intellectual property (IP) law department. Gerda has extensive practical experience in the field of IP law in South Africa, Africa and other foreign countries.
This includes:
- IP portfolio management;
- conducting IP clearance, availability and registrability searches;
- filing and attending to the prosecution of IP applications, both locally and internationally;
- attending to the maintenance of IP registrations;
- amendment of IP registrations;
- commercialisation of IP;
- assignment of IP;
- conducting IP audits and valuations;
- compiling due diligence reports;
- IP infringement;
- IP opposition;
- IP removal or cancellation proceedings;
- Copyright;
- labelling regulations;
- domain name registrations;
- defensive registrations; and
- company name objections.
Contact Me
gerda@oaklaw.co.za
+27 (0) 12 345 3761
Qualifications
Gerda obtained her BCom (Law) and LLB degrees from the University of Pretoria and an LLM degree in International Trade Law from the University of Stellenbosch. Gerda is an admitted attorney and a qualified Trademarks Practitioner. She is a member of the Law Society of the Northern Provinces, a fellow of the South African Institute of Intellectual Property (SAIIPL) and a member of the Licensing Executive Society (LES). In 2015, Gerda successfully completed the Advanced Short Course in Intellectual Property Management and Innovation through UNISA and was honoured with the SIEMENS Prize for being the top NIPMO-UNISA IP Management student. Gerda’s academic achievements include obtaining Academic Honorary Colours for both her BCom (Law) and LLB degrees, receiving merit certificates for Criminal Law, Law of Damages, Third Party Compensation Law and IP Law as well as being a member of the Golden Key International Honour’s Society and was listed on the Dean’s Merit Roll.
Experience
After completing her studies in 2007, Gerda accepted articles of clerkship with a well-known IP law firm based in Pretoria where she remained until 2014. Gerda has gained extensive experience both in trademark litigation and prosecution – not only in South Africa, but also in Africa and other foreign countries. During the course of 2015 and 2016, Gerda performed IP consultation work for various law firms and also dipped her toes into the world of academics working as a lecturer at the IIE: Varsity College, Pretoria.
Interests
Gerda is a true foody and enjoys baking and cooking, and experiencing new tastes at up and coming eateries. She also enjoys spending time in the outdoors and with her family and friends. Gerda is the proud mother of two daughters.
Values
Luke 6:30 – “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”