Hall Of Fame

Firms To Watch: Intellectual property: Patents

La Gro Geelkerken advocaten‘s patents practice has grown notably following the February 2023 arrival from BarentsKrans of Marleen van den Horst, who joins Benjamin Niemeijer in representing life sciences clients in patent disputes.

Intellectual property: Patents in Netherlands

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird is noted for its strength in both pharmaceutical and telecoms patent litigation, working closely with the firm’s teams in Germany to handle infringement and opposition proceedings, and is also well versed in handling standard essential patent (SEP) and FRAND disputes. The firm’s overall IP team is headed by Manon Rieger-Jansen, and includes Wouter Pors, whose patents practice encompasses both life sciences and electronics disputes, and Marc van Wijngaarden, who co-leads the firm’s life sciences team, handling cross-border disputes concerning drugs and medical devices. Tjibbe Douma handles a wide range of cross-border disputes for tech companies and private equity houses, while Peter van Gemert, who was made partner in May 2023, specialises in telecoms patent disputes. Carlos van Staveren‘s practice includes telecoms and life sciences patent matters, which he litigates up to the Dutch Supreme Court.

Responsables de la pratique:

Manon Rieger-Jansen


Autres avocats clés:

Wouter Pors; Marc van Wijngaarden; Tjibbe Douma; Peter van Gemert; Carlos van Staveren


Les références

‘Tjibbe Douma is a pleasure to work with, both professionally and personally. He is a worthy lawyer with a great eye for detail.’

‘The team is both technically capable and litigation oriented, which makes the team perfect for handling challenging litigation.’

‘We are pleased with Tjibbe Douma as he received complex cases and handled them very well. Tjibbe also assisted in defining the overall litigation strategy for the patents, and we will definitely use him for future litigation.’

Principaux clients

Nokia


Edwards Lifesciences


Broadcom


KPN


Sanofi/Ablynx


Amgen


Valeo


Qualcomm


Sinopharm Weiqida Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd.


Neuraxpharm


Bicycle Therapeutics


Neo Materials


Ferring Pharmaceuticals


Odysight AI


Canon


Bound2B


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Nokia in patent litigation comprising a series of proceedings against ASSIA and Oppo, related to both implementation and alleged standard-essential patents on DSL technology.
  • Acted for Neuraxpharm in patent litigation against Biogen in the context of an international dispute on generic entry for a treatment for MS.
  • Represented Edwards Lifesciences in a multi-jurisdictional, multi-patent dispute against Meril Life Sciences and its national distributor, in light of Meril’s global launch of its prosthetic heart valve Myval, which Edwards alleges infringes its SAPIEN 3 prosthetic valve.

Brinkhof

Brinkhof is frequently tasked with co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional patent disputes, overseeing parallel European and global litigation for clients in the pharmaceutical, electronics and tech and consumer goods sectors. Daan de Lange tackles SEP disputes for telecoms clients and FRAND matters. The team is headed by Richard Ebbink, who handles European Patent Office (EPO) opposition proceedings and parallel national disputes, and Mark van Gardingen, who specialises in pharmaceutical, chemical and biotech patents. Koen Bijvank appears before the courts and the EPO for chemicals and life sciences clients. Jan Pot, who heads the firm’s litigation team, handles appeal and opposition proceedings before the Dutch Supreme Court and EPO.

Responsables de la pratique:

Richard Ebbink; Mark van Gardingen


Autres avocats clés:

Daan de Lange; Koen Bijvank; Jan Pot; Rien Broekstra; Paul Marcelis; Alexander de Leeuw; Barbara Mooij


Les références

‘I have enjoyed working with Brinkhof. They make the jargon understandable and they come up with practical solutions for difficult situations.’

‘The personal relationship seems to be high on Brinkhof’s agenda, which makes it nice to catch up. Mark van Gardingen is the stand-out.’

‘Strong team of young, eager and sharp lawyers.’

Principaux clients

Accord Healthcare


Alcon


Alvotech


Amgen


Becton Dickinson


Belmoca


Boston Scientific


Boehringer Ingelheim


Delta Electronics


Glycostem


Google LLC


Heineken


High Point


Longi


OPPO


QVQ


Sandoz


Synthon


Tata Steel


The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard


Unilever


Versuni


Vestel


Vision-Box


Xiaomi


ZURU Inc.


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Vestel in FRAND determination proceedings regarding standard essential patents included in the High Efficiency Video Coding-standard and pooled in the Access Advance patent pool HEVC Advance.
  • Acted for OPPO in multi-jurisdictional patent disputes with a multitude of proprietors of standard essential patents, including Sisvel, Nokia and others.
  • Advised the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in connection with its discovery and development of the CRISPR technology for genome editing, including representing it in matters related to its European CRISPR patent portfolio.

HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER

HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER‘s ‘talented, highly responsive, and very knowledgeable’ team handles complex instructions on behalf of life sciences, telecoms and electronics sector clients, with experience taking on multi-jurisdictional patent disputes and assisting with patent prosecutions and portfolio management. Leading the team is Bart van den Broek, whose practice is centred on tech patents and comprises both cross-border litigation and patent protection strategies, with co-founding partner Willem Hoyng acting for a range of domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotech clients. Theo Blomme maintains a broad practice that includes both tech and pharmaceutical patent disputes, with Peter van Schijndel specialising in biotech, pharmaceutical and medical devices matters. Simon Dack departed the firm in July 2023.

Responsables de la pratique:

Bart van den Broek


Autres avocats clés:

Willem Hoyng; Theo Blomme; Peter van Schijndel; Roeland Grijpink


Les références

‘Their experience before The Hague patent court is their strong point.’

Theo Blomme is very alert in court and can immediately respond to opponents’ invalid arguments during hearings.’

‘Hoyng is our go-to counsel for patent litigation in the Netherlands. They have a strong team, led by partner Peter van Schijndel, that is talented, highly responsive and very knowledgeable about the industry.’

Principaux clients

Johnson & Johnson (Janssen Biologics)


BioNTech


Netflix


Hanwha Q Cells


Astrazeneca


Philips


Access Advance


Corbin Clinical Resources


Biogen


Principaux dossiers


  • Defended BioNTech in patent litigation concerning mRNA Covid vaccines initiated by Moderna.
  • Acted for Netflix in patent litigation initiated by DivX.
  • Represented Janssen (J&J) in patent litigation against Samsung BioEpis in relation to a biosimilar of J&J’s drug Stelara.

Allen & Overy LLP

Allen & Overy LLP takes on both contentious and transactional patent advice, with clients from the pharmaceutical, tech and telecoms sectors seeking the practice out for advice on SEP and FRAND matters, in addition to licensing and R&D agreements. Practice head Frits Gerritzen represents clients in both enforcement and validity proceedings, with extensive experience in medical equipment, pharmaceutical and antibodies patents in addition to providing assistance with licensing contracts. Marleen van Putten acts for tech clients in patent disputes, with further experience in assisting with M&A-related patent transfers, while Sophie van Asten supports both tech and life sciences clients in validity and infringement proceedings.

Responsables de la pratique:

Frits Gerritzen


Autres avocats clés:

Marleen van Putten; Sophie van Asten


Les références

‘Frits Gerritzen has a wealth of experience in complex pan-European life sciences patent litigation. The practice has been growing and also benefits from strong teams based in London and Paris, which often work together.’

‘Frits Gerritzen is diligent and has in-depth knowledge of genetic engineering and immunology. He gets very involved in the matters, which is great from a client perspective.’

‘Sophie van Asten has a strong intellectual property law background and has worked on a number of life sciences cases. She is very approachable and easy to work with.’

Principaux clients

NPM


LeydenLabs


KPN


Samsung


BarentsKrans

With a ‘stellar reputation for patent litigation', BarentsKrans is a good choice for contentious matters in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences industries, with further expertise in taking on disputes in the telecoms and high-tech sectors. ‘Exceptional patent lawyer’ Jaap Bremer leads the team, specialising in tech patent litigation and also advising on cooperation and distribution agreements. Jarieke Timmerman is also noted for her tech-focused patent litigation practice. The October 2023 arrival Marc Elshof from Dentons, who acts at the intersection of IP, data protection and tech law, further strengthened the practice.

Responsables de la pratique:

Jaap Bremer


Autres avocats clés:

Marc Elshof; Jarieke Timmerman


Les références

‘Jaap Bremer brings the perfect balance to the table. He is a lawyer who understands the sector and technology, but teams up with expert patent attorneys when needed. He identifies risks and opportunities and is not afraid to share these. A real collaborator.’

‘They are very knowledgeable and have great courtroom presence.’

‘Jaap Bremer is an outstanding IP lawyer and has always achieved excellent results for us. He has always demonstrated the utmost professionalism, dedication and commitment.’

Principaux clients

Viatris (Mylan)


Advance Medical Designs


Pelvitec


InterDigital


BlueAlp (Mourik)


Huisman Equipment


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Viatris (Mylan) in a multi-jurisdictional patent litigation initiated by Novartis with respect to fingolimod, an immunosuppressant drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
  • Acted for Advance Medical Designs, Leapmed and Pelvitec in patent infringement proceedings initiated by Corbin Clinical Resources.
  • Represented Cheesepop in patent and know-how licence litigation against GEHO.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek moved to strengthen its patent litigation practice with the July 2023 arrival from NautaDutilh of Anne Marie Verschuur, who focuses on tech-related patent infringement and invalidity proceedings. She leads the team alongside Tobias Cohen Jehoram, who appears for pharmaceutical sector clients in patent appeals before the Dutch Supreme Court, in addition to the EUIPO and ECJ. Roos van der Poel handles transactional IP matters, advising on licensing and cooperation agreements, as well as matters of competition and contract law. Bertrand ter Woort's practice encompasses both life sciences and tech-focused patent disputes.

Responsables de la pratique:

Tobias Cohen Jehoram; Anne Marie Verschuur


Autres avocats clés:

Roos van der Poel; Bertrand ter Woort


Les références

‘High standard, top-of-the-bill IP lawyers. Capable of dealing with large cases.’

‘Anne Marie Verschuur is a very bright and good litigator. Pleasant to work with, never leaving open ends. She is a very good pleader as well.’

‘Anne Marie Verschuur is one of the best European IP litigators, with a core experience in patents. She is one of the top five individuals in the Netherlands and goes the extra mile for her clients!’

Principaux clients

GSK


Sonos


Access Advance and GEVC


JDE Peet’s


KPN


Pharmathen


Koopman


Sharp


Eli Lilly


Sandoz


Bayer Pharma


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented GSK in Dutch proceedings as part of an international dispute between Pfizer and GSK relating to three GSK patents.
  • Acted for Sonos in pan-European patent proceedings before the Dutch courts as part of global patent litigation between Sonos and Google.
  • Acted for Pharmathen Global B.V. in proceedings against Novartis A.G. before the Dutch Supreme Court.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's patents team is described by a client as ‘one of the best in the Netherlands’, working closely with colleagues in London and Düsseldorf to coordinate major pharmaceutical patent litigation across Europe. The practice acts for clients bringing and defending infringement claims, while also assisting with FRAND licensing and SEPs. The practice is headed by Rutger Kleemans, who frequently pleads cases before Dutch and European IP courts, and Jelle Drok, who handles tech-related patent disputes. Ruben Laddé works closely with both practice heads, focusing primarily on contentious tech and telecoms patents matters, while Allard van Duijn is building up a strong pharmaceutical patent disputes practice.

Responsables de la pratique:

Rutger Kleemans; Jelle Drok


Autres avocats clés:

Ruben Laddé; Auke Tadema; Allard van Duijn


Les références

‘Very responsive team with engaging members, from junior associate to partner level, into which you are integrated seamlessly. It is a pleasure to work with such a team.’

‘Next to the required knowledge and skills, they really ask the difficult questions and want to get to the details, also the weak spots, of the case. Rutger Kleemans is strategically very strong, while Ruben Laddé really gets to the bottom of a case, including the technical details.’

‘The patents team at Freshfields is one of the best in the Netherlands.’

Principaux clients

Moderna


Novartis


Schöck Bauteile GmbH


Advanced Accelerator Applications International


AB Inbev


Apple


Genmab


Principaux dossiers


  • Coordinated global litigation on behalf of Moderna in regard to mRNA vaccines in their global dispute against Pfizer and BioNTech.
  • Represented Novartis in PI and merits proceedings against Pharmathen concerning a method to manufacture octreotide acetate microparticles.
  • Acted for Novartis in a nullity suit brought by Synthon concerning the drug Entresto and its constituent compounds.

Hogan Lovells International LLP

Hogan Lovells International LLP acts for pharmaceutical clients on cross-border patent infringement disputes in and outside of Europe, and also takes on FRAND defences. The practice is led by the ‘very bright’ Ruud van der Velden, who represents pharmaceutical and high-tech clients in patent and trade secret disputes, and ‘practical and thoughtful’ Gertjan Kuipers, whose broad practice spans telecoms, life sciences and mechanical patent disputes. Bert Oosting handles patent litigation before the Dutch courts and the EPO and is also sought out for advice on patent prosecution and enforcement.

Responsables de la pratique:

Ruud van der Velden; Gertjan Kuipers


Autres avocats clés:

Bert Oosting; Rik Zagers; Dirk-Jan Ridderinkhof


Les références

‘I would follow Gertjan Kuipers anywhere! Gertjan is exceptionally intelligent and a sharp and gifted litigator. He quickly understands any technology that is the subject of a dispute.’

‘Gertjan Kuipers is practical and thoughtful. Ruud van der Velden is fun to work with and very bright.’

‘A unique competence and expertise on multi-country approach strategy for IP rights enforcement and in different areas of IP, including national or regional procedures in Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East regarding patent rights, trade secrets misappropriation and business law.’

Principaux clients

BMS


Amgen


Meril Lifesciences


Organik Kimya


Merck


OPPO


Solvay


Roche


Probroed


Kindermann


Vivoryon


Zelig Mappa Farmers Ltd.


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented BMS in multiple patent proceedings relating to its product Eliquis.
  • Acted for Meril in four patent infringement (and revocation counterclaim) proceedings on the merits against Edwards in relation to transcatheter heart valves.
  • Represented OPPO in patent infringement proceedings initiated by Philips in relation to two patents that are allegedly standard essential for the UMTS and LTE standards.

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons' patents team splits its focus between pharmaceutical and TMT matters, providing advice across the spectrum of patent issues, including on prosecution, licensing agreements and regulatory issues, in addition to acting for clients in infringement proceedings. Bas Berghuis van Woortman heads the practice, representing a number of major smartphone and pharmaceutical manufacturers in multi-jurisdictional disputes. Johan Renes specialises in the life sciences sector, advising medical device producers and companies developing a variety of drugs, with Oscar Lamme taking on cases at the intersection of TMT patents and competition law. Regulatory specialist Machteld Hiemstra joined from Pinsent Masons LLP in May 2023, focusing on supplementary protection certificate litigation.

Responsables de la pratique:

Bas Berghuis van Woortman


Autres avocats clés:

Johan Renes; Oscar Lamme; Machteld Hiemstra; Sebastien Versaevel


Les références

‘Bas Berghuis van Woortman is a senior statesman. He knows the system and the courts and has won his fair share of cases. Oscar Lamme is one of the few Dutch lawyers that has the technical skills to accompany legal skills.’

‘Excellent understanding of complex patents and a multidisciplinary approach. High flexibility and speed of reaction. Clear communication.’

‘High level of commitment to the case, above and beyond what could professionally be expected.’

Principaux clients

ASSIA


Bayer HealthCare


DivX


Greensenz


Honeywell


HP Inc.


Idemia


Koopman


MED-EL


MolGen


NKI


Pharmathen


Plant-e


Samsung Bioepis


Samsung Electronics


Serenity


uniQure


Xiaomi


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Samsung Electronics in several patent disputes against Ericsson and DTS International.
  • Assisted Samsung Bioepis with regulatory advice on the EU market.
  • Acted for Bayer in its defence against several nullity actions concerning patents covering the drug Xarelto.

Taylor Wessing

With a focus on pharmaceutical disputes but also taking on telecoms and mechanical patent work, Taylor Wessing is instructed on cross-border matters, including advising on patent strategies, licensing and freedom-to-operate issues. The team is led by Wim Maas, who heads the firm’s Belenux-wide patents group and specialises in tech patents; life sciences and industrial design specialist Charlotte Garnitsch; and Eelco Bergsma, who litigates in the field of electronic and mechanical patents. David Mulder advises on matters at the intersection of patent and competition law.

Responsables de la pratique:

Wim Maas; Charlotte Garnitsch; Eelco Bergsma


Autres avocats clés:

David Mulder


Les références

‘Personal contact, direct lines, clear and valuable advice on the spot.’

‘Eelco Bergsma and Wim Maas have excellent knowledge of case law. They are always giving advice that makes sense for the client. Very open and friendly.’

‘Pragmatic, very accessible.’

Principaux clients

Pfizer Inc.


JRZ Suspension B.V., Protrac B.V. and VoVu Metaalbewerking B.V.


Principaux dossiers


  • Advised Pfizer in two patent litigation proceedings concerning Covid-19 vaccines against Moderna.
  • Acted for JRZ Suspension B.V., Protrac B.V. and VoVu Metaalbewerking B.V. in defending claims of patent infringement and stealing trade secrets.

CMS

CMS is particularly well versed in patent protection and litigation for tech, engineering and media-focused clients, working closely with the firm’s offices and practice groups around Europe to provide support on international patent disputes, in addition to handling the IP aspects of corporate transactions. Leading the team is seasoned WIPO arbitrator Rogier de Vrey, who advises life sciences, media and sports sector clients on cross-border patent infringement disputes and trade secrets matters. Yasar Çelebi focuses on tech and engineering-centric patent issues.

Responsables de la pratique:

Rogier de Vrey


Autres avocats clés:

Yasar Çelebi


Les références

‘The firm’s IP group is very knowledgeable about local and international patent issues.’

‘Rogier de Vrey is an excellent communicator. Decisive but open to suggestions.’

‘In court, Rogier de Vrey and Yasar Çelebi know how to stick to the agreed-upon strategy despite the counterparty’s attempts to distract them.’

Principaux clients

Paramount


Comcast (NBC Universal, Sky)


HP


Kiremko


UEFA


Johnson & Johnson


Primark


Syngenta


Amgen


Sony (Europe)


McCain


Vattenfall


Royal BAM Group


IBM


Royal Ahrend


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Kiremko in a substantial number of patent infringement and patent invalidity proceedings against Tomra.
  • Acted for Ferm RFID Solutions in its claims against Avery Dennison Corporation and its Dutch subsidiary concerning the alleged unlawful acquisition of trade secrets and in entitlement proceedings.
  • Assisted Technology & Strategy Group with patent portfolio due diligence as part of its acquisition of Topic Ventures B.V. and its 13 subsidiaries.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper assists clients with the protection of patents in the tech, industrial and agricultural sectors, representing clients in the Dutch and European courts and advising on licensing agreements, tech transfers and the patent aspects of M&A deals. The practice is led by Paul Reeskamp, whose contentious patent expertise extends across the pharmaceutical, biotech and offshore industries, and the ‘practical and thorough’ Alexander Tsoutsanis, who supports tech and biotech clients with patent, trade secret and plant variety rights.

Responsables de la pratique:

Paul Reeskamp; Alexander Tsoutsanis


Les références

‘I worked with Alexander Tsoutsanis and Paul Reeskamp. This year we achieved a complete victory in the Court of Appeal through careful preparation, insightful planning and attention to detail. They were personally invested in the case and it showed.’

Principaux clients

Allergan


Glen Dimplex/Basic Holdings


Heerema Marine Contractors


Hikvision


James Fisher


Nike


Nikon


Portl


Renault


Sakata Seed Corporation


Smartwares


Taishan Group


TTD


Van de Zaag


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented Basic Holdings in a patent dispute before the Court of Appeal of The Hague concerning electrical fire apparatus.
  • Advised ATRC on innovation and patent filing strategies.
  • Acted for Asetek in a patent dispute concerning liquid cooling solutions for computer systems.

Houthoff

Houthoff‘s patents team, led by IP and IT specialist Thomas de Weerd, is noted for its position as a Supreme Court appeals specialist, with Thijs van Aerde frequently being instructed by clients and other law firms on a variety of disputes, notably those concerning generic drugs. The practice also advises clients in the life sciences and automotive sectors, and handles patent licensing matters in addition to its contentious work. Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis is an agritech patent expert, litigating cases concerning national and community plant variety rights.

Responsables de la pratique:

Thomas de Weerd


Autres avocats clés:

Thijs van Aerde; Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis


Les références

‘Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis and Thijs van Aerde provide impeccable service, are easily reachable and pleasant to work with. I would recommend them to anyone.’

‘The Houthoff patent team has assisted us with several Supreme Court appeals. Thijs van Aerde is one of a handful of very skilled Supreme Court patent litigators, and has the ability to understand a case very quickly.’

‘Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis has excellent procedural knowledge, is very pleasant to work with, and is always readily available. She adds a lot of value for us. Thijs van Aerde is also a strong procedural lawyer and a Supreme Court lawyer specialised in patent law.’

Principaux clients

HP


Airwair International


Philip Morris


Dell


Dummen Orange


Netherlands Vehicle Authority


Spinnin’ Records (Warner Music Group)


Nexperia


Brein


VolkerRail


Novartis


Principaux dossiers


  • Represented RDW, the holder of the Dutch vehicle registration register in patent invalidity proceedings at the Dutch Court of The Hague.
  • Acted for Novartis in patent litigation before the Dutch Supreme Court against Mylan.
  • Represented Vermeer in preliminary injunction proceedings at the Court of the North Netherlands in Leeuwarden in a post-transactional patent and trade secret dispute.

Oxon IP

Oxon IP is a boutique that focuses exclusively on post-grant patent oppositions and appeals, acting for clients in the pharmaceutical, household goods and chemicals industries before the EPO. Founder Leythem Wall, who is admitted in the UK in addition to before the EPO, advises a variety of US-based clients before the EPO, and is also qualified to plead cases at the UPC.

Responsables de la pratique:

Leythem Wall


Principaux clients

Lonza


SWM International


Ontex


PQ Corporation


GeoRoc International


Finnegan LLP


Principaux dossiers


  • Opposed European patents belonging to Proctor & Gamble covering their commercial nappy products on behalf of Ontex.
  • Defended the European patent covering a commercial silica catalyst product in EPO opposition and appeal proceedings brought by SABIC.
  • Defended the European patent covering a commercial cigarette paper wrapper product.