Netherlands

&Co Advocaten was founded in 2024 by Van Doorne's former head of IP Kriek Wille. She runs the firm with Rising Star Dominique Geerts.

Dutch boutique firms Le Poole Bekema and Hofhuis Alkema Groen merged in January 2023 to form AC&R, a firm specialising in soft IP law. Prior to the merger, Hofhuis Alkema Groen was highly recommended for soft IP work, with a Tier 1 ranking in 2022 for trade mark disputes. Hofhuis Alkema Groen's name partner and IP Star Adonna Alkema left private practice in 2022, leaving brands and design specialist Jesse Hofhuis and all-round soft IP lawyer Arnout Groen. Le Poole Bekema was best known for its media and copyright practice with creative industry lawyers such as Anne Bekema and Laura Broers. The partners are supported by a team of associates.

AOMB is recommended for IP protection and portfolio management work. It has European trade mark and patent attorneys in the Netherlands and Poland, where it has an active European trade mark practice. European and Benelux trade mark Anne Laarman serves as managing partner. Other notable practitioners in the trade mark practice include Renate Pouw. Its patent attorneys cover fields such as chemistry, biotechnology and engineering. Peter Dorna, Vera op den Brouw-Sprakel, Arie Blokland and René Raggers are among the experienced European patent attorneys in the firm.

Arnold & Siedsma is a well-regarded patent and trade mark attorney firm in the Benelux. The firm has a strong team of European patent attorneys, with expertise in fields such as chemistry, biotechnology, electronics, and engineering. The chemistry patent practice grew in July 2020 following the acquisition of Belgian patent firm LC Patents.

For patent protection work, the senior leaders in the firm are European patent attorneys Paul Hylarides and Gerwald Verdijck, who are based in the Netherlands. Another notable leader is chemistry specialist Steve Duxbury, who runs the firm’s Munich office.

Electronics patent specialist Nele D'Halleweyn is the prominent practitioner in its Belgian practice. She is now supported by biochemistry patent specialist Bart Laenen. The team is also supported by Dutch and Belgian qualified patent attorneys such as Erik Bartelds, Rogier Brouwer, Petri van Someren, Erik Bartelds, Arjen Hooiveld, Martin Luten and Bart Jacobs. Patent attorneys Raimond Haan, Yannick Philippaerts and Remy Van den Bosch are practitioners to watch.

For trade marks, the firm’s core team is based in the Netherlands, where clients will find trade mark partners Karin Becks and Joop Elzas. Sandra Bauwens is a notable trade mark attorney in Belgium.

The firm also has a legal practice which has grown steadily over the years. The legal practice is led by Michiel Rijsdijk and Remco van Leeuwen, both specialising in IP litigation.

UK IP firm Kilburn & Strode has trade mark and patent attorneys in the Netherlands. The Dutch practice is led by patent attorneys Barbara Durling, Frodo Ferro and Rike Dekker and trade mark attorney Claudia Festen. The team is supported by attorneys in the London office.

Boutique firm KLOS specialises in soft IP work, particularly trade mark and copyright. The firm represents clients in a range of industries including fashion, furniture and entertainment. Sven Klos, Antoon Quaedvlieg and Allard Ringnalda are the senior lawyers in the firm. Quaedvlieg is a respected IP scholar in the Netherlands. 

NautaDutilh's IP team is recommended for all IP disputes, especially soft IP, and IP-related transactions work. The firm also has an active European trade mark protection practice. Jeroen Boelens is the lead partner in the firm's IP practice. He is supported by non-partners such as Liselotte Bekke. Veteran litigator and IP scholar Charles Gielen serves the practice as Of Counsel.

Benelux IP firm NLO is highly recommended by market commentators for patent and trade mark protection work. The firm offers trade mark protection and portfolio management services in the Benelux through NLO Shieldmark.

The firm has a strong team of patent attorneys to handle inventions in technical fields such as chemistry, computer technology, telecommunications and biotechnology. The majority of the firm’s practitioners are based in the Netherlands.

Chemistry patent specialist René van Duijvenbode and European trade mark attorney Jeroen Cornelis are the leaders in the firm. The other key trade mark attorneys in the firm are Marlous Stal-Hilders, Milca Graver-De Looper, Masja van der Galiën and Florence Tordoir. Peter Simonis,is a trade mark attorney to watch. 

Catherine A Shultz, Hans Hutter, Paul Clarkson, Bart Swinkels, Harm van der Heijden, Mari Korsten, Caroline Pallard and Jaap Mannaerts are among the experienced senior European patent attorneys in the firm. Willemijn Gommans, Marta Alvarez Guede, Estela Goncalves and Glenn Vinck are patent practitioners to watch.

Pinsent Masons is recommended for patent disputes, especially in the life sciences sector. The firm hired Judith Krens in 2022 to lead its life sciences practice in Amsterdam.

Porterfield was established in 2024 by former bureau Brandeis' lawyers Hans Bousie and 2023 Rising Star Syb Terpstra. They brought along Tessel Bossen. They specialise in soft IP, especially copyright work in the media and entertainment sector.

Simmons & Simmons' IP practice in the Netherlands is led by Bas Berghuis van Woortman. In patent disputes, van Woortman is supported by fellow partner Oscar Lamme and a team of associates. Paul Tjiam is the key contact for soft IP matters. In cross-border disputes, the team can also collaborate with colleagues in other European offices, particularly the London office.

Van Doorne has an IP practice led by veteran IP lawyer Bas Pinckaers, who specialises in patent matters. He is supported by junior lawyers such as Rosan Zuurwelle and Nadine Kok.

VO is one of the best patent and trade mark attorney firms in the Benelux. The firm specialises in IP protection and portfolio management work, with a strong team of patent attorneys to deal with a range of technical fields, most notably chemistry, biotechnology, and engineering. Most of its IP practitioners are based in the Netherlands.

The firm has a large team of experienced European patent attorneys. Herman Witmans, Leo Jessen, Bernard Ledeboer, Michiel van Rooij and Annemie Jaeken are key figures in the engineering team. Jaeken is based in Belgium. Otto Oudshoorn, Hajo Kraak, Marco Molling, and Huub Maas are experts in chemistry. Mark Einerhand, Frits Schut and Bettina Hermann are experienced attorneys for life sciences patent work, while Jasper Groot Koerkamp, Marco Box and Johannes van Melle are key contacts in the electronics practice. Hermann is based in Germany. Ledeboer was appointed in 2022 to serve as a technical judge in the Unified Patent Court.

Trade mark instructions are dealt with by trade mark associates such as Noëlle Wolfs and Raquel Alvarez, both of whom are based in the Netherlands. For commercial IP matters, the team can always count on the legal and transactional experience of Nick Oostenbroek. Patent attorneys Henri van Kalkeren, Martin Klok, Jetze Beeksma, Peter de Lange, and Rutger Timmer are practitioners to watch.