Netherlands

Arnold & Siedsma is highly recommended for patent prosecution and patent litigation support work. This European IP boutique is well known in the Netherlands and Belgium. The firm has expertise in technical fields such as chemistry, biotechnology, computer technology, mechanical and electrical engineering. European patent attorneys Gerwald Verdijck, Petri van Someren and Paul Hylarides are in charge of the firm. Verdijck and van Someren also have an IP practice in the plant and food sectors. Other notable patent attorneys include Bart Jacobs, Arjen Hooiveld, Joost Grootscholten and Steve Duxbury. Hooiveld and Grootscholten are among the attorneys with litigation support experience. Former managing partner Addick Land is no longer at the firm.

The firm also has a small team of lawyers for IP disputes and related legal matters such as licensing. Michiel Rijsdijk is a notable lawyer in the team. Raimond Haan, Maarten Nollen and Willemyn Slikker are the rising stars to watch. 2018 rising star Martin H Luten, a patent attorney who also understands patent litigation, is now a partner in the firm. Recent patent case studies show that the firm represented companies such as Samsung Electronics, The Boeing Company and Boorwerk.

Bird & Bird has an experienced patent litigation team in the Netherlands to advise on disputes in a range of technical fields, notably life sciences and TMT. The Dutch team collaborates with colleagues in other European offices on cross-border disputes and IP strategy. Wouter Pors heads the IP department. In leading patent disputes, Pors is supported by fellow patent stars Armand Killan and Marc van Wijngaarden. Killan specialises in electronics and life sciences patent litigation. The partners have a team of associates including rising stars Peter van Gemert, Kian Hsia and Fenna Douwenga. Hsia is a patent attorney who is recognised for his litigation support practice. Recent patent case studies show the team represented companies such as Edwards Lifesciences, Ablynx and Nokia.

Brinkhof is a leading boutique with an impressive track record in IP litigation. The boutique is often seen in disputes in the pharmaceutical, chemical, medical devices, electronics and biotechnology sectors. Richard Ebbink, Daan de Lange and Mark van Gardingen are the key lawyers who lead on patent disputes. The lawyers in the firm now have patent star Koen Bijvank, a European patent attorney who specialises in chemistry and life sciences work. There are experienced associates in the firm to support the partners in patent litigation; they include rising stars Jan Pot and Rik Lambers. Recent patent case studies show the firm acted for companies such as Boston Scientific, Sandoz, Broad Institute and Carl Zeiss.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is a law firm that is well known for its disputes resolution practice. The firm is often involved in legally complex IP disputes, particularly those that reach the appellate courts. Gertjan Kuipers, Tobias Cohen Jehoram and Koen Limperg lead the firm's IP practice, but Kuipers is the key partner for patent disputes. In patent disputes, Kuipers is supported by a group of junior lawyers such as rising stars Carlos van Staveren, Oscar Lamme and Bertrand ter Woort. Recent case studies show the team represented Jacob Douwe Egberts, GSK and Välinge Innovation in their respective patent litigation action. Tjibbe Douma, who was recognised as a rising star in 2018, left the firm in 2019 to lead Dentons' patents practice in Amsterdam.

De Vries & Metman is one of the best firms for patent prosecution and litigation support work. The firm has European patent attorneys for electronics/IT, mechanics and chemistry work. The notable patent attorneys in the firm include Lillian Hesselink, Patrick Busch, Erik Visscher, Arnt Aalbers and Ferry van Looijengoed. Visscher is qualified as a patent attorney and a lawyer while Busch was previously an in-house counsel. Núria Roqué Rosell, who was recognised as a rising star in 2018, left to join the Spanish IP firm Balder IP.

Hogan Lovells is one of the reliable firms to instruct in the Netherlands for complex patent disputes in the high-tech, biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Klaas Bisschop, Bert Oosting and Ruud van der Velden are the key partners in its IP department for patent disputes. The partners are supported by a team of junior lawyers, most notably Rik Zagers and Dirk-Jan Ridderinkhof. Zagers was promoted to counsel this year and Ridderinkhof is a rising star to watch. Case studies show the team represented companies such as HTC, Nikon and Hollister Incorporated in their respective patent disputes.

Hoyng Rokh Monegier retained Managing IP's Firm of the Year award for patent litigation in the Netherlands. Its Dutch patent team comprises litigators and patent attorneys who have a deep understanding of the life sciences, telecommunications and electronics sectors. The top-class patent litigators in the firm include David Owen, Geert Theuws, Peter van Schijndel, Bart van den Broek, Theo Blomme and Simon Dack. Owen is dual qualified as a lawyer and a patent attorney. Veteran IP litigator Willem Hoyng is still very much active in and outside the firm, splitting his time between Amsterdam and Düsseldorf. Johan Elkenbracht, Jeroen den Hartog, Wilbert Derks and Christopher Pierce are notable European patent attorneys for prosecution and litigation support work in their respective fields. Roeland Grijpink is a rising star to watch. Léon Dijkman, who was also noted as a rising star in 2018, is currently studying for a PhD in patent law. Patent case studies show the firm represented Intel Corporation, Royal Philips and AstraZeneca.

Estela Goncalves and Bart Postmus are rising stars to watch. Patent case studies show the firm represents companies such as Fugro, BASF, Danone Nutricia Research, BioMarin Pharmaceutical and Samsung.

Simmons & Simmons' IP practice in the Netherlands remains stable under the leadership of Bas Berghuis van Woortman. In patent disputes, van Woortman is supported by fellow partner Mattie de Koning and non-partners such as András Kupecz, Raoul Soullié and Machteld Hiemstra. Kupecz is dual qualified as a lawyer and patent attorney. The team also has the advantage of collaborating with patent colleagues in other European offices, particularly the London office, in cross-border disputes. Paul Tjiam, who was recently promoted to partner, is a rising star in the IP practice. Patent case studies show the team handling patent disputes in a range of sectors, particularly life sciences and electronics. Clients include Coloplast, Gilead Sciences, HP and Samsung Bioepis.

VO won Managing IP's Firm of the Year (2019) award for patent prosecution work in the Netherlands. This IP firm is well-regarded by rivals in the Benelux region for patent drafting and prosecution work. It has a strong team of patent attorneys to deal with a range of technical fields, most notably chemistry and engineering. European patent attorneys Herman Witmans, Cees Jansen, Otto Oudshoorn, Johannes van Melle, Bernard Ledeboer and Kim Tan are leaders in the firm. Other recommended European patent attorneys in the firm include Leo Jessen, Frits Schut and Hajo Kraak. Martin Klok, Henri van Kalkeren and Rutger Timmer are rising stars to watch. Chemistry specialist Harrie Marsman retired in June 2018.