Ann De Clercq is Managing Partner at De Clercq & Partners, a Belgian IP firm that she founded in 1998.
Ms. De Clercq is a qualified Belgian and European Patent Attorney with extensive patent practice experience in all fields of biotechnology and related life sciences as well as in mechanical engineering.
Her areas of practice include:
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian, European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Conducting oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Filing and prosecuting SPC’s in Belgium and advising on SPC’s in general
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts in IP matters
- IP litigation experience in Belgium, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Japan
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of IP rights
- IP due diligence
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Ms De Clercq is Chairwoman of the Biotech Committee of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office (EPI) as well as EPI council member for Belgium.
Furthermore, Ms De Clercq is a member of LES, AIPPI and the “Genootschap voor Intellectuele Eigendom” (Society for Intellectual Property in Flanders).
Ms De Clercq has lectured on several IP related topics at conferences, the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, the University of Antwerp and the Free University of Brussels.
Year Joined Firm: 1998 (Founder)
Education/Alumni:
- PhD in Plant Molecular Biology from the University of Ghent (BE)
- Licentiate in Biology (Zoology) from the University of Ghent (BE)
Network Memberships: EPI, INTA, AIPPI, LES, CIOPORA, Society for Intellectual Property in Flanders
Last updated 30th October 2020
