Belgium

Filip Van Elsen leads Allen & Overy's Belgian IP team. The team is recommended for patent disputes and transactions. Van Elsen advises on contentious and non-contentious technology matters in sectors such as healthcare and finance. He is supported by Geert Glas, who is highly recommended for IP disputes, and Peter Van Dyck, who joined the firm as partner in 2017.

Altius is renowned in IP litigation. The firm is often involved in complex patent disputes, with notable clients in industries such as pharmaceutical, automotive and aviation. Philippe de Jong and Christophe Ronse are the prominent patent litigators in the firm. Another notable partner for patent disputes is Paul Maeyaert. The partners have a team of junior lawyers for support. Rivals rate the team as "excellent" in litigation, with one describing Ronse as a "high-quality litigator". Clients are impressed by the team's strategy and commercial approach to disputes.

Arnold & Siedsma represents patent owners in a number of technical fields. Nele D'Halleweyn leads the patent practice in Brussels and is a specialist in electronics and engineering. Peers say that they enjoy working with D'Halleweyn and particularly praise her "pragmatic" approach. Associate Yannick Philippaerts is noted for his work in infringement cases. IT specialist Ruben Tavernier left the firm in 2017.

Market commentators recommend international law firm Crowell & Moring for IP disputes in Belgium. Kristof Roox and Jan-Diederik Lindemans are the partners in the firm that lead IP disputes. Roox is praised by his peers for his strong litigation skills. Both partners are experienced in life science patent disputes and represent companies such as Eurogenerics, Sandoz and Teva.

Gevers is highly recommended for patent protection strategy advice and portfolio management. European and Belgian patent attorney Evelyne Gridelet specialises in mechanical and computer-implemented inventions. Ludivine Coulon left the firm to set up the IP boutique Calysta NV.

The litigators at Hoyng Rokh Monegier are described by peers as "very worthy opponents". The firm is often involved in cross-border patent disputes, especially in the life sciences sector. A rival says the firm has an "incredibly strong team across the board". Liesbeth Weynant is highly recommended by peers and clients.

The IP team at Simont Braun is known for handling complex litigation in the life sciences, mechanical engineering and chemical sectors. Fernand de Visscher and Eric de Gryse are key practitioners at the firm. Visscher is highly rated by his peers. One commentator says Gryse is "very smart and skilled" in IP disputes. The "outstanding" Emmanuel Cornu is another notable litigator in the firm. Philippe Campolini was promoted to partner in 2017.

Stibbe has a strong reputation for dealing with patent disputes in a broad range of sectors including biotechnology and automotive. Practice head Ignace Vernimme focuses on patents and is currently advising on a pan-European pharmaceutical patent litigation. He is supported in patent cases by rising star Olivia Hottat, an associate who understands the life sciences sector.

Altius is the leading name in Belgium for IP litigation. The firm is often involved in significant patent and soft IP cases. In 2017 it acted in important trade mark cases for companies such as Mitsubishi and Emirates. Olivier Vrins and Paul Maeyaert are two notable practitioners in the firm who deal with soft IP disputes. The firm also have experienced transactions lawyers for IP-related agreements. It won Managing IP's Trade Mark Contentious Firm of the Year award in 2018.

& De Bandt's IP practice is led by Jeff Keustermans, who is best known for his expertise in copyright and related rights. Keustermans and his team also deal with trade mark disputes. In 2017 the firm hired former Crowell & Moring counsel Karel Janssens. Janssens specialises in IP and IT.

The "excellent" litigator Stijn Debaene and Hakim Haouideg are the key IP partners at Fieldfisher's Brussels office. Both practitioners handle contentious trade mark matters as well as copyright advisory work. The team has a number of clients in the entertainment and publishing sectors. Debaene is a "tough" opponent in IP disputes.

Simont Braun is a respected firm for trade mark and copyright matters. Emmanuel Cornu and Eric De Gryse are some of the key practitioners specialising in soft IP at the firm. The firm advises companies such as Christian Dior, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent. In 2017 copyright and patent law specialist Philippe Campolini was promoted to partner, whereas soft IP specialist Jan Clinck left the firm to join Altius.

International law firm Stibbe is recommended for IP disputes and transactions in Belgium. Ignace Vernimme heads the Brussels IP department where he handles patent and soft IP cases. He is supported by associate Simone Vandewynckel. The team can call on its corporate law colleagues when it comes to complex IP transactions.