The Legal 500

Brinkhof is consistently identified as a leading firm in IP, especially for patent work. Richard Ebbink’s patent litigation group represented Samsung on the Dutch section of infringement proceedings against Sharp regarding LCD technology, and acted for Ratiopharm in nullity and infringement proceedings against Lundbeck. Meanwhile, Kurt Stöpetie’s team acted for clients such as Canon, Nikon and Tamron in cases concerning illegal imports, as well as for Ferrari on infringement matters. Other clients include Google, T-Mobile and Novartis.

De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek is highly recommended for the ‘good service and knowledge within its IP practice’. The practice represents clients such as Danone, Sara Lee, Unilever, Philips and Google, and has a strong presence in the food and drinks sector. Gertjan Kuipers successfully represented Sharp in the European part of its worldwide patent dispute with Samsung regarding LCD technology, while the team acted for AstraZeneca in a Nexium patent case against Sandoz. Koen Limperg successfully defended PepsiCo in a trade mark action.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer receives praise for its ‘hands-on approach, commitment and litigation skills’. The team acts for top-notch clients such as Colgate-Palmolive, Levi Strauss, and Fox Group, and is representing GlaxoSmithKline against Pharmachemie in litigation concerning the alleged infringement of a herpes treatment. Rutger Kleeman is ‘responsive, creative and thorough’, while ‘seasoned icon’ Peter Hendrick is ‘strategic, and an excellent orator and litigator’. Clients also appreciate the ‘many good-quality senior associates, which have more experience than many a patent litigation partner in the Netherlands’.

Allen & Overy LLP’s Paul Reeskamp is advising IMAX in trade mark infringement proceedings regarding the Formula 1 and F1 brands, and acting for Novartis in a dispute over alleged infringements of MedImmune patents. He is also advising Novozymes as plaintiff in patent litigation regarding enzyme technology. Other clients include TomTom, Warner Bros, Wrangler and Diageo.

Bird & Bird LLP’s IP team is ‘excellent, proactive and good in developing litigation strategy’, and handles work spanning the life sciences, electronics, energy, food, and telecoms sectors. It continued to advise the European Central Bank on its patent invalidation action in an appeal relating to security devices within euro currency notes. Wouter Pors’ ‘strength is the quality and appropriateness of his advice, as well as industry knowledge, political sense, and knowledge of the playing field’, while Armand Killan is ‘proactive and responsive’.

Hogan Lovells International LLP’s new clients include Noun and OrbusNeich, which the team advised on a patent infringement case. Marc Wallheimer successfully represented Nintendo in a case against online Dutch retailers that sold game copiers and mod chips that circumvent Nintendo’s anti-piracy measures. Klaas Bisschop acted for Bayer Schering Pharma in proceedings regarding a refused application for a supplementary protection certificate. Bert Oosting has ‘excellent business acumen and rapid response times’.

NautaDutilh ‘gives commercial, practical advice rather than just a summary of the law’. The team is representing Document Security Systems in patent invalidation proceedings brought by the European Central Bank regarding a patent for a security feature, and is defending Ziggo in summary proceedings brought by BREIN to block subscribers from accessing a torrent filesharing site. Charles Gielen, ‘the guru of Dutch IP law, is down-to-earth and a pleasure to work with’.

Since the 2009 relaunch of Simmons & Simmons LLP’s IP practice, the team has picked up instructions from prominent clients such as GlaxoSmithKline and Nokia Siemens Networks. The team has a ‘hands-on mentality, and is always looking for ways to best serve clients’, taking time to learn a client’s business so they are ‘able to efficiently interact’. The ‘business-oriented, responsive and proactive’ Bas Berghuis van Woortman defended Microsoft in litigation and European Patent Office proceedings relating to MS Word software, and represented Bayer Healthcare in proceedings regarding the enforcement of its anti-TNF alpha antibody technology.

BarentsKrans N.V. has a strong presence in the pharmaceuticals sector, and is currently representing generics companies in appeal proceedings regarding escitalopram-based medicines. Marleen van den Horst has the ‘ability to understand complex chemical and pharmaceutical issues, and to draw the right conclusions’.

CMS Derks Star Busmann’s Willem Hoorneman and Hendrik Struik are ‘particularly good’; they ‘combine excellent academic knowledge with the ability to give practical advice’. Marcoline van der Dussen is recommended for her trade mark, design and copyright work.

DLA Piper is ‘quick, to-the-point, and always delivers’. Niels Mulder is representing Portakabin in proceedings before the European Court of Justice, the Dutch Supreme Court, and the Hague Appeal Court regarding the unauthorised use of Google Adwords. New clients for the group include Logitech and Banko Santander. Counsel Marjan Olfers joined the practice, and is the only sports law professor in the Netherlands.

Kennedy Van der Laan has a strong presence in the media sector, but has been involved in everything from advising Endemol on the Big Brother trade mark to advising Netherlands Vaccine Institute on its IP and contractual issues. Other clients include Apple, Yahoo!, and C&A.

Boutique IP firm Klos Morel Vos & Schaap is ‘recommended especially for trade marks’, and also has an impressive reputation for copyright work. The firm represents market leaders in a wide range of industries, including pharmaceuticals and entertainment. Dirk Visser, who is ‘important for IP in the Netherlands’, represents clients including the Dutch newspaper association and the Dutch anti-piracy association.

SOLV Advocaten is a ‘good small firm’, which focuses exclusively on technology, media and communications, and is ‘particularly good for internet-related matters’. Christiaan Alberdigk Thijm is recommended for copyright and privacy law matters relating to the internet and new media.

Van Doorne produces ‘high-quality work in complex circumstances in an informal atmosphere’. The team is representing Leno Trademarks in a case testing whether or not the use of a trade mark in one country suffices as normal use under the Community Trade Mark Regulation. Remco van Leeuwen and associate Karianne Thomas are ‘smart and engaging; they cut to the chase with good advice’.

AKD acted for Inditex after the Zara brand name was used illegally in a SMS game. Peter Claassen’s ‘knowledge and experience is of a high level’, while Hub Berendschot is ‘very responsive and flexible’, and has a ‘highly efficient and robust approach’.

Bousie Advocaten focuses on entertainment and media, acting for clients such as Pearson, Walt Disney Studios and Universal Music. The firm is recommended for copyright and trade mark work.

Clifford Chance’s ‘team is constructive, and strong in finding practical solutions and settlements’. The group continued to advise Endemol on litigation relating to the Big Brother TV show format, and also acts for clients such as Pro Sport Nederland and Stichting Sail 2010. Alvin Khodabaks displays ‘in-depth knowledge of Benelux IP laws’.

Houthoff Buruma continued to act for Bavaria, the Dutch brewery, in relation to the “Bavaria” trade mark and the Protected Geographical Indication “Bayerisches Bier”. The team also represented Ryanair in copyright claims against a booking website. Bas Le Poole leads the team.

Loyens & Loeff’s Serve Zwanen successfully represented Chubb Insurance’s insureds in a worldwide infringement case brought by Johnson & Johnson, and advised Compass Group on a trade mark case. Other clients include Pernod Ricard, Nuon and Bayer.

Ploum Lodder Princen Advocaten en Notarissen advised SanDisk on its border detention and anti-counterfeiting scheme across the EU and other jurisdictions, and also represents Harley-Davidson and Arla Foods. Willem Leppink recently joined from Simmons & Simmons LLP.

Stibbe acts for clients such as American Express, Ferrari and Mars. The team recently advised ING on the trade mark strategy regarding the separation of its insurance and banking activities. Janna van Olst and Hannes Bierman are the key contacts.

Vondst Advocaten N.V advised Teva in proceedings pertaining to the launch of generics. The firm has notable expertise in plant breeder rights, acting for clients such as Schreurs and Blooms of Bressingham. Silvie Wertwijn is ‘a quick thinker who has a really good feel for business needs’, while Tjeerd Overdijk’s ‘knowledge of the law enables cases to proceed quickly and effectively’.