Kennedy Van der Laan is sought-after for its proficiency in high-value IP disputes, as well as regulatory and contractual matters. The practice is jointly steered by Maarten Schut, who handles trademark, copyright, and design matters for leading fashion and media brands, and Joran Spauwen, who focuses on IP and IT law, with experience in court litigation, arbitration, and domain name disputes. Acting primarily for media, entertainment, and publishing sector clients is Sophie van Loon, who specialises in copyright law. Reindert van der Zaal offers a wealth of experience in trademark, brand protection and advertising mandates. The practice saw the arrival of Janneke Sloëtjes in October 2024, whose expertise lies in media and copyright regulation.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- ‘Maarten Schut plays an important role in assisting our company in setting up various agreements and providing guidance on IP-related matters.’
- ‘The team on the ground is dynamic and has different skillsets and backgrounds, and is always supervised by senior partners who know our portfolio inside out.'
- ‘They are practical with their solutions on how to deal with cases. They are also quite fast but comprehensive. On top of that, they care about our portfolio.’
Key clients
- Meta/Instagram
- Disney
- Nike
- Brooks Sports
- Nutreco
- VodafoneZiggo
- Orange
- Booking.com
- Microsoft
- University of Amsterdam Medical Centre
Work highlights
Represented Brooks Sports in a high-profile litigation against Puma regarding the use of the word ‘nitro’ for sports shoes.
Assists Meta in unprecedented litigation on Article 17 DSM directive, against Dutch image rights CMO Pictoright.
Representing VodafoneZiggo in litigation against the US Guilds for screenwriters and directors (WGA/DGA).
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Practice head
Maarten Schut; Joran Spauwen
Other key lawyers
Alfred Meijboom; Reindert van der Zaal; Sophie van Loon; Janneke Sloëtjes