Patent law / UPC

Patent law

Brinkhof is the leading specialist in patent law. Our firm has the largest team of lawyers focusing purely on patent law. We put together a dedicated team for each case. Thanks to our size and flexibility, you can always count on us to provide sufficient personnel and support from individuals with the most relevant knowledge and experience.

International

Patent law exists to safeguard technical developments. If you own a patent, a competitor can be prevented from imitating a product or copying a process. This area of law is particularly complex, however, and disputes frequently occur on a global level, potentially influencing a company’s results. Our lawyers at Brinkhof are known for their excellent track record in international patent cases. They seamlessly integrate into international litigation teams and adeptly coordinate the European aspects.

An expert consultant for clients

Our specialisation in patent law positions us as expert consultants for our clients. We are active in this field on a daily basis and regularly represent our clients in court. Our knowledge and experience therefore serve as a valuable complement to the existing patent law expertise within our clients’ organisations. We adopt a clear and resolute approach, providing concise and point-by-point recommendations, all in close consultation with our clients.

Life sciences and telecommunications

As specialists in patent law, we work extensively for multinationals in the Netherlands and internationally. This often involves litigation of an international nature and in the life sciences and telecommunications sectors.

Technical knowledge or a technical background is included as standard

Our team consists of lawyers with diverse technical backgrounds and education, ensuring that we always have a specialist who speaks our clients’ language and understands their business and products. Moreover, as an independent law firm, we maintain complete autonomy in our work and recommendations.

UPC

We anticipate that the introduction of the UPC (Unified Patent Court) will result in significant changes in the field of patent law in Europe, where two parallel systems will coexist for the foreseeable future. This development will offer the possibility to pursue or challenge a patent through either conventional national proceedings or a centralised procedure before the UPC. Our lawyers are well prepared for these developments, well versed in this subject and equipped to provide excellent advice and assistance in navigating this evolving landscape. Our partnership with the German law firm Vossius gives us the scale and international knowledge needed to operate effectively within this new European system.

High profile cases

• assisting Accord Healthcare in complex patent cases against major pharmaceutical multinational companies on a worldwide basis, overseeing litigation and coordinating European litigation strategies;
• representing the mobile phone manufacturer OPPO in multi-jurisdictional patent disputes with a multitude of proprietors of standard essential patents (SEPs);
• acting for the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in the defence of its significant European CRISPR patent portfolio before the European Patent Office;
• representing WIKO in several proceedings against Philips on injunctions in case of standard essential patents (SEPs) and FRAND conditions;
• representing Tata Steel before the courts and the European Patent Office in a long-running dispute with ArcelorMittal.