JUVE Comment

The eminent Dutch patent practice at this international full-service firm remains a clear challenger to the market leaders. When it comes to representing originator drug manufacturers before the Dutch patent courts, Freshfields’ Amsterdam team is even leading the market alongside Hoyng ROKH Monegier and Hogan Lovells.

The Amsterdam team works in the life sciences sector for long-standing client Novartis on several blockbuster drugs simultaneously. The team successfully represented Novartis on appeal against Synthon concerning heart failure drug Entresto. In mRNA technology, the team around Rutger Kleemans operates at the forefront of the market at both national and UPC level. The representation of Moderna against BioNTech and Pfizer over mRNA vaccines remains a key feature of the practice. The team also represents Moderna against BioNTech’s new subsidiary CureVac in a UPC claim. Another high-profile instruction came from Vertex and Lonza against ToolGen regarding CRISPR-Cas9 drug Casgevy.

Whilst pharmaceutical and biotech cases clearly dominate the work before the Dutch courts, the team demonstrates a more balanced approach in UPC cases. There, the Dutch lawyers work closely with both the German team and Freshfields’ London-based patent litigators. At the UPC, the Dutch team is also involved in SEP and FRAND cases for Xiaomi and Quectel. Together with German lawyers, the team also represented Kodak in a landmark dispute with Fujifilm over printing technology.

The departure of up-and-coming partner Jelle Drok, who left to establish his own AI-based general litigation firm, marks a notable change. This leaves senior partner Kleemans as the main figurehead of the Dutch practice. The team clearly needs to grow if it is to keep pace with the Dutch market leaders – not only at associate but also at partner level.

Strengths

Innovator pharmaceutical work for legacy clients, including strategic and commercial advice. Cross-border litigation.

Recommended individuals

Rutger Kleemans (“exzellent lawyer who manges easily a high workload”, competitor), Ruben Laddé

Team

12 lawyers

Partner moves

Jelle Drok (to Driven Lawyers)

Clients

Litigation: Moderna against Pfizer and BioNTech over Covid-19 vaccine patents; Vertex and Lonza against ToolGen over CRISPR-Cas9 patent for Casgevy; Novartis against Glenmark over eltrombopag/Revolade; Novartis against Synthon over heart failure drug Entresto; Genentech and Roche against Organon over breast cancer drug Perjeta (settled 2026).