JUVE Comment

This IP firm, which is dominated by patent attorneys, is best known for patent litigation in the life sciences field before Dutch patent courts. René Raggers is highly regarded for his technical support in pharmaceutical and biotech cases. He is specifically brought in by external law firms, for example by Taylor Wessing for Pfizer’s Dutch proceedings against Moderna. He also works alongside BarentsKrans for Toolgen in the Dutch proceedings as part of the international battle over Vertex’s CRISPR-Cas therapy Casgevy. The life sciences team has recently been able to put its litigation expertise and strong connections with Dutch patent litigators to good use at the UPC. It is operating with significantly greater visibility at the new court than, for example, its Dutch competitors NLO or EP&C. It is currently representing Eppen Biotech in a case concerning a method for producing an L-lysine product, as well as Abbott in a case concerning glucose-monitoring devices.

Life sciences cases have recently dominated the patent attorneys’ national and UPC activities, partly because there are too few mobile communications suits being filed at Dutch patent courts. Outside of top-flight cases, the firm’s patent attorneys continue to represent a multitude of small, innovative Dutch companies. Patent attorney Kees van Balen enjoys a good reputation for mechanics patents, especially in the automotive and transport segments. The firm’s work for TMS Technical & Maritime Supplies in a UPC dispute against IQIP, where AOMB worked with lawyers from Taylor Wessing, demonstrates AOMB’s philosophy is to remain as close to its local Dutch clients as possible. But like most European prosecution firms, AOMB also has a very active international client base it advises at the EPO, including BE Aerospace, Koito Manufacturing, and Ericsson. For the latter, electronics and mobile communications expert Teun van Berkel was recently able to show his full potential at the UPC.

It is also worth noting that AOMB is one of the few large patent attorney firms in the Dutch market that has chosen to remain independent and has not yet merged with other firms, backed by private equity investment.

Strengths

Litigation support by patent attorneys in mobile communications and life sciences, especially pharmaceutical and biotech patents.

Recommended individuals

Raimond Haan (“makes a complex mechanical set-up comprehensible without the need of drawings”, client; mechanics, process and mechanical engineering), René Raggers (pharma and biotech), Luc Smeets (pharma and biotech, chemistry), Kees van Balen (“good practical advisory skills”, competitor; automotive and transport, mechanics), Teun van Berkel (“does a great job in mobile communication cases”, competitor; mobile communication and electronics)

Team

23 patent attorneys

Clients

Litigation: Toolgen against Vertex and Lonza over CRISPR-Cas therapy Casgevy; Pfizer against Moderna over mRNA patents; frequently for Ericsson.