JUVE Comment

Vereenigde Octrooibureaux maintains a large and technically diverse patent attorney practice, which translates into a strong presence in Dutch patent disputes. Whilst recent years saw the patent attorneys active in mobile communications and pharmaceutical litigation, disputes concerning mobile communications have now largely shifted to the UPC. In national litigation, pharmaceutical work by patent attorneys such as Jetze Beeksma for research-based industry has become more prominent than in previous years. V.O.’s patent attorneys have worked on numerous disputes for Novartis and Moderna, alongside lawyers from Freshfields.

Patent attorneys from other technical fields also enjoy an excellent reputation in civil court litigation and EPO proceedings. Important recent instructions outside the life sciences sector came from Moba Group regarding egg processing technology and Stamicarbon concerning nitric acid. Alongside Dutch law firms, V.O. patent attorneys have appeared in a reasonable number of UPC proceedings, including for DAF Trucks over truck cabin air deflectors and Jifeline Networks over remote vehicle diagnostics.

However, the most significant development for this large and technically broad patent attorney firm was its recent strategic decision to join forces with Dutch competitor De Vries & Metman, Swedish IP firm Ström & Gulliksson, and Knijff Trademark Attorneys. Backed by private equity investor Consolid, the new pan-European group is led by V.O. partner Bernard Ledeboer as CEO. The firms will continue to operate under their own names in their respective local markets whilst gaining access to the broader network. The new group was only founded in summer 2024 and remains in the early stages of integration. At the European level, however, it will only make a significant impact if it succeeds in establishing a presence in other key jurisdictions – particularly Germany – and, where necessary, recruiting experienced patent lawyers to offer full-service capabilities for UPC litigation.

Strengths

Patent litigation conducted by patent attorneys regarding electronics, mechanical engineering as well as pharmaceuticals on the originator side.

Recommended individuals

Jetze Beeksma (pharma and biotechnology), Marco Box (digital communication and computer technology, electronics), Martin Klok (pharma and biotechnology), Bernard Ledeboer (mechanics, process and mechanical engineering), Otto Oudshoorn (pharma and biotechnology, chemistry), Rutger Timmer (electronics, mechanics, process and mechanical engineering),

Team

41 patent attorneys

Clients

Litigation: Moderna against Pfizer and BioNTech over mRNA patents; Novartis against Synthon in nullity proceedings over heart failure drug Entresto; Novartis against Celltrion in nullity case over monoclonal antibody for asthma drug Xolair; Vertex and Lonza against Toolgen over CRISPR-Cas9 product Casgevy; Moba Group against various competitors over egg processing technology; Food Autonomy against NGES and Climalux over cooling for solid state lighting; Pflitsch against Dertec in litigation over EMC shielded cable gland; frequent litigation for Bristol-Myers Squibb. EPO oppositions: Heineken against competitors over mash filter membrane; Foodmate over poultry processing systems; Jifeline against Reparify over remote vehicle diagnostics; Stryker against strawman over system for magnetic occult lesion localization; Stamicarbon over nitrid acid.