Ones to Watch Netherlands 2024: Jarieke Timmerman

Every year, JUVE Patent carries out extensive research in the Dutch patent market, culminating in the publication of the Dutch patent rankings. Our latest research highlighted Jarieke Timmerman, associate at BarentsKrans, as one of three ‘Ones to Watch’ in the Dutch patent market for 2024.

Jarieke Timmerman has obviously done some things right. The 28-year-old has been a lawyer for three years now, and for two of those, she has been working in patent law with a focus on litigation. In this short time she has managed to get other lawyers in the Dutch patent market to sit up and take notice of her work. “Jarieke is a very good lawyer,” praises a Dutch patent attorney. A lawyer says, “She is very sharp and agile.”

That Timmerman was able to attract attention so early on in her career is also due to her recent work on the most important pharmaceutical cases at the Dutch patent courts. Together with Jaap Bremer, who heads the patent team at BarentsKrans, Timmerman works primarily on the side of generics manufacturers.

Fingolimod, Tecfidera and Xarelto

The practice’s most important client is currently Viatris. The team recently represented the generics manufacturer against Novartis in PI proceedings regarding an SPC for multiple sclerosis drug fingolimod/Gilenya. It is also representing the client in the global battle with Bayer regarding the market entry of a generic version of the thrombosis drug rivaroxaban/Xarelto before Dutch patent courts.

However, for Jarieke Timmerman the proceedings over multiple sclerosis drug dimethylfumarate/Tecfidera were particularly memorable. Viatris is just one of several generics manufacturers that have been sued by Biogen in the Netherlands for infringement of its EP 2 653 873. The generics manufacturers counterclaimed for invalidity of the patent.

The District Court The Hague heard the case in July 2024, which presented an opportunity for Timmerman. She not only chaired preparatory meetings in which the defendants coordinated their positions on the validity of Biogen’s patent, she also presented oral arguments at the hearing. For Viatris, the BarentsKrans team argued above all that the patent lacked inventive step.

Early responsibility

Jarieke Timmerman also made an early appearance for another client. The BarentsKrans team successfully defended Advance Medical Designs against Corbin in two instances in a PI case regarding a transperineal needle guide. When the court scheduled an oral hearing, Timmerman had to present her case in the courtroom immediately, despite having only been on the patent team for four months. Moreover, she had not worked in IP law prior to this.

After joining BarentsKrans in 2021, she worked in the firm’s real estate practice. But the firm stipulates that associates change departments after a certain period of time in order to gain experience in a second area of law.

Two years ago, Timmerman was then faced with the decision of which practice area to choose. She opted for patent law because she had the impression that the IP lawyers were working on “cool procedures”. “Cool because they are taken out of their legal comfort zone and have to deal with interesting medical or technical issues for every new case,” says Timmerman.

Never stop learning

She has no regrets about her decision because she enjoys learning new things — par for the course in patent law. “I feel like I’m learning something new every day for the rest of my life,” says Timmerman.

Her desire to continue litigating in her secondary field was a key factor in her decision. She gained her first litigation experience in real estate law.

In any case, Timmerman knew early on that she wanted to become a lawyer and decided to study law straight after leaving school. During her studies, she completed various moot courts, which paved the way for her for her career as a litigator.

Read JUVE Patent’s analysis of BarentsKrans in the JUVE Patent Netherlands ranking 2024