The Patent 1000 focuses exclusively on patent practice and has firmly established itself as the definitive 'go-to' resource for those seeking world-class legal patent expertise.
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“When it comes to quality, NLO is at the top of the game” and thanks to the depth of its bench and breadth of its technical versatility, the group has become the first port of call for both small inventors and big corporations looking to make their mark in Europe. For mechanical and medical device clients, Paul Clarkson and Maarten Ketelaars are the names to note. As a former examiner at the EPO, Clarkson has a distinct edge when handling opposition proceedings – at the moment, he is representing Danone in over 20. From early patentability advice to drafting, prosecution and portfolio management, Ketelaars is there for his patrons. Physicist Hans Bottema relishes working at the cutting edge of technology and leverages his in-house experience to effectively support inventors with both legal and business needs. On the electronics and telecommunications front, Hans Hutter is the go-to for matters concerning SEPs. Recently he has been assisting Nokia in its infringement and nullity actions in the field of ADSL technology. For those in the food and nutrition industries, David Bot is excellent at devising practical IP strategies that not only align with a company’s commercial strategy, but further its business goals too. On the life sciences side, Bart Swinkels, Arthur Meekel, René van Duijvenbode and Mari Korsten are shining stars. A genomics specialist, Swinkels is a superb choice for innovators looking to launch their products onto the market, while chemists Meekel and van Duijvenbode put in assured performances at the EPO. Trusted counsel for the likes of Amgen and Pfizer, “Korsten is an excellent patent attorney and a very good strategic partner who truly understands his clients’ business and industry needs”. Deftly traversing the contentious/non-contentious divide is Catherine Shultz, a US lawyer and European patent attorney who brings a global perspective to portfolio management. Burcu Sucuka, who joins the team from Turkey, marries her degree in cell biology with her legal nous to provide creative counsel that truly optimises her clients’ intellectual property.
Bart Swinkels is a Dutch and European patent attorney and partner at NLO with over 25 years of experience in patenting in the life sciences area. His strength is his passion for finding creative solutions to complex IP issues, to help his clients bring their innovative products to market with robust protection and free of competitor patents.
Mr Swinkels specialises in the areas of genomics, genome editing, gene therapy, immunology (antibodies and vaccines), metabolic engineering, microbiology and breeding of plants or animals. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience in handling adversarial proceedings, both before the national courts and in European opposition proceedings up to the Boards of Appeal.
Mr Swinkels holds a MSc in (bio)chemistry (cum laude) and a PhD in molecular biology from the University of Amsterdam. Prior to joining NLO, he headed the IP department of the Pharming Group in Leiden (Netherlands) and worked as a European patent attorney with DSM/Gist-brocades in Delft (Netherlands). Previously, he had also worked as a molecular biologist in both academic and industrial research settings at Gist-brocades, the University of California at San Diego and the Netherlands Cancer Institute.
In addition, Mr Swinkels is the Dutch representative on the Biotech Committee of the Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office.
NLO protects and reinforces clients’ ideas, innovations and trademarks to perfection, bearing in mind the markets in which they are actively involved. How we proceed and work together with clients is governed by the key values on which our organisation is based:
- Fortified with innovation – we are always in search of new solutions and possibilities. We invest significant time and effort in developing new ways to make our services even better.
- Fortified with expertise – our 200 dedicated professionals have extensive knowledge and experience in many fields, which is how we can offer different services at the highest quality. We also have a worldwide network of agents at our disposal.
- Fortified with passion – passion is what all of our professionals have in common. Every attorney is prepared to go the extra mile in their field of expertise.
- Fortified with teamwork – we make sure to combine individual expertise in teams, and we think ahead and design solutions beyond the original task.
- Fortified with creativity – protecting innovations, trademarks and ideas is key to our services, but creativity is also pivotal. It helps us to handle processes more efficiently and generate solutions that make a difference.
- Fortified with experience – we are over 135 years old but, despite this rich history, we always focus on the future, for in it lies growth.
These have been the key elements of our services for more than 135 years and will continue to be vital in the future.
About NLO
NLO is one of the largest full-service European IP consultancy firms with locations in the Netherlands and Belgium. We offer a unique combination of technical and legal expertise with insight into the business environment in which clients operate. This distinguishes the 70 European patent attorneys at NLO and 15 European trademark and design attorneys at NLO Shieldmark. By combining our expertise, NLO is able to provide clients with the most comprehensive advice possible. The specialists of NLO and NLO Shieldmark also have the most up-to-date knowledge of the IP market at their disposal, which they use in order to provide optimum management for clients’ IP portfolios.
Products and services
Our client list includes multinationals, small and medium-sized enterprises, universities and R&D and governmental organisations. We offer a broad range of IP services. Our patent services include:
- drafting and filing national and international patent applications;
- patent prosecution;
- in-house US practice;
- opposition and appeal patent proceedings before the EPO;
- patent validity and infringement advice;
- patent portfolio management and advice;
- patent renewal payment and administration;
- patent litigation advice;
- services and advice in the fields of trademarks, designs, copyright, licences and agreements, and domain names;
- IP training; and
- drafting, negotiating and advising on IP-related agreements.
NLO houses Dutch, Belgian and European patent attorneys as well as Korean, Eurasian, Russian, British and US patent attorneys.
NLO Shieldmark
The European trademark and design attorneys at NLO Shieldmark offer availability searches, registration, oppositions, infringement advice, cancellations, watch services, renewals, in-use searches and mutations.
Strategic teams
In an innovative, knowledge-intensive market, the value of an organisation largely depends on IP rights. An effective patent, trademark or design strategy saves and can even make money. For strategic choices involving their IP portfolios, clients naturally wish to receive advice from different perspectives – and we provide comprehensive, tailor-made advice. Our industry-driven teams combine complementary knowledge and expertise, so that every type of issue can be addressed and we can guarantee the continuity and quality of our services so that clients receive prompt, efficient service. We also have cross-industry expert teams for specific areas of interest, such as our focus groups for health, artificial intelligence and our in-house US practice team and Asia Desk.
Locations
NLO has four offices in the Netherlands (The Hague, Amsterdam, Ede-Wageningen and Eindhoven) and two offices in Belgium (Ghent and Mechelen).