Maarten Schut

Trademark law / Patent law / Counterfeit and custom seizures / Parallel import / Intellectual property / IP litigation / Life sciences / Trade names / Design law / Trade secrets / Brand protection / Licencing / R&D / Med tec / Fashion & Retail

Maarten Schut is an attorney and partner at the Intellectual Property and Media practice group. He advises and litigates for established brands in the sports, fashion and technology industry, in their battle against counterfeit and disputes on infringements. He frequently litigates on trademark law and the exploitation and protection of technology, but also in disputes of a more general nature, such as contractual disputes. Furthermore, he advises high-tech companies on R&D collaborations, licences and protection of knowhow.

Before joining Kennedy Van der Laan Maarten worked as a public prosecutor and judge.

Maarten earned an LL.M in European law from the University of Cambridge. He is editor of the Journal "Farmarecht" and deputy judge at the Court of Appeal in Leeuwarden. Furthermore, he is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, the "Benelux-vereniging voor Merken- en Modellenrecht", the International Trademark Association, the Pharmaceutical Trademark Group, the Association for European Trademark Owners MARQUES en the "Vereniging voor Auteursrecht".

The Legal 500 EMEA 2025 - Intellectual Property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Tier 1

Kennedy Van der Laan‘s ’dynamic, forward-thinking’ offering has noteworthy expertise assisting its portfolio of renowned clients in the tech and advanced tech, media and internet, and fashion and luxury sectors in particular. The team’s IP capabilities includes handling high-profile trade mark infringement litigation, representing clients in complex and high-stakes matters regarding remuneration for inventions, and providing advice regarding brand protection on an ongoing basis. Maarten Schut specialises in tech and life sciences-related trade mark work, and Joran Spauwen‘s areas of focus include advising on IP aspects of complex transactions and contracts; the pair oversee the team. Sophie van Loon acts for international clients in copyright matters, Reindert van der Zaal is experienced in brand protection, and Alfred Meijboom has expertise in IT.

Leading partners

Maarten Schut

Testimonials

‘Alfred Meijboom, Maarten Schut, and Reindert van der Zaal particularly stand out in the field of IP and brand protection in the Netherlands. They are very approachable and are excellent lawyers, and they have a strong reputation in the global client market for their field in the Netherlands. I would recommend them.’

Chambers Global 2025 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

Maarten Schut often advises clients on IP licensing as part of R&D agreements. He also represents clients in trade secrets and trade mark litigation.

Strengths

"Maarten Schut is a pleasant person to work with. He has great knowledge of intellectual property rights."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked

A 'large team with very broad and in-depth knowledge', Kennedy Van der Laan‘s practice is known for advising a diverse range of medical device companies and institutes, with a particular specialism in the oncology space. Practice co-head Fenna van Dijk is noted for her longstanding corporate expertise, advising numerous directors of healthcare institutions and branch organisations on collaborations and M&A, while Eline Lam is well versed in governance and collaboration mandates. IP specialist and co-head Maarten Schut is particularly adept at handling matters concerning trade secrets and publishing for academic hospitals and other not-for-profit institutions. Additionally, Schut regularly represents clients in negotiations and disputes concerning R&D and licensing. Anne ten Brummelhuis has vast knowledge of patient rights, tariff regulation, the Youth Act, and the Social Support Act, allowing her to handle a range of e-health and regulatory mandates.
 

The Legal 500 EMEA 2024 - Intellectual Property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Ranked

The ‘true legal and judicial experts’ at Kennedy Van der Laan divide their focus between the tech, media and entertainment, fashion and luxury sectors, representing clients in major trade mark infringement claims and issues around intermediary liability. The practice is led by Maarten Schut, a specialist in tech and life sciences trade mark disputes; IP, IT and sports-focused Alfred Meijboom; and Joran Spauwen, whose expertise lies in assisting the IP aspects of tech transactions. Reindert van der Zaal represents both domestic and international fashion, luxury and sports brands in trade mark and advertising matters, and co-heads the firm’s anti-counterfeiting program.

Leading individuals

Maarten Schut

Testimonials

‘The standout partner is Maarten Schut. He is a leader in his field. He has a commercial mindset which clients appreciate, as well as a clear focus on outcomes.’

Chambers Global 2024 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

Maarten Schut often advises clients on IP licensing as part of R&D agreements. He also represents clients in trade secrets and trade mark litigation.

Strengths

"Maarten Schut is a very knowledgeable lawyer and pleasant to contact."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked

Jointly led by healthcare expert Fenna van Dijk and life sciences specialist Maarten Schut, Kennedy Van der Laan's team handles the full breadth of mandates across the healthcare and life sciences segments. Combining a corporate background with a focus on healthcare, Van Dijk advises on market entry, licenses, clinical research, PPPs and drafting contracts with medical devices companies; she played a key role in the vaccine strategy concerning the Covid-19 pandemic. IP expert Schut advises multinational companies including Nutreco and Syngenta and not-for-profit institutions on conflicts relating to R&D and licensing. With the addition of Joran Spauwen, the practice has gained a specialist in IP-focused transactions in the advanced technologies sector, assisting healthcare service providers with medical devices regulation and negotiating contracts with AI suppliers. He also links the M&A practice to the healthcare and life sciences practice, focusing on innovative companies investing in the health tech industry. Counsel Sophie Van Loon specialises in contract drafting, advisory work and litigation within the life sciences field and associate Eline Lam focuses on corporate, healthcare and regulatory law.

Testimonials

‘Maarten Schut is easy to deal with and good at focusing on the key issues.'

The Legal 500 EMEA 2023 - Intellectual Property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Ranked

Kennedy Van der Laan represents high-profile clients active in a range of sectors, especially in the advanced technologies, life sciences, fashion and media industries. Maarten Schut is a key name for technology and innovative life sciences companies for trade mark and trade secret issues, while Alfred Meijboom is recognised for his intersecting IP and IT work, and also advises sports-sector clients and handles arbitration cases involving art. Joran Spauwen assists emerging companies and foreign clients with investments in innovative technologies, requiring licensing and IP transactions. Counsel Sophie Van Loon is a specialist in collective rights management issues and in copyright law, and senior associate Reindert Van Der Zaal leads on brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and trade mark infringement mandates for sports, luxury and fashion brands.

Leading individuals

Maarten Schut

Testimonials

‘Maarten Schut is rightly highly rated in relation to brand protection and enforcement, as is Reindert van der Zaal. On the commercial side, Martine de Koning is superb.’

Chambers Europe 2023 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

Maarten Schut often advises clients on IP licensing as part of R&D agreements. He also represents clients in trade secrets and trade mark litigation. "Maarten Schut has the ability to understand the technical questions well."

Chambers Global 2023 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

Maarten Schut often advises clients on IP licensing as part of R&D agreements. He also represents clients in trade secrets and trade mark litigation.

Strengths

"Maarten Schut has the ability to understand the technical questions well."

The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - Intellectual property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Ranked

Kennedy Van der Laan continues to build on its key areas of specialism; technology, media/the internet and the fashion/luxury goods sectors. It has attracted an impressive number of new clients in these areas and its ‘success rate has been remarkable throughout the years‘ in respect of trade mark protection matters. Maarten Schut, who heads the group with Alfred Meijboom, has extensive trade marks expertise, particularly in the areas of life sciences and advanced technologies and is also a deputy judge at one of the four courts of appeal. Founding partner, Meijboom is known for his work where IP and IT interface and for ‘complex multi-jurisdictional‘ cases. Joran Spauwen became a partner in 2021 – his focus is on internet-based disputes and transactions and he is noted for his cyber security expertise. The ‘exceptional‘ senior associate Reindert Van Der Zaal's focus is brand protection and entertainment law. Sophie Van Loon and Gaya Schultz are other core team members.

Testimonials

‘Maarten Schut is a proven expert in anti-counterfeiting and trademark protection, with extensive experience in the fashion and retail sectors. Reindert van der Zaal, in Maarten’s team, is also excellent in this field.’

The Legal 500 EMEA 2022 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked

The team at Kennedy Van der Laan is ‘knowledgeable, practical in its approach, pleasant to deal with and delivers a high-quality product’. It is well known in the market for advising clients on corporate, governance, compliance, competition and financing matters. Fenna van Dijk co-heads the practice with over two decades of experience in commercial work; Maarten Schut also heads the team and is recommended for IP. Joran Spauwen is a new election to the partnership.

Chambers Global 2022 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

An interviewee reports that Maarten Schut is "easy to talk to and easy to work with." Maarten Schut often advises clients on IP licensing as part of R&D agreements. He also represents clients in trade secrets and trade mark litigation.

Chambers Europe 2022 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

World Trademark Review 1000 - Benelux: Netherlands - Recommended Individual

For three decades, Kennedy Van der Laan has maintained its position as “an outstanding partner for IP matters”. It draws judiciously on talents from across its comprehensive range of practice areas to pool together resources and coordinate decisive strategies that ensure favourable long-term results for brand owners. Since adding prosecution to its offering, the outfit has received a flood of instructions on the non-contentious side; but dispute resolution remains its strongest suit. Founding partner, division lead and “excellent all-round IP lawyer” Alfred Meijboom acquits himself with distinction when domain name issues arise; while “highly experienced trademark litigator” Maarten Schut is “brilliant in court”. Together they have built a robust anti-counterfeiting practice, assisting fashion designers and retailers such as Converse with their infringement battles across Europe.
 

The Legal 500 EMEA 2021 - Intellectual property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Ranked

The 'highly innovative, flexible, and efficient' team at Kennedy Van der Laan has a strong focus on the technology (including advanced technologies and life sciences), media, and luxury consumer goods sectors where it serves well-known global brands. The 'excellent' Alfred Meijboom handles cases where IP and IT collide as well as advising Nike/Converse on various marketing programmes; the firm heads a European-wide alliance that provides all legal support for Nike Europe. Maarten Schut also specialises in trade mark, copyright, and design, together with technology and life sciences. Other highly-rated core team members include senior associate Reindert van der Zaal, who is a co-founder of the firm's anti-counterfeiting programme and is respected for his brand protection skills, and associate partner Joran Spauwen who is skilled in handling complex litigation and technology-specific contracts and transactions. Also of note, Sophie van Loon specialises in copyright cases for international media and publishing clients.

Leading individuals

Maarten Schut

Testimonials

‘My privileged contacts are Alfred Meijboom and Maarten Schut, whom I have known for many years and with whom I have always had great pleasure working because they are brilliant lawyers, available, efficient, and very friendly. I also very much appreciate the senior associates and/or counsels Reindert van der Zaal and Joran Spauwen’.

Chambers Global 2021 - Intellectual Property General - Mostly Trade Mark/Copyright- Ranked

"Maarten is expert in trade mark and anti-counterfeiting issues, particularly for fashion designers and retailers. His commercial acumen is pinpointed by clients, one describing him as "very friendly and very business-oriented."

Chambers Europe 2021 - Intellectual Property Ranked

The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 - Intellectual property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights - Ranked

Kennedy Van der Laan's IP practice handles both contentious and non-contentious work in the areas of trade marks, copyright, designs, licensing, R&D, trade secrets and patents. The firm has a strong presence in the technology, media, and fashion and luxury sectors. Alfred Meijboom and Maarten Schut lead the department. Sophie van Loon specialises in copyright law. Also recommended are senior associates Reindert van der Zaal and Joran Spauwen.

Chambers Global 2020 - Intellectual Property: General - Mostly Trade Mark/Copyright - Ranked

Clients appreciate that Maarten Schut "has a genuine interest in getting people to understand risks and has a very good way of putting legal things into plain language for a varied audience." He advises clients on matters relating to trade mark and anti-counterfeit proceedings.

Chambers Europe 2020 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

The Legal 500 EMEA 2020 - Healthcare & Life Sciences - Ranked

At Kennedy Van der Laan, Fenna van Dijk assists healthcare clients with corporate matters, and IP specialist Maarten Schut advises on a range of issues in the life sciences arena including R&D collaborations, licensing work and the protection of trade secrets. The team also acts for its healthcare clients on mergers, the establishment of joint ventures, medical liability cases, disciplinary actions and data protection mandates.

The Legal 500 EMEA 2019 - Intellectual Property: Trade marks, copyrights and design rights

The 'efficient, well-synced team' at Kennedy Van der Laan 'has excellent communication skills; the advice is pragmatic and it has broad experience in brand protection matters'. Alfred Meijboom and Maarten Schut head the department and offer broad expertise in IP, media, and related technology issues. Schut also coordinates the European brand protection work for Nike. Counsel Sophie van Loon has a focus on copyright law and advises international media and publishing clients, including on matters relating to collective rights management societies. The team's impressive client roster includes Ikea, Facebook, and Tommy Hilfiger. Highlight work includes continuous assistance to Converse in its fight against counterfeiting in several European countries and wins against Dutch distributors Van Caem and Goeiemode.

The Legal 500 EMEA 2019 - Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences

Kennedy Van der Laan has a special focus on mergers and joint ventures together with medical liability and disciplinary actions. The team is a member of Biolegis, the pan-European network of independent law firms with a focus on life sciences. Fenna van Dijk heads the healthcare team and Maarten Schut specialises in IP within the life sciences sector. Meltem Koning advises on corporate and private equity matters. The group advised the Oncode Institute, a new ‘super’ institute combining oncology research from numerous academic hospitals and research institutes. It assisted with its set up and governance, funding negotiations, and complex IP arrangements. In other work includes advising on licensing, R&D collaborations, and patent disputes.

Chambers Global 2019 - Intellectual Property: General – Mostly Trade Mark/Copyright - Ranked
 

"Maarten Schut assists clients with international counterfeiting disputes and trade mark prosecution. Clients appreciate his "strong commercial sense" as well as his "creative solutions and quick response time." Another source notes: "He makes everything tailor-made and is extremely spot-on."

Chambers Europe 2019 - Intellectual Property: General - Mostly Trade Mark/Copyright - Ranked

Chambers Global 2018 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

"Maarten Schut is "knowledgeable and flexible," according to clients, who enjoy the "easy communication" with him and say he is "a good listener who is fast, efficient and practical." He specialises in trade mark and technology matters, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. He recently represented Converse in a counterfeiting dispute against Van Caem and Goeiemode."

Chambers Europe 2018 - Intellectual Property - Ranked

"Maarten Schut is "knowledgeable and flexible," according to clients, who enjoy the "easy communication" with him and say he is "a good listener who is fast, efficient and practical." He specialises in trade mark and technology matters, particularly in the pharmaceutical sector. He recently represented Converse in a counterfeiting dispute against Van Caem and Goeiemode."

• Supporting a not-for-profit medical R&D organization with regards to cross border R&D cooperation, license agreements and other contract negotiations with business partners around the world.
• Supports a multinational sports brand in its defence throughout Europe against large counterfeit networks.
• Advising a leading crop protection business on a continual basis on its licensing and joint development contracts. Assisting in concluding various licensing and R&D deals.
• Advised the life sciences department of a leading global photography and imagining brand on the creation of sophisticated IP arrangements, making it fit into the legal framework of the EU.
• Successfully represented a high-profile multinational furniture retailer in proceedings regarding design imitation.