Intellectueel eigendom

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 a global sports brand on various marketing programmes; the firm heads a European-wide alliance that provides all legal support for the European department of this global sports brand. 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.

Practice head(s): Alfred Meijboom; Maarten Schut
Other key lawyers: Reindert van der Zaal; Joran Spauwen; Sophie van Loon

Maarten Schut

Reindert van der Zaal

• 'KVdL’s intellectual property team has demonstrated its great efficiency, both in litigation and in counselling. The undeniable assets of this IP team are its expertise, of course, but also a great pragmatism and a way of working in a collaborative mode. Their approach is business-oriented and their advice is given in a concise and operational manner. I am familiar with the highly specialised knowledge and the work of this team’s lawyers to achieve this result, which is much appreciated by clients.’
• ‘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’.
• ‘The team is highly innovative, flexible, efficient, and extremely competent’.

Notable anti-counterfeiting practice offering vast experience in the fashion sector. Represents digital and collective rights bodies in copyright disputes and related royalty claims. Also acts for a range of TMT clients on piracy and trade mark disputes. Assists clients with advertising law mandates, as well as intellectual property contractual matters.

Clients recognise the team's commercial acumen, one underlining that the team is "always taking into account the business point of view and is very business-oriented."

Represented the Royal Dutch Dental Association in a dispute with collecting rights society BUMA, concerning artists' rights to music played in waiting rooms.

Maarten Schut 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."

Notable anti-counterfeiting practice offering vast experience in the fashion sector. Represents digital and collective rights bodies in copyright disputes and related royalty claims. Also acts for a range of TMT clients on piracy and trade mark disputes. Assists clients with advertising law mandates, as well as intellectual property contractual matters.

Maarten Schut 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."

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.

‘Extremely professional and well organised’

‘Alfred Meijboom and Jens van den Brink are both excellent lawyers’

Notable anti-counterfeiting practice offering vast experience in the fashion sector. Represents digital and collective rights bodies in copyright disputes and related royalty claims. Also acts for a range of TMT clients on piracy and trade mark disputes. Assists clients with the IP aspects of transactions and contracts.

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.

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.

Notable anti-counterfeiting practice offering vast experience in the fashion sector. Acts for a range of technology and media clients on software, trade mark and licensing disputes. Also active on performing rights litigation in relation to the public broadcast of copyright content and royalties disputes. Vodafone is a significant new client for the department.

Clients report that the lawyers provide "excellent service, are quick to respond and are very good in terms of explaining legal terms to non-legal people."

Others highlight the firm's "good understanding of the business and quick response time."

Acted for PVH on several design and counterfeit matters relating to its Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein brands.

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."

Kennedy Van der Laan has achieved the highest level, being placed in ‘Tier 1’.

Kennedy Van der Laan has been ranked 'Tier 3'.

Alfred Meijboom leads the ‘extremely efficient’ team at Kennedy Van der Laan; he and Maarten Schut are ‘deeply knowledgeable about trade marks, copyrights and design rights’, and have ‘a remarkable understanding of the market’. Schut represented Converse in anti-counterfeit proceedings, and advised Tommy Hilfiger on various soft IP infringement matters.

Noted for its strength in tendering procedures, Kennedy Van der Laan’s practice is particularly active in healthcare-related construction. Practice head Richard-Jan Roks is advising Prinses Maxima Centrum voor Kinderoncologie on the procurement and construction aspects of its new 50,000sqm building. Stichting de Lawei is a construction arbitration client.

Noted for its sector expertise in the technology, media and fashion fields. Handles a wide range of both contentious and non-contentious issues concerning trade marks, licensing, trade secrets and copyrights. Recently expanded its client base with the addition of Nutreco.

Clients admire the team's "quality, reliability and ability to keep deadlines and promises."

The "flexible and fast" team draws praise from clients for "offering a wide level of support not only in legal text, but also participation in negotiation strategy."

Defended IKEA against infringement proceedings initiated by Dutch celebrity Ms Teeuwen concerning the design of its Krusning product.

Represented Poo Pourri in infringement proceedings against Reckitt Benckiser, regarding the alleged imitation of Poo Pourri’s product and marketing format.

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.