Intellectual Property
Europe Guide 2024 : Belgium
Band 4
About
Provided by Janson
The Intellectual Property, Information Technology and Trade Practices department is headed by Mireille Buydens and Hans Dhondt, two leading lawyers in these fields in Belgium.
The team has an extensive experience in negotiating and drafting IP-related agreements, including license agreements, research and development agreements (R&D), consortium agreements (with specific expertise in EU funded projects), merchandising and sponsoring agreements, non-disclosure agreements (NDA), IT related agreements, technology transfer and liens on intellectual property assets. We are also regularly consulted to carry out audits and due diligence within the framework of mergers and acquisitions.
Our lawyers possess extensive experience in data protection and assist clients in their GDPR compliance processes.
Clients also call on Janson to enforce their IP portfolios and to defend them against infringement claims. Janson’s lawyers are regularly appointed as arbitrators in IP related proceedings before arbitral tribunals.
The practice covers both the Brussels and the Ghent bar and is known at national and international level. Every member of the department has a degree in law and has obtained an additional LLM in IP law.
The partners of the department regularly publish and give lectures in IP/IT. Some of them are consulted on a regular basis by the Belgian authorities in the drafting of new legislation in their areas of expertise.
Chambers Review
Janson has a strong focus on trade mark disputes, advising clients on invalidity and infringement proceedings. The law firm also represents clients in breaches of copyright litigation, patent infringement proceedings, domain name disputes and the theft of trade secrets. Team members additionally act on anti-counterfeiting measures, as well as non-contentious matters such as intellectual property licensing agreements. The team has a number of clients from the life sciences and fashion sectors.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"We appreciate the team's proactivity, good understanding and synthesis."
"What is really nice in Janson is the high level of technical understanding."
"In terms of timeliness, quality of advice, being responsive, all those boxes the lawyers really check and that's what we need."
"The team is very hands-on and practical."
"Janson always investigates IP questions in deep details. We are convinced of the very strong analysis of our issues."
"We appreciate the team's proactivity, good understanding and synthesis."
"What is really nice in Janson is the high level of technical understanding."
"In terms of timeliness, quality of advice, being responsive, all those boxes the lawyers really check and that's what we need."
"The team is very hands-on and practical."
"Janson always investigates IP questions in deep details. We are convinced of the very strong analysis of our issues."
Notable Practitioners
Mireille Buydens has a broad contentious intellectual property practice that entails representing clients in disputes around trade marks, copyright, patents and trade secrets.
"She easily integrates technical complexities, asks the right questions and gets straight to the point in her proposals."
"I know of her excellence in terms of her knowledge and expertise in getting things done."
"She is really good at pleadings, and is able to summarise very complex matters in a simple explanation. She has very good human skills as well."
"Her written and oral skills are perfect."
"She is a walking encyclopedia, she is so smart. If you have any IP issue that's off the beaten track and different she knows it all."
Hans Dhondt is particularly active in trade mark disputes. He offers further experience in patent proceedings and litigation around the publication of books.
"He is highly effective, knowledgeable, experienced and pragmatic."
"He is very good and practical."
Ranked Lawyers at
Janson
Belgium
Members
Provided by Janson
Charles Bernard
Head of Department
Johannes Cassiman
Martine Berwette
Michiel Van Lerbeirghe
Head of Department
Clients
Provided by Janson
Automatic Systems (Bolloré)
Belgian Confederation of Dairy Industry
Fatboy The Original BV
Jacobs Douwe Egberts
Landewijck - Torrekens Tobacco
Maisons du Monde
Mondelez
Nuscience Group
Renault
WAMO
Industries
Provided by Janson
Automotive
Chemicals
Cosmetics
Design
Engineering
Food
Luxury goods
Retail