Emmanuel Cornu

Practice Areas

Emmanuel Cornu specialises in intellectual property law (trademarks, patents, designs and copyrights) and competition law.

He assists national and international clients in the luxury sector, food and telecommunications before both the Belgian courts and the Benelux court, the European Court of Justice, the General Court and the EUIPO (European Union trademark litigation). He also regularly acts as an arbitrator.

Emmanuel is registered as UPC representative (Unified Patent Court). With our team of experienced patent litigators, Simont Braun is ready to navigate clients through the early days of the UPC as the new court develops.

He has been elected as a President of the Benelux Council for Intellectual Property. He has also been appointed by the FPS Economy, for his legal expertise, as a member of the Industrial Property section of the Council for Intellectual Property, whose main mission is to provide the Minister responsible for intellectual property with advice on any matter relating to intellectual property, in particular in the law-making process.

For many years, he has been a member of the committee for patent proxy approvals within the Office for Intellectual Property (2005-2017).

Emmanuel is ranked in Band 1 in Intellectual Property by Chambers & Partners, as a Leading Individual by The Legal 500, and in the Gold Band in trademarks by WTR1000. He is Recommended in trademarks by Who’s Who Legal (Global Leaders Guide) and recognised as a Trademark Star by IP Stars.

Emmanuel has been appointed as a third party decider accredited by the French Bar Association of Brussels in the context of the binding third party decision procedure (more information available here).

Emmanuel Cornu is a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), in which context he is the administrator of the Belgian group and president of the Trademarks Commission. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and of MARQUES, the European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA), the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI), the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (B.M.M.), and the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW).

Emmanuel was the president of the Belgian delegation to the Council of European Bars (C.C.B.E.). He is a former secretary of the Brussels Bar and a former member of the Brussels Bar Council. He has also been president of the “Conférence du Jeune Barreau de Bruxelles” (Young Bar Association).

Since 2009, he is the president, on a pro bono basis, of the Grandes Conférences Catholiques.

Emmanuel is the editor-in-chief of the Revue de Droit Intellectuel-L’Ingénieur-conseil (ICIP, Larcier) and is the author and co-author of several publications on intellectual property rights, including the fifth edition of Précis des Marques with Antoine Braun (Larcier, 2009, 1070 pages) and Les marques: marque Benelux, marque internationale, marque communautaire (Guide juridique de l’entreprise, Kluwer, 2007).

By royal decree of 16 July 2025, Emmanuel Cornu was granted the title of Baron by His Majesty King Philippe, in recognition of his professional and civic contributions.

Professional Memberships

Emmanuel Cornu has been appointed member of the Benelux Council for Intellectual Property.

He has also been appointed by the Belgian FPS Economy as a member of the Industrial Property section of the Council for Intellectual Property.

For many years, he has been a member of the committee for patent proxy approvals within the Office for Intellectual Property (2005-2017).

Emmanuel Cornu is a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI), in which context he is the administrator of the Belgian group and president of the Trademarks Commission. He is also a member of the International Trademark Association (INTA), and of MARQUES, the European Communities Trademark Association (ECTA), the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI), the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (B.M.M.), and the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW).