Intellectual property

NautaDutilh

The practice at NautaDutilh ‘delivers strategic, commercially-focused advice with precision and agility’, advising clients on issues related to copyright, trade secrets, advertising, and domain names. National and cross-border litigation is another strength of the team, which regularly appears before the EU courts. IP litigator Tanguy de Haan leads the team, and ’consistently impresses with his depth of expertise, responsiveness, and proactive approach’. Also acting as head of the team is Florence Verhoestraete, with a practice focusing on trademarks, patents, trade secrets and unfair competion. Jean-François Van Drooghenbroeck is noted.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘NautaDutilh's legal team stands out as an exceptional practice that delivers strategic, commercially-focused advice with precision and agility. Their expertise in IP, particularly in trade mark protection and enforcement, is robust, with deep knowledge of the ever-evolving EU legal landscape. Potential clients should be aware of the team’s strong collaborative ethos and cross-border capabilities.'
'They regularly advise across multiple jurisdictions within the EU, making them particularly well-suited for multinational clients with complex needs. Their responsiveness and adaptability ensure that clients always feel supported, no matter how urgent or multifaceted the issue.’
‘Tanguy de Haan consistently impresses with his depth of expertise, responsiveness, and proactive approach. What sets Tanguy apart is his commitment to understanding not just the legal nuances, but also the commercial and strategic objectives of our global business. This holistic approach ensures that his advice is always pragmatic and aligned with our long-term goals.'
'Tanguy's ability to distill complex legal matters into clear, actionable advice is invaluable. I’ve particularly appreciated his willingness to go the extra mile, and his team's ability to proactively and independently manage complex evidence gathering exercises for our cases spanning 10+ years (and still going).’
‘The substance of the work is top notch; they have had talented junior lawyers assigned to our matters and a strong leadership within the IP group. They have a strong orientation toward litigation advocacy which is more familiar to U.S. lawyers than other European firms with whom we have worked. They tend to look for a forceful solution which can be very helpful.’
‘Tanguy de Haan leads the team for us. He is fluent in comparative U.S. principles and excellent at describing the substantive law and how we might succeed in various matters. He refrains from any undue deference to the ideas of outside lawyers or clients, but does so gracefully and with cogent explanations.’

Key clients

Allergan
Duslo
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
Hästens
ING Belgium
LEGO
Levi Strauss & Co.
L’Oréal
Pernod Ricard (Chivas, Havana Club, Soho, The Absolut Company)
Reckitt
Roset
SAJ (Belgian Journalists' Copyright Society)
Salaisonniers corses
Scotch Whisky Association
Société du Tour de France
Standard Industrie
Super Brand Licensing
The holders of the PINK LADY trade mark

Work highlights

Represented Standard Industrie in the first instance in a long-running patent dispute with a competitor in the sector of belt conveyors.
Represented L’Oréal before the EU General Court in a trade mark dispute initiated against its K WATER figurative mark, by the owner of an earlier trade mark for a stylised letter K.
Represented Reckitt in a comparative and misleading advertising claim raised by Procter & Gamble before the Brussels Business Court in the context of a multi-jurisdictional dispute concerning Reckitt’s advertising highlighting the efficiency of its dishwasher pods.