Houthoff‘s patents team, led by IP and IT specialist Thomas de Weerd, is noted for its position as a Supreme Court appeals specialist, with Thijs van Aerde frequently being instructed by clients and other law firms on a variety of disputes, notably those concerning generic drugs. The practice also advises clients in the life sciences and automotive sectors, and handles patent licensing matters in addition to its contentious work. Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis is an agritech patent expert, litigating cases concerning national and community plant variety rights.

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Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • 'Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis and Thijs van Aerde provide impeccable service, are easily reachable and pleasant to work with. I would recommend them to anyone.'

  • 'The Houthoff patent team has assisted us with several Supreme Court appeals. Thijs van Aerde is one of a handful of very skilled Supreme Court patent litigators, and has the ability to understand a case very quickly.'

  • 'Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis has excellent procedural knowledge, is very pleasant to work with, and is always readily available. She adds a lot of value for us. Thijs van Aerde is also a strong procedural lawyer and a Supreme Court lawyer specialised in patent law.'

  • 'Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis provided outstanding legal advice and is very responsive. Thijs van Aerde is an excellent Supreme Court lawyer.'

Key clients

  • HP
  • Airwair International
  • Philip Morris
  • Dell
  • Dummen Orange
  • Netherlands Vehicle Authority
  • Spinnin' Records (Warner Music Group)
  • Nexperia
  • Brein
  • VolkerRail
  • Novartis

Work highlights

  • Represented RDW, the holder of the Dutch vehicle registration register in patent invalidity proceedings at the Dutch Court of The Hague.
  • Acted for Novartis in patent litigation before the Dutch Supreme Court against Mylan.
  • Represented Vermeer in preliminary injunction proceedings at the Court of the North Netherlands in Leeuwarden in a post-transactional patent and trade secret dispute.

Lawyers

Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Thomas de Weerd

Other key lawyers

Thijs van Aerde, Fleur Tuinzing-Westerhuis