The team at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek has expertise in the broad array of matters, including representing its internationally renowned clients in cases regarding copyright and trade mark infringements and licensing issues. Pan-European litigation is an area of focus of the team, which is also developing specialisms advising on such complex developing areas as software and AI, and greenwashing issues in advertising. Practice co-head Tobias Cohen Jehoram is an IP litigation expert who has represented clients before such courts as the Dutch Supreme Court and the ECJ, and co-lead Anne Marie Verschuur is a specialist is design, trade mark and copyright matters with particular expertise in tech-related cases. Selmer Bergsma‘s work includes handling contractual IP disputes, while Roos van der Poel advises on IP rights in transactional contexts.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team is highly skilled and up-to-date in recent regulation developments impacting our industry.’

  • ‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is an exceptional lawyer. He has a deep and sophisticated understanding of all aspects of IP law - patents, trade marks and copyrights. He also knows well the interplay between EU law and Dutch law. Yiyi Song is also impressive and knowledgeable and provides practical and timely advice.’

  • ‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is a good, convincing litigator with outstanding legal knowledge.’

  • ‘The best in supreme court litigation in IP matters! Tobias is the star and Renate Keijser is as sharp as a knife. We love working with them!’

  • ‘They stand out for their deep understanding of IP law, particularly in trade mark infringement, and their ability to offer clear, actionable advice. Tobias Cohen Jehoram has been instrumental in providing strategic guidance, while Florence Haverhals excels at managing the details of our cases efficiently.'

  • 'What we value most is their commitment to our success, their strong communication, and their ability to deliver results under tight timelines.’

  • ‘De Brauw provides the highest-calibre legal counsel, offering sophisticated, nuanced advocacy and representation. The commercially-savvy team consistently strikes the right balance, fully understanding whether the engine needs to be shifted into first gear or fifth gear for any particular matter.’

  • ‘Tobias Cohen Jehoram is an IP litigation rock star. He's a strategic thinker and top-shelf advocate. He's the only person I'd turn to for high-value or bet-the-company IP disputes in the Netherlands, full stop.’

Key clients

  • Impossible Foods Inc.
  • Heineken
  • Airwair
  • Comité interprofessionnel du vin de Champagne (CIVC)
  • Inter IKEA
  • AkzoNobel
  • Nolet
  • Koopman
  • Anne Frank Stichting
  • Jiskefet
  • Puma
  • Bestseller A/S (holder of the ONLY brand)
  • P.K. Holdline
  • Royal Philips
  • Coty Beauty Germany GmbH
  • Converse
  • KLABU
  • JDE
  • PON Bicycle Group
  • SKY
  • Unilever
  • PVH
  • LVMH
  • Booking.com
  • amazon
  • The Ocean Cleanup
  • Shell
  • Friesland Campina
  • NXP
  • Calvin Klein
  • NN Group
  • reMarkable
  • Ferrara Candy Company
  • LyondellBasell
  • Synthon
  • City of Rotterdam
  • ING
  • ASML

Work highlights

  • Represented Heineken successfully in proceedings up to the General Court against AB Inbev in relation to the latter's EU trade mark "ULTRA", registered for beer.
  • Representing Inter IKEA before the Court of Justice of the EU in its dispute with Vlaams Belang (political party) about their use of IKEA's famous trade marks to get attention for their political message.
  • Representing Impossible Foods Inc. in the EU at both Dutch national courts as well as EU institutions and courts in its trade mark dispute with Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Tobias Cohen Jehoram
Hall of fameDe Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Roos van der Poel
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Selmer Bergsma
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Tobias Cohen Jehoram, Anne Marie Verschuur

Other key lawyers

Yiyi Song, Renate Keijser, Florence Haverhals, Selmer Bergsma, Roos van der Poel