Engineering
The patent attorneys in our Engineering team are specialists with knowledge that covers a variety of technologies, enabling a seamless service. We work as a team together, or in conjunction with the firm’s other experts at the interfaces with engineering and life sciences, chemistry and pharma. A combination of PhD degrees at leading universities, academic experience, hands-on experience within industry-leading companies, and extensive patent expertise, equips our Engineering team with the tools to solve even the most challenging problems.
Our Engineering Team handles cases in a variety of different sectors under the Engineering umbrella including digital communication, telecoms, medical technology, computer technology, artificial intelligence, software, IT, ICT, electronics, electrical machinery, automation, energy, sensors, batteries, Automotive technology, aviation, space technology and materials, manufacturing, textiles and machinery.
We have a long-standing working relationship with a great number of major players in the Engineering sector, as well as with smaller SME’s and research institutes and universities. You can benefit from our experience in this specialized technology field.
In the field of Engineering, the EPO has imposed a number of additional limitations on patentability of inventions such as software inventions (including AI) and medical applications.
In the development of inventions either for Engineering, the issue of scope of the claim is often of major importance for the value of the patent and at the same time an issue of debate within the national patent offices. It is important to draft patent applications which contain the necessary basis to ensure appropriate protection, with the focus on arriving at a claim scope which is valuable and enforceable.
To optimize the scope of patent protection, it is necessary to consider all aspects of the invention and carefully consider the patent drafting strategy in view of the availability of data. Our patent attorneys will work closely with the inventors or management to identify the invention itself, the minimum protection which is wanted, and guide the inventors in the process of extending the current scope of protection to a broader protection by envisaging work around options which may be included during the patent drafting process.
Our high level of expertise in the different specific fields of Engineering ensures that these issues are taken into account the first moment that the invention is considered in order to properly draft priority documents.
We have an extensive team of patent attorneys and advisers who have an in-depth experience. We advise our clients on the acceptable scope of Engineering claims and the best strategy for protection within the present legal frameworks. Our patent attorneys and advisers rendering services in this field all have strong scientific backgrounds and are closely involved in monitoring the evolution of the case law in Engineering, Materials and Tech.
Our Engineering team has been recognized Internationally, acclaimed for
- “being able to grasp the technical aspects in order to draft accurate and high-quality patent applications that guarantee a positive outcome”
- “having total understanding of client needs and working hard to meet these through clear strategies and well-structured communication”
- IAM Patent 1000
Our firm was awarded Patent Attorney Firm of the Year in Belgium' at the Global IP Awards in 2023, “Belgian Prosecution Firm of the Year 2023” at the Managing IP Awards and the ‘Best IP Firms for Patent Prosecution” category Leading by Leaders League in 2023. Our awards are in no small part down to the contribution of experience, creativity and diligence by our Engineering team.
Our team is very skilled in helping clients specialized in software and artificial intelligence inventions which represents an expanding and important technological field that has a direct impact on goods and services provided to consumers, businesses and developers. They cover many fields including Artificial Intelligence, Internet-implemented technologies, gamification, computer simulation, communication platforms, embedded systems, image and signal processing, and medical diagnostics. We have vast experience of software patent drafting and prosecution, and benefit from expert legal knowledge in software case law and infringement issues. In all the above fields, we work closely with innovators in industry, leading research institutes and universities. Our expertise is reflected in our portfolio of clients, which includes well-known national and international companies operating in these fields.
Our team consists of multiple reputed patent attorneys with extensive experience of EPO opposition and appeal procedure work. The emphasis is on staying at the forefront of legal developments, actively seeking feedback and engaging in debate during team meetings to develop innovative strategies for drafting, prosecution, and litigation. The goal is to maintain the best possible a reputation by providing reliable, structured, and relevant advice to clients.
Furthermore, we place importance on building strong relationships with clients. This is achieved by fostering trust through open communication and consistently delivering actions that align with the clients' needs and expectations.
Additionally, we take a comprehensive approach to intellectual property (IP) matters. Patent specialists collaborate closely with the design, trademark and transactions teams to provide clients with a complete IP service, addressing various aspects of intellectual property protection and management.
Overall, the focus is on delivering high-quality legal services while prioritizing client relationships and staying up to date with the latest developments in the legal field.
Key Contacts
Robrecht Dumarey
Robrecht Dumarey
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Belgian Patent Attorney
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
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Belgian Patent Attorney
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
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European Patent Litigator
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Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
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European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
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Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
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Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
Pieter Gregoir, DPhil
Robrecht Dumarey
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Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
-
European Patent Litigator
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
-
Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi, PhD
Robrecht Dumarey
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
-
European Patent Litigator
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
-
Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
ir. David Lesthaeghe, PhD
Robrecht Dumarey
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
-
European Patent Litigator
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
-
Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
Robrecht Dumarey
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
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Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
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European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
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European Patent Litigator
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
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European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
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Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
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Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
Evi Van Ballaer
Robrecht Dumarey
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
-
European Patent Litigator
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
-
Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.
Robrecht Dumarey
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Litigator
Robrecht Dumarey holds a Master of Sciences in Industrial Engineering from KHBO association of Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. Main topics: electronics, microprocessors and data communication. Supplementary options: medical electronics, wireless technology, robotics & cnc.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners in 2020, Robrecht worked for over 10 years in in-house Intellectual Property departments of multinationals (Picanol, CNH Industrial) and 10 years in a private practice IP firm.
Robrecht qualified as a Belgian and European Patent Attorney and is a certified Patent Information Specialist. He is also featured as an inventor on several patents. Robrecht successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Legal IP advice on Belgian Patents
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate and infringement
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- IP due diligence
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic advice in IP matters
Robrecht is a founding member of the Belgian Patent Information User Group (BEPIUG) and previously served as a member of the Standing Advisory Committee before the EPO / PDI (SACEPO/PDI).
Languages
Robrecht is a native Dutch speaker. He is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Robrecht combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where he served clients ranging from high growth startups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. He is mainly active in the technical fields of software, robotics, AI, mechatronics, industrial manufacturing, automation, electronics, satellite communication, telecom, automotive, agricultural machinery, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, … .
Pieter Gregoir
-
Belgian Patent Attorney
-
European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Pieter Gregoir studied Chemistry at Ghent University. In 2009, he received a Master’s degree after finishing a thesis in the field of biomimetic chemistry. Pieter left Ghent and went to do a DPhil at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford. There he joined the Chemical Biology department and studied multivalent binding events on a single molecular level. µ
As a model system, he looked at the interaction between lectins and a chemically modified ion channel. His DPhil was funded by a Marie Curie Scholarship, which allowed him to perform his research in an international network of universities. He was awarded his DPhil title in 2021.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Pieter started working in private practice in January 2014. Since June 2016 he is part of the team at De Clercq & Partners. Pieter qualified as a Belgian patent attorney in 2017 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Legal IP advice on Belgian patents
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Pieter is a member of AIPPI.
Languages
Pieter is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French.
Competences
Pieter has knowledge and expertise in various fiels of technology including chemistry and more specifically chemical biology, biochemistry, organic chemistry, carbohydrate chemistry, biotechnology, polymer chemistry, biomimetic chemistry, separation sciences, industrial chemistry, biophysics, (bio)statistics, textiles, coatings, pharmaceutical chemistry, and catalysis.
Jeffrey (Jeff) Gyi
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Jeff has a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a PhD in Pharmacy (Biophysics in medicinal chemistry) from the University of Manchester, UK. He gained postdoctoral experience in biophysical molecular modelling, systems and programming from the MRC National Institute of Medical Research, London, UK.
Jeff joined De Clercq & Partners in 2002 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2010. Jeff successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Jeff was named MIP Rising Star in Intellectual Property in 2019 and is since years recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 directory of legal and attorney firms and individual practitioners for his work in mechanical, engineering, software and chemistry industries. Since 2020, Jeff is named as MIP notable practitioner.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, arbitration, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence and advice on licenses and IP acquisitions
- Litigation advice
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
Jeff regularly lectures on aspects of intellectual property, and has written several published articles. He is a member of LES and AIPPI .
Languages
Jeff is a native English speaker, with a working knowledge of Dutch, French and German.
Competences
Jeff has scientific experience in various technologies covering mechanical engineering, software and chemistry fields. Application areas include medical and hospital technologies, software, machine learning, wearables, packaging, metrological equipment, compositions, wireless connected devices, and general mechanical devices. Clients are drawn from many sectors including engineering, healthcare/hospitals, chemistry, consumer goods and products, diagnostics, transport, and electronics.
What they say about Jeff
“Jeff is flexible, intelligent, reliable and drafts accurate and high-quality patent applications." - IAM Patent 1000 (2023)
ir. David Lesthaeghe
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European Patent Litigator
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Belgian Patent Attorney
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European Patent Attorney
David Lesthaeghe holds a Master of Science in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium. He performed his research at the Center for Molecular Modeling (CMM), in collaboration with the Laboratory for Chemical Technology (LCT).
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, David worked for three years as a postdoctoral researcher at the same department, which included a research stay at the Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du Solide, Université Lille 1, France. He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2010.
David qualified as a European Patent Attorney in July 2014. In 2017, he qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney, and was registered as a qualified representative before the French Patent Office (INPI). In 2023, he successfully obtained the Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe at the University of Strasbourg (France), qualified as a European Patent Litigator, and registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
From 2020 to 2023, David was named Rising Star in Intellectual Property by Managing IP (MIP).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- IP due diligence
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, and validity of intellectual property rights
- Acting as an expert for the Belgian courts or parties in descriptive seizure proceedings
- Acting as an expert in litigation before Belgian civil courts or parties in intellectual property matters
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice, and strategy
- General and strategic advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
David regularly lectures on various aspects of intellectual property. He is a member of LES and AIPPI. David is also a member of the Education Committee and is chairperson of the PR Committee of the newly founded Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
David is a native Dutch and English speaker, and is very fluent in French.
Competences
David has scientific experience in various fields of chemistry, physics, material science, computer science, and engineering; and is specialised in multidisciplinary inventions that span several fields of science and technology.
More specifically, he is mainly active in fields such as mechanical devices, medical devices, machinery, automotive, electronic devices, photonics, physical chemistry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry, catalysis, nanomaterials, computer-implemented inventions, software, artificial intelligence, mathematics, and others.
Jacek Kepa
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Jacek Kepa obtained a Master's degree in Bioelectronics and Nanotechnology from the University of Hasselt, Belgium, and Maastricht University, the Netherlands.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Jacek performed experimental research at the Laboratory for Semiconductor Physics and as such, obtained a Ph.D. degree in Physics from the University of Leuven, Belgium, in collaboration with IMEC Leuven, Belgium.
He joined De Clercq & Partners in September 2015 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2019. In 2023, Jacek successfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Maastricht. He has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court (UPC).
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting and prosecution of national patent applications
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination and opposition and before the Boards of Appeal
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General strategic and legal advice in IP matters
- Acting as a European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Languages
Jacek is a native Dutch and Polish speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of French and German.
Competences
Jacek has scientific experience in various fields related to semiconductor materials and devices – such as, photovoltaics, transistors (MOSFET), optoelectronics, medical devices and biosensors, magnetic and electronic characterization (of defects). His technical areas of expertise include physics, electronics and electrical engineering, ICT, computer-implemented inventions (software/AI), chemical engineering, mechanical engineering and manufacturing, nanotechnology and analytical instrumentation.
Evi Van Ballaer
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Belgian Patent Attorney
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European Patent Attorney
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European Patent Litigator
Evi holds a Bachelor’s degree in Avionics, a Master’s degree in Electro-Mechanical Engineering, and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Eleven years later, she also qualified as a Belgian Patent Attorney. In 2023, Evi succesfully obtained the Certificate on Patent Litigaton in Europe from Politecnico di Milano. She has been registered as a representative before the Unified Patent Court.
Since 2000, Evi built up eight years of experience at the IP Department of CNH Industrial as a European Patent Attorney and three years as an IP Counsel for the Niko Group. After that, she became co-founder and managing director at Ænigma, a company that mainly focuses on in-house IP counseling for companies with or without an IP department, but also offers advice and service custom-tailored to the wishes of independent inventors.
Areas of practice
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of European and PCT patent applications
- Drafting, filing, and prosecution of Belgian patent applications as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Drafting, filing and prosecution of oppositions and appeal proceedings before the EPO
- Oral proceedings before the EPO in examination, opposition, and appeal
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- IP due diligence
- Patent literature searching and analysis
- Legal IP advice on European and Belgian patents
- Portfolio management, advice and strategy
- General and strategic advice in Intellectual Property matters
- Validations of European patents in Belgium as a qualified Belgian Patent Attorney
- Coaching of engineers in identifying inventions
- Developing and introducing custom-tailored IP related workflows within companies
- Acting as an European Patent Litigator before the Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Evi is a member of the ie-net Expert group on Intellectual Property and has given training on several IP related topics for patent attorney trainees and patent paralegals. She was elected in 2021 as substitute member of the Disciplinary Commission of the Institute of Belgian Patent Attorneys.
Languages
She is a native Dutch speaker. She is also very fluent in English and has working knowledge of German, French and Italian.
Competences
Evi combines extensive experience both in in-house roles and in private practice, where she served clients ranging from high growth start-ups and innovative SMEs to market leading multinationals. She is mainly active in the technical fields of agricultural machinery, avionics, mechanical engineering, industrial manufacturing, automotive, automation, satellite communication, telecom, medical devices, battery technology, metal processing, software, robotics, AI, and mechatronics.
Anne-lore Bex
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Patent Adviser
Anne-lore Bex obtained a Master’s Degree in Biomedical Science, with a major in clinical molecular science at The University of Hasselt and Maastricht. She went abroad for her Master’s degree to study epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk in early esophageal tumourigenesis at the University of Cambridge. After graduating, she continued her scientific career in Cambridge, where she studied the behaviour of epithelial stem cells in the esophagus upon injury. Next, she challenged herself to study epithelial-immune cell cross-talk in pancreatic cancer at the Technical University of Munich.
Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, Anne-lore started working in private practice in February 2020. In April 2023, she joined De Clercq & Partners as a Patent Adviser.
Areas of practice
- Drafting and prosecution of national, European and PCT patent applications
- Advising for oppositions and third-party observations before the EPO
- Opinions regarding patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement and validity of intellectual property rights
- Patent literature searching and analysis
Languages
Anne-lore is a native Dutch speaker, is very fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French.
Competences
Anne-lore obtained scientific experience in several life science fields such as biotechnology, immunology and molecular and cellular biology - especially in cell lineage tracing, recombinant gene technology, precise gene editing tools, genetically modified animals, regenerative cell therapy, oncogenic therapy, signalling cascades, proteomics, biomarkers, mechanics, agricultural machinery, medical devices, biogas plants, organic waste systems, and construction systems.