V.O - Key Persons

Adriaan Seerden

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Associate

Alexander van Loon

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Senior Associate

Andreas Keymer

Job Titles:

European and German Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Associate

Annemie Swinnen

Job Titles:

Chemistry
European Patent Attorney / Senior Associate

Annemie Swinnen is a European Patent Attorney with more than 30 years of experience working as in-house attorney in the chemical industry. The last 25 years she worked for Huntsman Corporation where she managed the Belgian IP team and was the Lead Patent Counsel for their Polyurethanes Division.

Annemiek Tepper

Job Titles:

Chemistry
European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Partner

Annemiek Tepper joined V.O. in 2002. During her academic career, she spent one year at the University of Chapel Hill (USA) and at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Annemiek studied biochemistry at the University of Groningen. She obtained her PhD at the Netherlands Cancer Institute (Amsterdam).

Bart Jan

Job Titles:

European, Dutch and Belgian Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator

Bernard Ledeboer

Job Titles:

Mechanical Engineer
Engineering
European and Dutch Patent Attorney
Head of the Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Specialists

Bernard Ledeboer started his career as a Patent Attorney with V.O. in 1997. Before, he worked at a large law firm in Amsterdam. He holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering, and an LLM in Intellectual property litigation. Bernard is Head of the Engineering and Hightech & Electronics section. Also, he is founding member of the V.O. China Desk and member of the steering committee of V.O.

Bettina Hermann

Job Titles:

European and German Patent and Trademark Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Partner
Head of the Munich Office of V.O. She
Life Sciences

Bettina Hermann started her career in the IP field in 2001 in a German IP boutique. Bettina studied biology at the Technical University Munich with an emphasis on microbiology, genetics, biochemistry and clinical chemistry. She received her PhD in biology from the Technical University Munich and did practical work at the Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, before she became Postdoc at the IGBMC in Illkirch Strasbourg, France. Bettina is head of the Munich office of V.O. She is a member of the editorial staff of the V.O. Newsletter and was on the board of Women in IP e.V.

Claudia Meindel

Job Titles:

Attorney - at - Law / Senior Associate
Your Attorney at Law

Dirk de Jong

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Senior Associate

Dirk de Jong started his career as a patent attorney in 1991 after having worked for Philips in research and development in the field of pattern recognition and image processing. He continued to work for Philips and its spin-out NXP as a patent attorney before joining V.O. in 2007.

Eline van Kappel

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Associate
Life Sciences

Eline van Kappel studied Biomedical science at the University of Utrecht. During her Master studies she focused on molecular mechanisms of stem cells and tumors. As part of her Master program, she performed research studies at the Hubrecht Institute in Utrecht and at the University of California, San Francisco. After her graduation, Eline completed a doctoral research (PhD) program in the field of the molecular basis of tumorigenesis at the University medical Center Utrecht.

Ernst van Knobelsdorff

Job Titles:

Attorney - at - Law

Frits Michiels

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney
Life Sciences

Frits Michiels has had an extensive scientific career in both knowledge institutes and biotech companies. From 2004, he was employed as IP manager at Galapagos Genomics BV and subsequently also at other Dutch biotech startups, such as Agendia and Merus. He has worked for V.O. since 2006.

Frits Schut

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Partner
Life Sciences

Frits Schut has been involved in patenting since 1995, when exploiting patented inventions of which he was a co-inventor in a biotech startup. Frits studied biology at the universities of Utrecht, Amsterdam and obtained his PhD in microbiology from the university of Groningen.

Gijs de Iongh

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Associate

Hajo Kraak

Job Titles:

Chemistry
European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Partner
Member of the Dutch Delegation for the EPI Council

Hajo Kraak has been a patent attorney at V.O. since 2007. Prior to V.O. he worked as in-house patent counsel in the chemical industry (fibers, electronic materials, chemicals, coatings) and in research-based pharma. Hajo continues to work for chemical as well as pharmaceutical companies. He graduated in organic and polymer chemistry at Leiden University (1987), and has been active in patents ever since. Hajo is a member of the Dutch delegation for the EPI Council and a tutor for the Dutch qualifying examination.

Henri van Kalkeren

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Partner

Huub Maas

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Partner

Jannik Beerepoot

Job Titles:

Trainee Patent Attorney

Jasper Groot

Job Titles:

Partner

Jennifer Ebner von Eschenbach

Job Titles:

Chemistry Expert
European Patent Attorney / Senior Associate

Jennifer Ebner von Eschenbach began her career as a European patent attorney in 1991 when she commenced her training in the Munich office of the international IP law firm of Ladas & Parry, LLP. Jennifer took over the office management from 1996-2008, during which time she was involved with the prosecution of patent applications for many multinational companies and research institutions. This provided her with an insight of IP needs covering a broad technological spectrum.

Johannes van Melle

Job Titles:

Editor in Chief of the V.O
European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Partner

Johannes van Melle started his career as a patent attorney in 1998 after having worked in an internet startup. As a physicist, Johannes has a broad focus on all aspects of high tech, in particular informatics and semiconductors, optics, fluid systems and mechatronics. Johannes is editor in chief of the V.O. newsletter IP Leads and head of the Eindhoven office of V.O.

Joris Goetze

Job Titles:

European and Dutch Patent Attorney / Associate

Kaat Schroven

Job Titles:

Trainee Patent Attorney

Karel de Jong

Job Titles:

Engineering
European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Associate

Prior to joining V.O. in 2002 as a patent attorney, Karel de Jong had first been a scientist for five years, and an entrepreneur for another ten years. As an entrepreneur, Karel gained experience in commercialising patented technology. Karel is a mechanical engineer. He obtained his Master's degree in 1987 and a PhD degree in 1991.

Kasper Haak

Job Titles:

Engineering
European and Dutch Patent Attorney, European Patent Litigator / Senior Associate

Kasper Haak started his career in patent practice in 2001 after having conducted research activities with a printing system manufacturer. His patent expertise is mainly in the fields of radar and imaging technology, plasma technology, electrical and electronic systems, computer and telecommunication network systems, medical systems, mechatronics and agricultural devices.

Kristel Van den Broeck

Job Titles:

Chemistry
European Patent Attorney / Senior Associate

As a European patent attorney Kristel Van den Broeck has18 years of experience, of which 12 years as in-house patent attorney in the chemical industry. She spent most of that time working for Huntsman, where she was in-house patent attorney for the patent portfolio within the polyurethane division. In this position, she was responsible for drafting patent applications and associated global prosecution; advising on invention valorization; assessing patent validity, freedom to operate studies and European oppositions. Before working for Huntsman, Kristel worked within IMEC's patent department, working on microelectronics-related patents.