Patricia is a member of the Bars of Brussels and New York and has specialised in intellectual property for the past 12 years, specifically in patent and trade mark litigation. Her clients have included many household names in the retail, technology, telecommunications and life sciences sectors.

In addition to these major disputes, Patricia has also advised clients in high-profile investigations brought by the European Commission on the basis of Article 102 TFEU concerning the interface of intellectual property and competition law. Issues arising in these investigations included the impact of technical standards and the patents that are essential to them, FRAND licensing and the exhaustion of IP rights.

Patricia is regularly asked to speak at conferences and is a growing presence on the Brussels legal market and beyond.

Recent patent litigations include:

• Patricia successfully represented the patentee in various proceedings before the Belgian courts concerning the well-known Senseo coffee system, resulting in the first reported decision in Belgium on indirect patent infringement. After winning the main infringement case before the Court of Appeal of Antwerp, Patricia went on to negotiate a number of licence agreements on behalf of the patentee.
• Patricia successfully represented a major Dutch life sciences company in a biotechnology patent litigation before the Belgian courts. After almost 2 years of fierce litigation, the Danish plaintiff withdrew all its infringement claims as well as the relevant parts of its European patent.
• Patricia currently represents a German manufacturer in a patent litigation before the Belgian courts concerning agricultural machines for the harvesting of potatoes.

Recent trade mark and other soft IP litigations include:

• Patricia successfully represented a Canadian toy manufacturer in proceedings that resulted in the cancellation of the shape of the Lego brick as a three-dimensional trade mark for construction toys. Patricia continues to assist the client on a daily basis with all IP aspects of its business.
• Patricia successfully represented Elvis Presley Enterprises in a Belgian litigation concerning the unauthorised use of the likeness of Elvis.
• Patricia represents a Danish manufacturer in on-going proceedings before the Belgian courts regarding replicas of real firearms on the basis of trade mark, copyright and unfair competition law.