On 3 July, Matthijs Roelofs was registered as a European patent attorney after successfully completing his EQE (European Qualifying Examination).

Matthijs studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Twente, where he obtained his BSc. He graduated from Eindhoven University of Technology in both mechanical engineering and nuclear fusion. He joined V.O. in 2020 and has been a Dutch patent attorney since September 2023. Matthijs is happy to now also act in his new capacity: "A European registration gives a broader basis. It allows me to serve my clients better. I am really ready for it!"

We are again proud of our recent recognitions by IP STARS (Managing IP) as a Tier 1 firm and for Belgium as a Tier 2 firm. And a Tier 3 listing for Trademark Prosecution. Individual recommendations as ‘IP Stars 2024’ are for Tamara Elmore, Bettina Hermann, Annemie Jaeken, Leo Jessen, Bernard Ledeboer, Marco Molling, Otto Oudshoorn and Herman Witmans. In addition, Martin Klok, Peter de Lange and Rutger Timmer have been recognized as Notable Practitioners.

For Bernard Ledeboer, Who's Who Legal (WWL) adds to this, with its recognition as a ‘Thought Leader’. A renowned guide to the international legal IP market, WWL identifies the leading lawyers worldwide. Bernard is delighted with this recognition and expresses his pride in being included in the selective company of Thought Leaders.

As of July, Ole von Meijenfeldt joined our The Hague office as trainee trademark and design attorney. Ole studied law at the University of Amsterdam and the University of Utrecht. An elective course in intellectual property law awakened his passion for this field, leading him to specialize in it. He completed his master's degree in Intellectual Property Law, Innovation and Technology in July 2023. The firm wishes Ole every success and pleasure in his new job.

Having signed the UPC agreement on 31 May this year, Romania officially joined as of 1 September. All European patents that will have unitary effect from that date will then also apply to Romania. With Romania's accession, the UPC has a total of 18 participating countries.

The new patent system started on 1 June 2023. With the introduction of the unitary patent (UP) and the unified patent court (UPC), court proceedings for all participating countries are centralized in one European court. This applies to all new and existing European patents, unless a so-called opt-out has been filed.

Read more about the UPC in our Dossier.