European law firm Field Fisher Waterhouse announces today the appointment of leading IP lawyer Thierry van Innis who joins the firm's Brussels office. His appointment boosts the firm's Brussels IP team and closely follows the recruitment of IP partner Stijn Debaene and IP associate Hakim Haouideg who both joined the firm last year. All three have joined from Allen & Overy.
Thierry, who has practised in IP matters for over 30 years, is an acknowledged leader in his field. He won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the World Leaders European IP Awards 2006 and was formerly Chairman of the Benelux Trademark Association. He was a partner at Loeff Claeys Verbeke for 23 years, joining Allen & Overy as part of the merger in 2002.
He advises on both contentious and non-contentious IP, specialising in trade marks and patents. He regularly litigates high profile trade mark cases before the Benelux Court of Justice and European Court of Justice. Over the years Thierry's work has led to dozens of precedents and landmark decisions and he is recognised as a leading individual in the legal directories, with Chambers Europe describing him as, "the pope of trade mark law in Belgium."
Thierry's appointment as Of Counsel will be a further boost to the growing Brussels IP practice led by partner Stijn Debaene. The four lawyer practice forms part of the firm's leading European-wide capability which totals 22 dedicated IP partners and over 37 lawyers across four countries.
Eric Cusas, managing partner of the Brussels office, said: "Over the next four to five years we plan to further grow our IP capability in Brussels and are pleased that Thierry, who is a leading figure in the IP world with a strong reputation in IP litigation, will be a big part of that growth. His expertise will be a significant asset as we build the practice, offering IP advice to Belgian clients as well working on cross-jurisdictional matters as part of the wider European IP capability."
