Attorney at law, Partner

Willem Leppink

Expertises

Intellectual property rights European Law Trademark and Design registration Marketing and Advertising

Part of team

Technology, Media and Telecom Food E-commerce
+31 6 2021 0504 w.leppink@ploum.nl LinkedIn

Specialisation

Willem is an attorney at law and partner with Ploum where he leads the Intellectual property team.

Willem provides litigation services and advice in the field of trademark, copyright and advertising law. He represents well-known companies throughout Europe in counterfeiting and other infringement matters. He is very experienced in coordinating European brand and marketing-related projects. In the Netherlands he litigates in conflicts regarding intellectual property and in cases about misleading and comparative advertising.

Willem is a strong believer in achieving results for his clients, regardless where these are needed on the globe, by finding pragmatic and creative solutions. He helps his client to keep the helicopter view and realizes that most entrepreneurs rather avoid litigation, but that, nonetheless, it is sometimes needed.

What clients say

"Willem always provides excellent and practical strategic advice that shows his understanding of the client's needs." - Chambers 2024

"He is always aware of all details of the case, very pragmatic." - Chambers 2024

“Willem is a fighter who is motivated to get things done. He is an effective legal communicator with a can-do attitude, who constantly strives for client satisfaction.”. – WTR1000 – 2023

‘Our contacts have been the extremely renowned Willem Leppink and his outstanding younger partner Sabin Tigu. We greatly appreciate this collaboration, especially their enormous commitment, their goal to always achieve more than their competitors, their enormous experience and the passion with which they practice.’ – Legal 500 EMEA 2024

‘Willem Leppink has extensive experience in handling a variety of IP cases. He is very knowledgeable about the law, quick-thinking and has good communication skills. – Legal 500 EMEA 2024

‘Willem and Sabin have a great team of young lawyers that all have the same solution driven, pragmatic approach. With this team we can have an efficient way of dealing with online and domain name issues.’ – Legal 500 EMEA 2023

‘Willem and Sabin both are very trustworthy, approachable and hands-on lawyers. To the point and willing to think with the business rather than only from a legal point of view.’ – Legal 500 EMEA 2023

Background

Willem graduated from Groningen University in 1994. Before that he spent a year at the School of Business of Western Carolina University. He was a partner with NautaDutilh and Simmons & Simmons. There he had various management roles in the International Intellectual Property Practice Group and the TMT Sector Group. In 2009 he joined Ploum, where he set up the intellectual property practice.

Willem Leppink is a lecturer in trademark law at Leiden University since 2023, where he teaches the master course in trademark and trade name law.

Publications

Memberships

  • MARQUES, the European Association of Trade Mark Owners: Willem is a member of the Executive Committee and in that capacity representing MARQUES in the European Anti-Scam Network
  • Organisation for the Professional Education of Benelux Trademark and Design Attorneys (BBMM): chair
  • WIPO, World Intellectual Property Organization: domain name panelist for both .UDRP and .nl disputes, Legal Rights Objections Expert, as well as Trademark Post-Delegation Dispute Resolution Procedure (Trademark PDDRP) panelist
  • Czech Arbitration Court: domain name panelist .eu domain names
  • Committee on Geographical Names of the Municipality of Lansingerland (Gemeente Lansingerland): acting chair
  • Netherlands Intellectual Property Litigation Attorneys (VIEPA): member of the exam board
  • Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice (Oxford University Press): member of the editorial board
  • The European Copyright & Design (Sweet & Maxwell): member of the editorial board
  • Dutch advertising blog Reclameboek.nl: member of the editorial board
  • Netherlands Advertising Law Association (VvRr): honorary member
  • International Trademark Association (INTA)
  • Benelux Association for Trademark and Design Law (BMM) 
  • European Trade Mark Association (ECTA)
  • Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle  (AIPPI)

Directories

Willem is recommended as a trademark expert in the Netherlands in the WTR1000 of World Trademark Review. He is also recommended in Chambers Europe and Chambers Global. He is listed in the Legal 500, the Guide of the World’s Leading Trade Mark Law Practitioners, Best Lawyers for Advertising Law en in PLC’s Which Lawyer. He was twice the winner of the International Law Office Client Choice Award for intellectual property law. 

The Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister)

Willem Leppink has registered the following principal (and secondary) legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister):

  • Intellectual Property (intellectueel eigendomsrecht)

Based on this registration, Willem Leppink is required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in each registered principal legal practice area in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.



Articles written by Willem

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