Attorney at law, Partner

Willem Leppink

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 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

"He is adamant in his convictions and very straight in the pursuit of the client's interests." - Chambers 2023

"He knows what the companies need and knows what makes sense from a business perspective." - Chambers 2023

‘Willem Leppink is an outstanding partner. He is considered, thorough and diligent in providing expert advice that really seeks to achieve the client’s goals. Sabin Tigu is great to work with. He has a great manner with clients and has an in-depth knowledge of trade mark law.’ – Legal 500 EMEA 2023

‘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

‘You can absolutely trust Willem Leppink’s advice. He has a high-level perception of EU-trademark law.’ – 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.

Publications

  • Round-up of European enforcement case law in 2022, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Oxford Academic (oup.com), March 2023

  • Willem Leppink, Michelle Roosma, A practical guide to filing domain name complaints, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 17, Issue 11, November 2022, Pages 905–914, https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpac100

  • Willem Leppink, Michelle Roosma, A practical guide to filing domain name complaints, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice, Volume 17, Issue 11, November 2022, Pages 905–914, https://doi.org/10.1093/jiplp/jpac100Domain Name Disputes: A Practical Guide (in Dutch), BMM Bulletin, July 2022
  • 'Round-up of European enforcement case law 2021' | Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice | Oxford Academic (oup.com), May 2022
  • Hennessy: a missed opportunity? About the EEA standards, the right to control and the international parallel trade in practice, Intellectueel Eigendom & Reclamerecht IER 2022/2
  • European trade mark law: Quo Nunc Vadis? (The Sequel) | Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice | Oxford Academic (oup.com), July 2021
  • 'EU enforcement case law round-up CJEU and selected national case law for 2020', Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, Oxford University Press, June 2021
  • Case note to the Supreme Court’s judgement of January 8, 2021, ECLI:NL:PHR:2020:696 (Infineon / NXP), Intellectuele Eigendom & Reclamerecht 2021/25, p. 247 – 256  
  • 'Enforcement case law round-up 2019—CJEU and selected national case law' | Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice | Oxford Academic (oup.com), May 2021
  • The use of trade marks by garage owners: creating a link with BMW/Deenik. A Dutch view on European case law and the application thereof in The Netherlands, BMM Bulletin 2/2020, p. 89
  • EPOA / The Flower Farm, case note to the judgement of the Board of Appeal ((Dutch) Advertising Code Committee) regarding the advertising for palm oil free margarine, Intellectuele Eigendom & Reclamerecht IER 2020/19
  • ‘European trade mark law: Quo Nunc Vadis?’, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, Oxford University Press, January 2019
  • How not using a trade mark becomes use of a trade mark, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice – Oxford University Press, Volume 13, Issue 12, 1 December 2018, Pages 925–927, Current Intelligence article on Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Judgment in Mitsubishi v Duma, C-129/17, EU: C: 2018: 594, 25 July 2018
  • Mitsubishi / Duma, case note to the judgement of the Court of Appeal regarding the removal of trade marks, Intellectuele Eigendom & Reclamerecht IER 2018/55
  • KNVW/Wijnoutlet.nl, case note to judgement of the Advertising Code Committee regarding unfair commercial practices and comparative advertising, Intellectuele Eigendom & Reclamerecht IER 2018/15
  • A Practical Guide to Protection from Online Infringement, Chapter on The Netherlands, Globe Law and Business, 2017
  • European trade mark law, Quo Vadis? | Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice | Oxford Academic (oup.com), May 2013
  • Stichting Misrekening/ING, case note to the judgement regarding unfair commercial practices, Intellectuele Eigendom & Reclamerecht IER 2011/62
  • ‘Is there life for IP owners after Nokia and Philips’, World Trademark Review, april/mei 2011
  • ‘Order from a Community trade mark court should have effect throughout the entire EU’, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, Oxford University Press, January 2011
  • ‘The battle of The Hague: R4 and mod chips game over?’, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice, Oxford University Press, oktober 2010
  • Zonnatura, case note to the Supreme Court’s judgement regarding the interpretation of intellectual property rights in a purchase agreement, Ondernemingsrecht 2004, 262\\

 

Willem Leppink: Reachable 24/7, very pragmatic and commercial thinking lawyer taking into account the best interests of the company. Has a lot of ready knowledge and also thinks out of the box. Acts as a team player and not as an external advisor. – Legal 500 EMEA 2020

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.



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