Geert is chairman of the Global IP Group and specialises in IP and ICT law. He conducts litigation, advises on non-litigious matters and assists in negotiating and drafting agreements and transactions. Geert has litigated landmark IP cases before the European, Benelux and Belgian courts and has co-ordinated several multi-jurisdiction conflicts. He is also a key member of our Life Sciences sector team. He is a former chairman of the Benelux Trademark Association and a former member of the Board of Directors of the International Trademark Association. Geert is the chairman of the Benelux Council for Intellectual Property (BCIP) which advises the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property (BOIP) on all aspects of IP legislation. He has also recently been appointed by the Belgian Federal Minister of the Economy to the Belgian Council for Intellectual Property. He has advised the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) on IP issues related to the Internet and is an accredited WIPO and ICC arbitrator. Geert chaired the Committee involved with reviewing the .be rules.
Geert is consistently recommended by the directories as a leading IP/ICT and Life Sciences attorney. Who's Who Legal rates him among "the most highly regarded individuals" in his field. Chambers 2011 praises him as "one of the best and brightest IP lawyers in Belgium today who continues to impress with his intellectual rigour and top-notch negotiation skills". Moreover he is characterized as being "energetic and enthusiastic with a thoughtful attitude, fair and reasonable in his conclusions as to how to resolve complicated issues, understanding the risks to which clients are exposed and always finding the right solutions for them". In Legal 500 Geert is lauded for "his excellent understanding of legal issues, his 'can do' attitude, good negotiation skills and likeable personality".
Admitted as advocaat, Belgium, 1990
Admitted as advocate, Belgium, 1990
Exempt european lawyer, England and Wales, 2004
Law Degree, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL), 1984
LLM, University of Illinois, 1985
Several articles on telecom, media, trademark and patent law and scientific contributions.
Obversational column in Droits Intellectuels-Intellectuele Rechten (IRDI)
'Famous and Well-Known Trademarks and the Internet' (Mostert Editor)
'Registrability of Community Trade Marks' 'Gyngell & Poulter, editors)