Bruno Vandermeulen

Belgian

35+ years of experience

Language:

English, French

Dutch, passive understanding of German

Present Function:

Member of the Brussels bar (“advocaat – avocat”) since 1991 and sole practitioner since 2019.
Member of the Belgian Council of Intellectual Property since 2004.
External member of the Paul Janssen Futurelab @ Leiden University Medical Center for teaching the online Paul Janssen course on intellectual property.
Independent arbitrator at WIPO (list of neutrals) since January 2019.
Independent third party decider with the Dutch speaking section of the Brussels company court since 2020.
Accredited Mediator in civil and commercial matters for the Brussels company court since 2022.

General Expertise:

Technical Expertise:

Certifications and/or licenses

Certificate of the Belgian-based Institut des Arts de Diffusion in movie and films, 1983.
Certificate in journalism training by the Belgian Journalism Federation, 1984.
Certified negotiator in licensing matters by the Licensing Executive Society International in 2004.
Certified in commercial mediation by CEDR in 2022.
Certified as Belgian mediator in civil and commercial matters in 2023.

Professional legal or litigation experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

More than twenty (20) years of experience as a patent litigator in cross-border patent disputes before the Belgian, Dutch, French and German courts via my role co-founding partner of Bird and Bird in Brussels and as former head of its IP department from 1999-2018.

Professional technical experience related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

Legal skills as a patent litigator are complemented with a keen interest and understanding of technical issues in a variety of technical fields in argued cases in patent and trade secret disputes around immunoglobulins, camelid antibodies, polyutherane foaming products, laminate flooring systems, petro-chemicals, pharmaceuticals, electronic circuitry, concrete slabs, mining and coffee capsules.

Memberships and/or accreditations

Member of the Licensing Executives Society Benelux since 1993.
Past President of LES Benelux and Honorary member.
Chair of the LESI European Committee from 2005 - 2015.

Member of the Belgian AIPPI.
Member of the Belgian Council of Intellectual Property since 2004.

Practical experience of conducting mediation or conciliation or judicial settlement conferences or out-of-court dispute settlements in disputes related to the scope of competence of the PMAC

independent lawyer practice in 2019, an accredited mediator via training by CEDR in London (2022) and by the Belgian Mediation Institute in Belgium (2023)

Appointed in four IP mediation cases by the Brussels enterprise court from 2023-2025.