Annick is a partner in the Commercial & Litigation practice and heads the Intellectual Property team.
Specialist areas
Annick has a particular focus on:
- launching and marketing products and services
- privacy issues
- anti-counterfeiting
- distribution
- trademark and copyright infringement
- patent litigation
Expertise and experience
Her practice encompasses the full range of areas linked to the launching and marketing of products and services, including privacy issues related to personal data protection, distribution, franchising, advertising, product regulations, consumer protection and intellectual property (trademark, copyright, design and patent). She is widely recognised as an expert in the field of anti-counterfeiting.
Annick advises clients from a variety of sectors including the design, fashion and manufacturing industries as well as companies from the entertainment, automotive life sciences sectors. Many cases involve several countries including Italy, the UK, Denmark, Germany, Canada and the USA.
She has experience in litigation and in negotiations, including with the authorities.
Background
Annick graduated in 1987 with a law degree from the University of Liège (ULg) and obtained a postgraduate diploma in Advanced European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges in 1988. She subsequently worked for two years as a trainee lawyer and an assistant in criminal procedure with Professor Franchimont at the ULg. Annick was admitted to the bar in 1987.
Publications and speaking engagements
Annick writes for publications by Kluwer, Global Competition Review, World Trademark Review, AIPPI and ICIP. Typical articles are “Security interests over intellectual property”; “Plain packaging: a threat for trademark law?”; the Belgian chapter on Intellectual Property and Anti-trust in “Getting the Deal Through”; and “Transit of counterfeit groups through Europe.” She is regularly invited to speak on trademark and distribution issues before international audiences and has served as moderator at global conferences on trade secrets law.
Distinctions
Chambers Europe 2019 – Notable Practitioner, Intellectual Property
Legal 500 EMEA 2019 – recommended; described as “brilliant” and “well versed in brand protection issues” (2016)
Leaders League 2019 – ranked “Excellent” in Trademark Litigation and “Highly Recommended” in Copyright Law
WIPR – Influential Woman in IP, 2019 “especially known for her anti-counterfeiting work”
July 2010 - June 2012 - President of the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA)
Member of the Belgian Council for Intellectual Property; the Anti-Counterfeiting Committee of ECTA; the International Trademark Association (INTA); the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property Law (AIPPI); the French Association des Practiciens du droit de Marques (APRAM); and the International League of Competition Law (LIDC).
