Wiggin expands its Brussels office with top tier Intellectual Property team

Media, technology and intellectual property law firm Wiggin today announces the expansion of its Brussels office with the arrival of leading IP practitioners Carina Gommers and Carl De Meyer, together with two additional team members, Eva De Pauw and Eleni Foscolos. The move reflects the continued growth of and investment in Wiggin’s intellectual property practice in the UK and EU, and follows the firm hiring a new telecoms team and expanding its computer games practice in November.

Gommers and De Meyer are renowned both in the Belgian capital and internationally, acting for some of the best known and most innovative companies, across all intellectual property rights. They have worked together for many years and will join Wiggin, from IP boutique Hoyng ROKH Monegier LLP, on 1 January 2021.

Gommers is a highly regarded practitioner, recognised as a Leading Individual for many years by guides such as Legal 500 and IAM Patent 1000, the first (and only) woman in Belgium to be ranked ‘Gold’ by the World Trademark Review, and one of only three to have been included in the Managing Intellectual Property’s IP STARS 2020 Top 250 Women in IP. She is at the forefront of thought leadership in IP on the international stage through her second vice presidentship of ECTA, the leading European trade mark association. Clients praise her “pro-active strategic thinking and excellent project management and case mapping skills” (IAM Patent).

De Meyer is similarly highly ranked in Gold and Band 1, across the board, and has been inducted in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame. He is lauded for being “technically brilliant …. From a tactical point of view, he is one of the best there is” (IAM Patent). His practice has spanned many years and included seminal cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union, such as acting for MEGABLOCKS in its landmark case against Lego regarding functional shape marks, and Carl and Carina acting for Philips in the well-known joined Philips Nokia case regarding counterfeit goods in transit. Alongside his legal work, De Meyer is a regular guest lecturer at the Catholic University of Leuven.

Sara Ashby, Head of Wiggin’s Intellectual Property team, said: “The expansion of our Brussels team and our IP offering is a significant step for Wiggin. Carina and Carl have unmatched reputations in their market and bring hugely valuable experience to the firm. We look forward to working together.”

Ted Shapiro, Head of Wiggin’s Brussels Office added: “I am tremendously excited by the arrival of Carina and Carl and their team and look forward to joining forces with them in our new Brussels office space as soon as circumstances permit. Their IP expertise will supercharge our already innovative EU practice.”

Carina Gommers and Carl De Meyer released the following joint statement: “We’re absolutely delighted to be joining Wiggin. The firm’s leading IP practice has a reputation for excellence, and Wiggin’s collaborative and entrepreneurial approach is a great fit for us and our team.”