Berendschot, Huib

Huib Berendschot (1964) studied Dutch law at the University of Tilburg. In 1991, he joined Unilever Nederland as a company lawyer. He became a member of the Corporate Trade Mark division of Unilever’s Legal Department in Rotterdam. From 1993 to 1997, he worked for the same division in London. He then moved back to the Legal Department in Rotterdam in order to head up a 15-man Trade Mark Team for Unilever’s food and beverages business. Huib represented Unilever in the Trade Mark Committee of the European Brands Association, AIM, in Brussels. At the same time he represented the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW) in the Trade Mark and Design Committee of UNICE.

In connection with brand protection and combating the trade in counterfeit goods, he represented Unilever in the Business-IPR group of the World Customs Organisation. At Unilever he was involved in the legal aspects of brand development, international industrial property enforcement litigation (including parallel trade), and the drawing up of agreements in relation to intellectual property (co-existence, design agreements, licences, transfers, etc.). Furthermore, he was involved in numerous mergers and acquisitions carried out by Unilever between 1995 and 2001.

In 2001, he moved to Novagraaf, a leading consultancy in the field of intellectual property. Huib is a lawyer in the IP&T practice group of AKD. He regularly lectures on the subject of trademark law and gives readings at seminars both nationally and internationally. Huib is a director and lecturer of the Stichting Beroepsopleiding Benelux Merken- en Modellengemachtigden (Foundation of Professional Education for Benelux Trademark and Design Agents), a member of the International Trade Mark Association, chairman of the INTA Global Committee on Parallel Trade), and a lecturer for the Stichting Beroepsopleiding Bedrijfsjuristen (Foundation of Professional Education for Company Lawyers). Huib’s clients include companies in the foodstuffs sector, luxury goods (such as watches and leather goods), clothing, domestic appliances, and pharmaceutical and surgical products.

European Legal 500, 2011: Huib Berendschot is ‘very responsive and flexible’, and has a ‘highly efficient and robust approach’.