Most companies want more from a law firm than straightforward legal advice. They want to hear the best solution to their issues in clear language. The entrepreneur’s solution. A solution that works and gives them confidence in the future of their company.

Ploum is a full-service law firm that prioritises giving personal attention to clients and building long-lasting relationships. With a practical approach that is energetic, no-nonsense and without frills, we strive to tackle your challenges promptly. Legal knowledge is the basis we start from and business instinct is our forte. This is Ploum. This is what makes us your partner in business.

Legal matters, business counts

Effective legal protection is essential if you wish to retain the IP rights to your product or creation. This applies to your trademarks, logos and domain names, as well as your designs. And you also want to ensure that your marketing and after-sales services are taken care of effectively.

Specialised IP team

Part of our full-service offering is our dedicated IP team with a strong focus on trademarks, copyright and designs. In addition, we are experts in domain name disputes and in marketing and advertising law.

Based in the heart of Europe’s largest port, we assist many IP owners not only in the Netherlands, but also in other countries in the European Union and beyond. We manage international trademark portfolios and have assisted brand owners in setting up and managing pan-European customs border detention orders in close cooperation with Customs and other law enforcement agencies and programmes to combat unauthorised parallel trade. We have set up programmes to stop general trademark infringements, stop trademark genericisation and stop phishing activities using domain names containing our clients’ trademarks.

We have a single integrated approach: overseeing not only trademark prosecution issues but also trademark litigation, copyright issues and knowing what marketing law issues may arise, which is possible thanks to the deep understanding that we have of our clients’ needs. Having the knowledge and the extensive expertise of what happens or could happen after, say, trademark clearance or filing an application not only in the European Union or the Benelux, but also other countries worldwide, enhances the quality of the work that we do and ensures that we are always one step ahead.

Key members of the IP team include Willem Leppink, Sabin Tigu, Yvonne Hamerling, Paul Trapman,Michelle Roosma, Sarith Jonker, Hidde van der Kaaij, and Anja Pazira.

We work closely together with our firm’s customs, trade and logistics team, which has a unique practice and solid track record in the area of customs and trade law.

Safeguarding your IP rights

At Ploum, our specialists can advise and assist you in protecting your IP rights. Our team includes certified Benelux and European trademark attorneys and we can assist you in managing your trademark and designs portfolio. It goes without saying that we can take care of your trademark registrations in the Benelux or the European Union. We can represent you before the Benelux Office for Intellectual Property and the EUIPO, as well as before their appeal bodies. We are known for our pragmatic analysis of trademark searches.

Tackling illegal practices

If you are troubled by unfair or illegal trade practices, marketing and advertising issues, unfair commercial practices, abuse of your trade secrets, promotional games of chance issues or a domain name dispute, or if you have discovered that others are trading imitations or parallel imports of your products or their packaging, Ploum will help you tackle this. Although we have a great track record for settling out of court, we will also represent you in court proceedings and before the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) or the Advertising Code Commission (RCC) should the need arise.  

International support

Since the challenges facing businesses do not respect national boundaries, Ploum maintains a wide and reliable network of law firms and agents, and we cooperate with other lawyers and service providers on a daily basis all over the world. We are also associated with a number of organisations such as MARQUES and INTA, and play an active role in the Benelux and international IP community.