‘A creative interaction with the client and mutual understanding lead to the most valuable IP creations.’
Kristel Van den Broeck
- Chemistry
- European Patent Attorney
- Senior Associate
As a European patent attorney Kristel Van den Broeck has18 years of experience, of which 12 years as in-house patent attorney in the chemical industry. She spent most of that time working for Huntsman, where she was in-house patent attorney for the patent portfolio within the polyurethane division. In this position, she was responsible for drafting patent applications and associated global prosecution; advising on invention valorization; assessing patent validity, freedom to operate studies and European oppositions. Before working for Huntsman, Kristel worked within IMEC’s patent department, working on microelectronics-related patents.
News
UPC jurisdiction over UK designations and conditional infringement relief in Fujifilm v Kodak
In the case of Kodak vs. Fujifilm concerning EP 3 511 174 on 2 June 2026 before the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent, the Court of Appeal addressed the UPC’s jurisdiction over the UK designation of a European patent. The decision is important because it applies the CJEU’s reasoning in BSH v Electrolux […]Continue reading
Case Law Clarity
Visitors to the V.O. website may already have noticed that it has recently been expanded with a new section: Case Law Clarity. With this addition, the website responds to the growing need for clear and consistent explanations of complex legal developments in patent law.Continue reading
Claim interpretation and the inescapable trap in T 0837/24
In T 0837/24 (8 December 2025), the Board considered how far a technically meaningful interpretation of a claim must be taken into account when assessing added subject-matter and extension of protection. The decision is notable for its treatment of claim construction after G 1/24, and for its finding that an inconsistent first-instance decision may amount […]Continue reading