Bernards algemene expertise ligt op het terrein van de werktuigbouwkunde en civiele techniek. Hij heeft zich gespecialiseerd in machineconstructies, flexibele vervaardigingssystemen, transportsystemen, offshore-technieken, chirurgische instrumenten en consumentenproducten. Zijn cliënten zijn van alle soorten en maten, waarbij de focus ligt bij middelgrote industriële bevoorradingsondernemingen.  Bernard heeft een pragmatische benadering van IE-bescherming en is een ware woordensmeder die graag direct met zijn cliënten communiceert. Zijn praktijk is onder te verdelen in enerzijds octrooiprosecutie en anderzijds octrooihandhaving. Hij heeft ruime ervaring in octrooirechtszaken bij de rechtbank, het Hof van Den Haag, en in oppositie- en beroepszaken bij het Europees Octrooibureau. Bernard is gekwalificeerd om als European Patent Attorney Litigator op te treden voor het Unified Patent Court, de centrale rechtbank voor Europese octrooien. Zijn ervaring op het gebied van rechtshandhaving gebruikt hij mede om sterke octrooiportefeuilles voor zijn cliënten op te bouwen.

Bernard is Hoofd van de sectie Engineering en Hightech & Electronics. Daarnaast is hij één van de oprichters van de China Desk van V.O. Verder is hij lid van de bestuursraad en voorzitter van V.O.

Naast zijn werk bij V.O. is Bernard part-time octrooirechter bij het Unified Patent Court.

Werkervaring

• Octrooigemachtigde, V.O. (1997-heden)

Opleiding

• LLM in IP Litigation, Nottingham Law School (2011)
• Ir., Werktuigbouwkunde, Technische Universiteit Delft 1995)
• Economie, Beloit College USA

Directories

• Featured as a patent attorney with technical specialty: mechanics, process and mechanical engineering (JUVE Patent 2024)
• Ranked ‘Thought Leader’ in Who’s Who Legal: IP 2024
• “Bernard Ledeboer, a seasoned patent attorney, boasts an impressive career spanning nearly three decades. His expertise lies in diverse sectors that drive innovation, including machine construction, flexible manufacturing systems and surgical instruments. As a key figure in patent law, Ledeboer is well equipped with pragmatism and eloquence. His rich international outlook is further showcased through his establishment of the VO China desk, underscoring his keen interest and capabilities abroad” (IAM Patent 1000, 2024)
• Recommended individual (JUVE Patent 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• “A mechanical engineer by trade, Ledeboer is well regarded for his commercial and legal acumen” (IAM Patent 1000, 2023)
• “In the mechanical and civil engineering fields, it’s hard to find a better expert than Bernard Ledeboer. He syncs up perfectly with company legal and inventor teams, and has the experience and perspicacity to solve their prosecution and litigation issues” (IAM Patent 1000, 2021)
• Recognized as IP Star (2015, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) by Managing Intellectual Property
• Recommended Individual (IAM Patent 1000, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
• Recommended in Who’s Who Legal 2023
• Bernard Ledeboer “has tremendous experience in dealing with the courts and has a knack for presenting cases clearly and effectively” (IAM Patent 1000, 2019)
• “Bernard Ledeboer ‘particularly impresses’, and he is frequently singled out by peers as an example of what a prosecutor should be. The engineering aficionado also boasts qualifications and experience in litigation. He stands out for his recent efforts in conjunction with colleagues in the Belgian office, excelling in opposition proceedings on behalf of plastics giants, and for his instrumental technical contribution to infringement proceedings between medical devices supremo B Braun Melsungen and its arch-rival Beckton Dickinson. ‘He has a pragmatic approach to IP protection, and is a wordsmith who enjoys direct communication with his clients’” (IAM Patent 1000, 2018)
• “A founding member of the firm’s China desk, Bernard Ledeboer is a font of insight on the Middle Kingdom” (IAM Patent 1000, 2017)
• “Mechanical engineer Bernard Ledeboer has an LLM in IP litigation and is regularly tested in infringement cases; he recently obtained a favourable judgment for Ascom, working together with Peter Hendricks of Freshfields fame” (IAM Patent 1000, 2016)
• “Bernard Ledeboer is another consistently high-functioning mechanical engineering connoisseur. Operating on both sides of the contentious/non-contentious divide, he is well positioned to disburse holistic advice” (IAM Patent 1000, 2015)
• “Bernard Ledeboer is the first port of call for lawyers looking for technical assistance on litigation briefs” (IAM Patent 1000, 2014)
• “‘Excellent communicator’ Leo Jessen and Bernard Ledeboer are the top mechanical engineering specialists there” (IAM Patent 1000, 2013)
• “Bernard Ledeboer’s legal training and experience of cases before the court in The Hague make him a joy to work with – he understands the difficulties facing lawyers and intuitively knows how a case should be presented to a judge. A civil and mechanical engineering specialist, Ledeboer has niche expertise in machine construction, conveyor systems and surgical products” (IAM Patent 1000, 2012)

Publicaties

• ‘Patent Litigation at the patents County Court’, Extended Piece of Work for the LLM in Intellectual Property Litigation at Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University, 2011.

Nevenactiviteiten

• Technisch gekwalificeerde rechter (part-time) bij het Unified Patent Court (UPC)
• Lid Nederlandse Orde van Octrooigemachtigden, EPI, AIPPI, CEIPI en UNION

 Talen

• Nederlands
• Engels
• Duits