Katia Manhaeve

Professional background and education

Attorney registered with the Luxembourg bar
30+ years experience : former partner and head of IP practice Allen & Overy Luxembourg;
works with international blue chip clients and institutions, SME’s and public entities
broad sector expertise including general retail, e-commerce, pharma and life sciences, finance, luxury goods and fashion, FMCG, creative industries, food and beverage, industrial components

fluent in French, English and Dutch; passive knowledge of German, Spanish and Luxembourgish
“cum laude” graduate of Universities of Namur, Leuven (Belgium) and Salamanca (Spain)

Intellectual property and information technology
Market leading (tier 1) IP attorney : trademark, copyright, patent/SPC, domain name, commercial name, designs, database, software, trade secrets and privacy/image right issues
strong litigation track record : Luxembourg courts, Benelux Court of Justice, courts of the European Union and IP offices (BOIP and EUIPO)
contractual drafting and negotiation : assignment, licensing, collaboration and R&D, NDAs, co-existence and settlement, privacy and image rights
IP advisory and protection : IP protection and prosecution, IP due diligence, IP clearance and strategy
Longstanding active member of the IP community
Author of Luxembourg chapter : “Copyright in the information society : a guide to national implementation of the European Directive”, B. Lindner; T. Shapiro, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2nd edition

Distribution, e-commerce and product compliance
Commercial and distribution agreements, franchising and agency
Internet and e-commerce : general terms and conditions, website and e-commerce legal compliance, domain name issues, phishing, harassment, online IP infringement
Labelling and product compliance, food law, product liability issues
Author of Luxembourg chapters : “International Franchising” and “International Agency and Distribution law”, both by D, Campbell, New York, Juris Publishing, 2nd edition

Trade practices, advertising, and image rights
Trade practices, unfair competition, consumer protection
Advertising, marketing and media : legal clearance, litigation and contract review; sponsorship; interplay with intellectual property
Image and personal rights
Trade secrets

Life Sciences and pharma
Regulatory advice, compliance and approvals : marketing authorizations and market access, pricing & reimbursement, HCP obligations, medical devices, advertising, labelling, clinical trials
Litigation : life cycle management issues, generic market access, contractual disputes
Contractual drafting and negotiation : collaboration and R&D agreements, clinical trials, licensing and distribution agreements

President of the Luxembourg Chapter of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
Former president of the Benelux Association for Trademark and Design Law (BMM); former
member of the BMM board and legislative committee; member of the BMM “Amicus Curiae” committee
Former Luxembourg representative of the Benelux Council of Intellectual Property, an advisory body to the Benelux Intellectual Property Office
Member of Marques
Member of the IP/IT committee of the Luxembourg bar

Consistently ranked in Band 1 by Chambers Europe, as a leading individual by Legal 500, an IP Star by Managing Intellectual Property and a World Leading/Gold Trademark Professional by World Trademark Review.
Client testimonials state that Katia “is very responsive, pragmatic and gives clear advice”. She is referred to as a highly regarded IP specialist who brings a wealth of experience, who straddles the contentious/non-contentious divide artfully and who is “an invaluable asset to those she serves”. Next to the dedication to her clients Katia is also praised for doing much for the greater good of all IP stakeholders.