Fernand de Visscher is a specialist in intellectual property. He notably handles questions relating to patents and to the protection of designs and artistic and literary works. Fernand’s experience also includes media law, distribution (dealerships, franchises, etc.), computer science, the internet, domain names, including contract law and competition issues in these fields.

He assists Belgian and international enterprises in these areas, covering a wide range of structural and contractual operations and disputes requiring resolution via negotiation, mediation or pleadings before Belgian and European courts. He is admitted to the WIPO List of Neutrals as a WIPO Arbitrator, and to the list of third party deciders accredited by the French Bar Association of Brussels in the context of the binding third party decision procedures (more information available here).

Fernand is also registered as UPC representative (Unified Patent Court), assisting clients in navigating the increasingly complex European patent landscape as the new court and its case law develop.

He is also a member of our Supreme Court team and assists them in matters relating to intellectual property, market practices and competition law.

From 2006 until 2022, he was appointed by the FPS Economy for his legal expertise for serving as president of the Industrial Property section of the Council for Intellectual Property. The main mission of the Council is to provide the Minister responsible for intellectual property with advice on any matter relating to intellectual property, in particular in the law-making process.

Fernand de Visscher is a former lecturer in design law at the Centre for International Studies in Intellectual Property (CEIPI, Strasbourg) and was visiting lecturer in IP contract law at UCLouvain from 2007 to 2017.

He is ranked as a Senior Statesperson in Intellectual Property by Chambers & Partners, in the Silver Band in Patents by iAM Patent and recognised as a Patent Star by IP Stars. He is Recommended in Patents by Who’s Who Legal (Global Leaders Guide).

Fernand is the author and co-author of a number of publications in these areas of practice, including Précis du droit d’auteur et des droits voisins (2000) and La saisie-description et sa réforme (2010). He is a member of the editorial board of Revue de Droit Intellectuel l’Ingénieur-Conseil and of Journal des Tribunaux.

Fernand de Visscher is also a member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) (and former president of its Belgian group; member of honour, 2022) and of the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI), the Benelux Association of Trade Mark and Design Law (BMM), the Licensing Executives’ Society (LES) and the European Patent Lawyers’ Association (EPLAW), of which he was a co-founder and the first secretary as a board member from 2000 to 2005.