Liesbeth Weynants

Partner

Liesbeth’s practice combines patent litigation and regulatory work with a focus on the life sciences sector. Her work includes regulatory affairs (MA procedures, pricing-reimbursement, clinical trials, compliance and advertising issues, pharmaco- and materiovigilance, supply chain management etc.), as well as advice and litigation on unfair competition, privacy and data protection laws. She also drafts agreements in all of the above fields. Liesbeth often gives compliance trainings as well as lectures on the above matters and is in frequent contact with the authorities and industry bodies.

Liesbeth has extensive experience in late life-cycle management through regulatory and patent-based actions against early generic entry. She provides pre-litigation advice and helps to develop patent portfolio strategies.

Liesbeth’s clients in the life sciences sector include large research-oriented pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech companies, industry bodies and universities, foreign (UK, German, French, US essentially) law firms with advice on local law. Clients for which Liesbeth regularly provides regulatory advice include Allergan, Biogen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celgene, Daiichi Sankyo, Gedeon Richter, Gilead, J&J, Lundbeck, Menarini, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi, Takeda, Teva (innovative branch) and many others.

Liesbeth also assists industrial clients such as in the automotive industry Porsche EEC racing cars and Votquenne.

In addition to her extensive practical experience, Liesbeth also teaches the IP course in the IFB Biotechnology Masterclass, the VUB biotech Masterclass and has published a number of articles on selected topics in her fields.

  • REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
    • Sanofi v. Sandoz. Assisting Sanofi in enforcing its SPC on the combination of irbesartan and hydrochlorothiazide against generic entry, with parallel actions ongoing in various other Member States (2012 to date).
    • Lundbeck v. Tiefenbacher et al. Representing Lundbeck in various actions to enforce its escitalopram SPC and block the premature launch of generic products (2011 to date). As well as in various regulatory actions to invalidate generic marketing authorizations.
    • Several proceedings before the Belgian council of state on behalf of innovative industry against decisions by the Belgian state re marketing authorization grant and/or pricing reimbursement decisions for AbbVie, Lundbeck, Sanofi, Novartis, Merck, Medical Brands.
    • AstraZeneca v. Teva/Sandoz. Patent litigation against early generic entry for AstraZeneca’s blockbuster “Seroquel”.
    • Boehringer Ingelheim v. Teva. Patent litigation on Boehringer Ingelheim’s blockbuster “Spiriva”.
    • Daiichi Sankyo v. PI Pharma. Parallel import case on trade mark andregulatory aspects of parallel import by which PI Pharma repackages generic Ranbaxy product as original Daiichi Sankyo product.
    • Porsche v. G. Schmitz. Patent Litigation on Porsche WEC racing cars.
  • PUBLICATIONS
    • Co-author of the Belgian chapter of P. JORDAN (ed.), International Advertising Law: A Practical Global Guide, Globe Law and Business, 2014.
    • Co-author of pharma.be’s Codex Pharma Commenté Loi du 25 mars 1964 sur les médicaments – Becommentarieerde Codex Pharma Wet van 25 maart 1964 op de geneesmiddelen, KnopsPublishing, 2013.
    • “Off-label Use and Promotion: Risks and Potential Liability”, BioScience Law Review (2011). Co-authored with Carla Schoonderbeek.
    • “The new EU pharmacovigilance rules: a disproportionate burden on industry?’’, SCRIP Regulatory Affairs, March 2011. Co-authored with Carla Schoonderbeek.
  • SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
    • In-house trainings at clients on compliance, anti-bribery, anticorruption, data protection, intellectual property, late life-cycle management, patent and regulatory strategies
    • “IPR in Biotechnology”, VUB “Business Aspects of Biotechnology” course
    • Biotech-Biopharma Masterclass, IFB
  • PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
    • IRDI, Member of the Editorial Board
    • Belgian Biotech Association (Bio.be), former Board member
    • Belgian Council for Intellectual Property, Member
    • Licensing Executives Society (LES)
    • Belgian Regulatory Affairs Society (BRAS)
  • WHAT OTHERS SAY
    • “Managing Partner Liesbeth Weynants earns praise for being a tenacious litigator at the top of her game. She is a standout patent practitioner who excels in the life sciences arena, is full of grit and is fun to work alongside.” IAM Patent 2023
    • “Liesbeth Weynants is a very specialised patent litigator in the pharma field. She is very practical, very clear in drafting and communicates well with clients.” Chambers & Partners 2023
    • “Liesbeth is exceptional when it comes to patent and regulatory matters. Thanks to her remarkable knowledge, she provides expert legal analyses and advice that will achieve her clients’ end goals.” IAM Patent 2022
    • “Very easy to work with and gives user friendly and practical advice.” Legal 500 2022
    • “Immediately understands your issues and can respond with concrete solutions” Chambers & Partners 2022
    • “Excellent” Chambers & Partners 2021
    • “Liesbeth gives excellent advice that is both clear and practical, showing her thorough knowledge of local procedure and pharmaceutical regulatory issues. Anyone seeking advice or assistance in Belgium should contact her.” IAM Patent 1000 2021
    • “She is very skilled, has a lot of experience, is very efficient and works very quickly.” Chambers & Partners 2020
    • “Collaborative and produces high-quality pleadings.” Chambers & Partners 2020
    • “Very reactive and knowledgeable.” Chambers & Partners 2020
    • “You can only sing the highest praises of Liesbeth. She is excellent, immensely experienced and knows the industry like the back of her hand.” IAM Patent 1000 2020
    • “Stands out for her professionalism.” Legal 500 2020
    • “Excellent” Chambers & Partners 2019
    • “Exceptionally easy to work with and a real team player. She is a highly effective strategist with a deep knowledge of the Belgian court system and one of the best practitioners around.” IAM Patent 1000 2019
    • “Highly experienced and knowledgeable” Legal 500 2019
    • “Enthusiastic, energetic and no-nonsense.” Chambers & Partners 2018
    • “An excellent communicator, who is a pleasure to work with but can be very tough when needed.” Chambers & Partners 2018

Assistant details

Visit us

Visiting address:

Avenue des Nerviens 85
Nerviërslaan, 1st Floor
1040 Brussels
Belgium

Postal address:

Avenue des Nerviens 85
Nerviërslaan, 1st Floor
1040 Brussels
Belgium

The facts

Languages

Dutch, French, English, Italian

Education

Graduated in the negotiation course by Professor Van Poucke, 2014

IFB (MA, Pharmaceutical Industry Management, 2008-2009)

European College of Parma (Italy) (LLM, Law, Economics and EC
Politics, 1993)

Universities Namur and Leuven (Law, 1992)

Admission

1994