Otto Swens (1970) is co-founder of Vondst Advocaten (2007). Otto’s practice deals with all aspects of intellectual property, but it has a strong focus on patents, Otto advises and litigates patents particularly in the field of life sciences & biotech, medtech/medical devices, chemicals, and mechanical engineering.
Further, Otto is active in the life sciences regulatory practice. He advises amongst others about the European and national regulatory framework concerning (orphan) medicinal products, medical devices, IVD’s (orphan), and about incentives and rewards for pharmaceutical research, such as data exclusivity, market exclusivity and patent term extensions (SPC’s), Otto also advises on marketing authorisations, CE-marking, pricing, parallel imports, reimbursements, product liability and promotion.
Otto also advises on regulatory and intellectual property right aspects in due diligence-, investment- and valorisation projects and in technology collaborations, such as compliance, permits, ownership, licenses, securities and freedom-to-operate.
Otto represents clients in litigation before the Dutch national courts, in civil and administrative proceedings, the General Court / European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, and the Unified Patent Court (‘UPC’).
Otto is recognized internationally as patent and life sciences specialist in Chambers Europe/Global, Legal500, IAM Patent, Juve and Managing IP. Chambers says Otto: “understands our business very well and gives strategic recommendations” whilst also praising his “clear and concise advice”. The IAM Patent 1000 Guide says: “a really pleasant guy to work with”, Otto Swens, “is timely and thorough, very hands-on and a stellar litigator”.
Otto is President of the Dutch Advisory Committee IP legislation and also a Otto also regularly lectures and publishes on patent law and life sciences topics, at conferences and in national and international journals. Otto is co-auteur of various handbooks, including ‘Pharmaceutical, Biotechonology and Chemical Inventions’ World Protection and Exploitation’ (Oxford University Press) and ‘Infringement of Second Medical Use claims’ (Verlag C.H. Beck).
Otto is a member of various professional associations, including AIPPI, EPLAW, the Dutch Association of Pharmacy and Law, PTMG and the Dutch IP litigator assocation VIEPA, with specialisation patent law.
Otto has registered the following principal (and secondary) legal practice areas in the Netherlands Bar’s register of legal practice areas (rechtsgebiedenregister): Intellectual Property (Intellectueel Eigendomsrecht). Based on this registration, Otto is required to obtain ten training credits per calendar year in each registered principal legal practice area in accordance with the standards set by the Netherlands Bar.
