Flip Petillion is a partner in the firm's Brussels office. He is co-chair of the TLD and Domain Names Practice. His practice has been devoted to IP, IT, Media and Communication for more than 20 years, with a heavy emphasis on IP litigation and counseling for corporate clients in many industries including social networks, fashion, food, home furniture, hardware and software, film production and distribution, editing, advertising, architecture, finance, insurance, automotive businesses, and diamond trading. Prior to joining the firm, Flip ran the IP, IT, Media and Communications practice at the oldest law firm in Brussels.
Flip's client work has included representing Facebook, Ikea, Eddy Merckx, Carodel, Lannoo, Linden Lab, maker of Second Life and Second Life Grid; 20th Century Fox; Citrix Systems; Klippan; Farrow & Ball; Cigna; and Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.
Flip has extensive experience representing clients in a wide array of intellectual property issues relating to copyright, trademark, domains and domain names, patents, legal enforcement, software, privacy issues, unfair competition, information technology and media, as well as licensing, distribution agreements, advertising clearance, IP-driven transaction and strategic advice. His experience includes both contentious and non-contentious work. Flip also assists clients in the negotiation and drafting of licensing and co-operation agreements, software contracts and IT outsourcing, and advises on the protection of know-how, trade secrets and databases, R&D agreements, editing agreements, audiovisual agreements, and privacy issues. He regularly performs audits of IP right portfolios and assists in the management of such portfolios. Clients call upon his advice before taking important strategic decisions.
Flip is co-chairing the TLD and Domain Names practice which now counts 17 lawyers working from all our offices. The team advices on TLD applications and represents clients in disputes on new extensions.
Flip Petillion received his J.D. from K.U.Leuven University, magna cum laude, in 1987. In 1987, he became an assistant professor in international public law at the K.U.Leuven University. Flip also obtained several postgraduates: international economic law, Dubrovnik University, 1988; in telecommunications law, K.U.Leuven University, 1998; in telecommunications, strategy and regulation, Ghent University, 1999. He trained with Cepina (2006) and Wipo (2007 and 2008) to become an official mediator.
Flip was admitted to the Brussels bar in 1988. He is an official mediator since 2006.
Flip regularly lectures on various IP and IT topics. He is a frequent speaker at professional and academic conferences and published several articles in the field of intellectual property. He is on the editorial board of IRDI, a leading Belgian law journal on intellectual property matters. He is chief editor of RABG, a leading Belgian law journal, and in charge of the yearly intellectual property edition of RABG.
Flip is an arbitrator in IP disputes with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and International Trademark Association (INTA). He is also an arbitrator with the Belgian Arbitration and Mediation Center (Cepina) and an official Belgian mediator. He handles domain name disputes as a panelist with WIPO, National Arbitration Forum (NAF), Czech Arbitration Court (CAC) and Cepina.
Flip is an active member of various national and international intellectual property associations, including INTA, MARQUES (Vice-Chair of the IP Outer Border Team), the Licensing Executives Society (LES) and the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA).