V.O. Patents & Trademarks

What V.O. Patents & Trademarks does

The firm operates from three locations — The Hague (Netherlands, HQ), Heverlee/Leuven (Belgium, via Unipat Belgium), and Munich (Germany, via Unipat Deutschland) — and employs more than 60 specialized experts including European Patent Attorneys, European Patent Litigators authorized to act as UPC representatives, Benelux Trademark and Design Attorneys, and attorneys-at-law. Revenue is generated primarily through hourly-rate billing on a project basis, with fixed fees for certain services and separate pass-through charges for third-party expenses such as taxes, court fees, foreign-agent fees, and translations; rates are reviewed annually on January 1 January and may include premiums for urgency. Distribution is conducted via direct expert consultation by phone or email, supported by a secure client portal (my.vo.eu), and the firm invests in thought-leadership content (educational articles, webinars, case studies, newsletters) as a top-of-funnel channel. The firm has been recognized in IAM Patent 1000 consecutively from 2020 through 2026, named an IP Star from 2023 to 2026, and listed in IAM Strategy 300 in 2021. In June 2026, V.O. announced a strategic partnership with three other Tier-1 European IP firms — De Vries & Metman, Ström & Gulliksson, and Knijff Trademark Attorneys — to form a new pan-European IP group with the stated ambition of becoming the leading IP firm in Europe while preserving partner-led independence.

Name

V.O. Patents & Trademarks

Legal name

Vereenigde Octrooibureaux N.V.

Website

https://vo.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

V.O. Patents & Trademarks is a Dutch IP law firm founded in 1916 delivering patent, trademark, design, and IP legal services through 60+ experts across the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. It serves startups, SMEs, multinationals, and research institutions in Chemistry, Life Sciences, Engineering, and Hightech sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Intellectual Property Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Patent Prosecution & Portfolio Management (BPAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trademark Prosecution & Brand Protection (BPAHAMAB), Intellectual Property (IP) Law (BPAHAAAF), IP Valuation, Damages & Royalty Analysis (BPAHAMAH), IP Compliance, Anti-Counterfeiting & Enforcement (BPAHAMAK)

Keywords

• Patent services
• Trademark registration
• Intellectual property law
• IP legal services
• Design protection

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Professional IP Services: V.O. generates revenue primarily through hourly rate billing for professional services rendered. The firm charges based on hourly rates that are unilaterally determined by V.O., multiplied by the number of hours spent on assignments. Travel time is also charged at hourly rates. The firm also applies fixed fees for certain services. Additional charges include expenses such as taxes, court fees, charges for services from foreign agents, and translation fees, with a surcharge applied for work performed by third parties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

V.O. Patents & Trademarks is a Dutch intellectual property firm offering professional IP services including patent application drafting and prosecution, patent searches, trademark and design registration, trademark watching, IP agreement drafting and negotiation, patent valuation, confidentiality and trade secret protection, and IP litigation support. More than 60 expert patent and trademark attorneys deliver these services across offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.

Product overview

V.O. Patents & Trademarks is a specialized intellectual property firm offering a comprehensive suite of services organized around patent protection, trademark and design registration, confidentiality/trade secrets, and legal IP services. The core offering centers on Patent Application, Patent Search, and Trademark & Design Registration services, supported by supplementary modules including Trademark Watch, Legal Quick Scan, Patent Restoration, and IP Agreements. The firm serves diverse client segments (tech starters, SMEs, multinationals, knowledge centers) across four sectors (Chemistry, Life Sciences, Engineering, Hightech & Electronics) through a team of more than 60 experts based in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. All services are delivered directly by expert attorneys without a technology platform—clients interact via dedicated expert consultation and traditional legal service delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Patent Application

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• De Vries & MetmancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026V.O. joined forces with De Vries & Metman, Ström & Gulliksson, and Knijff Trademark Attorneys to form a new European intellectual property group. The new group brings together four leading Tier-1 IP firms to become the leading IP firm in Europe. The initiative is driven by a shared vision of combining the strengths of independent, partner-led firms while preserving local expertise, entrepreneurial culture, and personal relationships.
• Ström & GullikssoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026V.O. joined forces with De Vries & Metman, Ström & Gulliksson, and Knijff Trademark Attorneys to form a new European intellectual property group. The new group brings together four leading Tier-1 IP firms to become the leading IP firm in Europe. The initiative is driven by a shared vision of combining the strengths of independent, partner-led firms while preserving local expertise, entrepreneurial culture, and personal relationships.
• Knijff Trademark AttorneyscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 June 2026V.O. joined forces with De Vries & Metman, Ström & Gulliksson, and Knijff Trademark Attorneys to form a new European intellectual property group. The new group brings together four leading Tier-1 IP firms to become the leading IP firm in Europe. The initiative is driven by a shared vision of combining the strengths of independent, partner-led firms while preserving local expertise, entrepreneurial culture, and personal relationships.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bird & Bird: International law firm with one of Europe's leading IP practices. Overlaps with V.O. on patent prosecution, UPC litigation and IP commercialisation, but as part of a much broader technology and life sciences portfolio.
• Marks & Clerk: Largest UK-headquartered IP firm with global reach across Europe, Asia and North America. Comparable patent and trademark services but at materially larger scale and broader geographic footprint than V.O.
• NautaDutilh: Benelux-headquartered full-service law firm with a substantial IP practice including patent litigation before the UPC. Comparable on IP litigation and IP agreements, but operates as a broad commercial law firm rather than a specialist IP boutique.

Direct peers

• Mewburn Ellis: UK-based IP firm specializing in patent and trademark prosecution with sector focus in life sciences, chemistry and engineering. Comparable in technical depth, sector specialisation and partner-led structure.
• AOMB: Dutch patent and trademark firm with comparable services across patents, trademarks and IP litigation. Direct competitor in the Benelux market — former employer of several V.O. partners (e.g., Bart Jan Niestadt).
• HGF: European IP firm with offices across the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland. Comparable full-service patent/trademark offering and one of the largest non- BigLaw IP specialists in Europe.
• De Vries & Metman: Dutch IP firm and new European IP group partner with V.O. Comparable patent/trademark practice serving Dutch and international clients across similar technical sectors.
• Brinkhof: Amsterdam-based IP and technology law firm. Closely comparable to V.O. in patent prosecution, UPC litigation, and IP advisory across the Netherlands and broader EU.
• Ström & Gulliksson: Swedish IP firm and new European IP group partner with V.O. Offers the same patent and trademark prosecution/portfolio management services as V.O., with similar sector specialization and partner-led structure.
• Knijff Trademark Attorneys: Dutch trademark and design firm and new European IP group partner with V.O. Comparable in trademark prosecution and brand protection, complementing V.O.'s broader IP practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vopatents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about V.O. Patents & Trademarks