People

UPC Representative and European Patent Attorney
Founder of Altius De Clercq

Andrej Michalík (PhD) is a Partner at De Clercq & Partners, European Patent Attorney and registered UPC Representative with extensive experience in patent prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings, and litigation-related advisory work in biotechnology and life sciences. He advises innovative companies on the protection, enforcement and strategic management of patent portfolios across Europe. 

Andrej holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics from the University of Antwerp and a Master’s degree in Chemistry and Biochemistry from Comenius University in Bratislava. He combines a strong academic background with many years of hands-on patent practice. He joined De Clercq & Partners in 2004 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2008. Andrej became a partner in 2017. 

Andrej has particular expertise in complex biotechnology and pharmaceutical inventions and is frequently involved in freedom-to-operate analyses, IP due diligence and strategic portfolio structuring. 

Andrej’s technical expertise spans a broad range of life sciences fields, including biotechnology, biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, biopharmaceuticals, genome editing, diagnostics, vaccines, immune cell therapy and pharmaceuticals. His deep technical understanding enables him to translate complex scientific developments into clear and robust patent strategies. 

In addition to his client work, Andrej is actively involved in the IP community. He holds professional mandates within epi, including Belgian full member of the European Practice Committee (EPPC), regularly lectures at international courses and conferences, and contributes to academic and professional training programmes. His work has been consistently recognised by leading international legal directories.