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UPC Representative and European Patent Attorney 

Annelies De Clercq (PhD) is a European Patent Attorney and a registered UPC Representative at De Clercq & Partners with extensive experience in patent prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings and strategic IP advisory work in the life sciences and chemistry sectors. She advises innovative companies on the protection and development of patent portfolios. 

Annelies holds a Master’s degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biotechnology from Ghent University, where her doctoral research was conducted at the VIB Department of Plant Systems Biology. Prior to joining De Clercq & Partners, she gained several years of postdoctoral research experience in molecular and cellular biology, with a focus on cancer immunotherapy, at an international academic research environment in Greece. This background gives her a strong foundation in applied biomedical research. She joined De Clercq & Partners in 2010 and qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2014.  

Annelies’s technical expertise spans a broad range of life sciences and chemistry-related fields, including biochemistry, biotechnology, molecular and cellular biology, genetically modified plants and animals, cell and gene therapy, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, proteomics and polymer-based technologies. She is regularly involved in IP due diligence, patent landscape analyses and long-term portfolio strategy for research-driven companies. 

Alongside her client work, Annelies is valued for her analytical approach and ability to translate complex scientific innovations into clear and robust patent strategies that support long-term business objectives.