People

UPC Representative and European Patent Attorney

Kris Pappaert (ir., PhD) is a Junior Partner at De Clercq & Partners, European Patent Attorney and a registered UPC Representative with broad experience in patent prosecution, opposition and appeal proceedings, litigation-related matters and strategic IP advisory work across life sciences, chemistry and engineering. He advises innovative companies on the protection, enforcement and optimisation of patent portfolios. 

Kris holds a Master’s degree in Bio-engineering Sciences and a PhD in Applied Sciences from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. After completing his doctorate, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher before joining De Clercq & Partners in 2007. He qualified as a European Patent Attorney in 2011. Kris became a Junior Partner of the firm in 2025. 

Kris’s technical expertise spans a wide range of technologies, including biotechnology, pharmacology, analytical and bio-chemistry, diagnostics, medical devices, micro- and nanotechnology, chemical engineering, catalyst technology, mechanical engineering and construction. He is frequently involved in freedom-to-operate analyses, IP due diligence, patent landscape studies and long-term portfolio strategy for research-driven companies. 

In addition to his client work, Kris is actively involved in academia and the IP community. He lectures on intellectual property law at university of Brussels and holds professional memberships in several IP organisations. His work has been consistently recognised by leading international legal directories as that of a notable and highly regarded practitioner.