Qualifications / Education
European Patent Attorney
Dutch Patent Attorney
UPC Representative
European Patent Litigation Certificate (CEIPI, University of Strasbourg, France)
Master’s Degree in Chemistry - Leiden University, the Netherlands
Master’s Degree in Law - Open University, the Netherlands
Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management - Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Biography
Etienne is a European Patent Attorney (since 2002) and is also qualified before the Dutch Patent Office. Etienne joined Office Freylinger in 2026 after having worked as an in-house patent attorney in a multinational energy and petrochemicals company for about twenty years. In 1998, he started his career at a Dutch patent firm.
Etienne has extensive experience in drafting and prosecuting patent applications worldwide, handling European patent oppositions, and freedom-of-action and validity studies. He has also been involved in negotiating and drafting collaboration, patent license and patent transfer agreements. He can also handle patent litigation cases.
In 2025, Etienne obtained the University Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from CEIPI (University of Strasbourg, France) in order to gain deep knowledge on the Unitary Patent system. He is registered as representative before the Unified Patent Court.
He currently handles the Firm’s patent work in the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, cosmetics, detergents, metallurgy, thin-film technologies, pharmaceutics and biotechnology. His activities include creation and management of global patent portfolios, advising and counselling on patentability of inventions, on infringement and validity of patents and on patent strategy and conflicts. Etienne is also in charge of the Firm’s SPC and paediatric SPC cases.
Publications:
- Alternatives to ‘Disclaimer’ decision G1/03, epi Information, 4/2005
- Law Master’s thesis “Disclaimers in patent claims – Conditions for the use of disclaimers in patent claims”, 2005, Open University, Amsterdam, The Nederlands.
Technical & Scientific Fields
Practice Areas
- Patent drafting and prosecution
- Patent searches and patentability opinions
- Oppositions against granted patents
- Patent freedom-of-action and validity studies
- Patent disputes
- Chemistry, chemical engineering, organic / inorganic chemistry
- Process engineering
- Petrochemical and olefin production technologies,
- Polymer, specialty chemical, and derivative product technologies,
- Catalysis, sustainability, and circular economy technologies,
- Polymer foams
- Thin-film technologies
- Ironmaking / metallurgy
- Wastewater treatment
- Environmental sciences
- Biochemistry
- Pharmaceuticals
- Cosmetics
Memberships
epi - Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office
“Orde van Octrooigemachtigden” - Dutch patent attorney association