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Tom Heremans
Partner

Tom Heremans

Brussels, Belgium
Languages
  • Dutch
  • English
  • French
  • German
Social media

Tom specialises in copyright, trademark and patent law, advertising and marketing law, Internet and electronic commerce, media and technology, privacy, distribution law and commercial litigation. His clients include major food stuff manufacturers, domain name registries, retailers, e- commerce companies and international football organisations.

Tom was called to the Belgian Bar in 1991.

Awards & Recognitions
01 –
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans is a really brilliant lawyer. He is very hardworking and his theories are really to the point."
    Feedback from a client, Chambers Europe, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans shows a lot of expertise in the Belgian media market."
    Feedback from a client, Chambers Europe, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans aided and advised us many times. He has thorough knowledge of IP and IT law. He also adapts quickly to every situation and gives on-point advice."
    Feedback from a client, Legal 500, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans adds strong credentials in copyright, trademark, patent, advertising and e-commerce issues."
    Legal 500, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans is very easy to work with."
    Feedback from a client, Chambers Europe, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans always gives good and pragmatic advice."
    Feedback from a client, Chambers Europe, 2026
  • Quote
    "Tom Heremans is a pleasure to work with."
    Feedback from a client, Chambers Europe, 2026
  • Quote
    “Tom Heremans and Lisbeth Depypere leverage their extensive litigation expertise to make all the right strategic decisions and execute litigation strategies with calm precision, consistently achieving client-defined victories.”
    WTR 1000, 2025, Silver
  • Quote
    "[Tom Heremans] has thorough expertise, is easily accessible, works within short deadlines, gives clear and professional advice."
    Feedback from a client - Legal 500, 2025
  • Quote
    "Tom has a very deep insight and knowledge of our business and is the go-to person when it comes down to defending our positions in litigation."
    Intellectual Property client, Chambers Europe, 2024
  • Quote
    "Tom is an excellent lawyer with a very broad scope of hands-on knowledge. He is an excellent communicator and a reassuring element of the team."
    Chambers Europe, 2023
  • Quote
    "Total willingness to evaluate legal matters in consideration of the client’s interests. High degree of availability for the development of strategies, both procedural and non-procedural. Professional guidance in court proceedings. Tom Heremans and Lisbeth Depypere stand out."
    Feedback from a client - Legal 500, 2023

Relevant experience

  • Conducting domain name disputes as an  accredited “.com” or “.be” panelist or acting as plaintiff or defendant for national and international domain name holders
  • Proceedings before the Court of Justice of EU with regard to copyright and related rights in a case regarding satellite broadcasting (Airfield)
  • Represented a printing company before the Belgian Supreme Court regarding the alleged counterfeit of software
  • Providing advice to national and international companies regarding sales promotions and comparative advertising
  • Advising sports associations on unauthorised broadcasting of football games and on piracy and customs matters
  • Representing multinationals in trade mark disputes (e.g. injunctive relief proceedings, counterfeit seizures, custom seizures, claims for damages, …)
  • Assisted an international food stuffs manufacturer in a dispute regarding design protection of a food product
  • Conducted patent litigation for an international transport company in relation to an invention of a particular tram system

Publications

  • T. HEREMANS and E. LE GRELLE, « Droit du marketing - 101 questions / réponses » (in French), Larcier Intersentia, November 2023, 349 pages, available here
  • T. HEREMANS “Belgium - Sustainability claims and greenwashing”, cms.law, 2023, available here.
  • T. HEREMANS “Mitsubishi : rots in de-branding van alternatief merkgebruik”, BMM Bulletin, 2019, p. 69-80.
  • T. HEREMANS, “De Antigoonleer en het beslag inzake namaak” IRDI 2018, p. 139-142.
  • T. HEREMANS, “101 Marketing Law Questions and Answers” (in Dutch), fourth edition, published by Intersentia, 316 pages.

Memberships & Roles

  • Lecturer at the EHSAL Management School and Odisee (KULeuven) on the legal aspects of marketing and of social media.
  • Former member of the Council for the Intellectual Property
  • Former president of the Benelux Trade Mark Association B.M.M.
  • Winner of the Wim Mak Award in 2006 of the Benelux Trade Mark Association
  • Member of the International Trademark Association (INTA)
  • Member of the Belgian Copyright Law Association
  • Member of the editorial board of the intellectual property journal I.R.D.I.

Education

  • 1998 - University of California - Los Angeles, USA (LL.M. )
  • 1993 - University of Brussels, ULB - Belgium (Postgraduate in Business Law)
  • 1991 - Bar admission (Brussels, Belgium)
  • 1991 - University of Brussels, VUB - Belgium (Law Degree)
Practice Areas
Intellectual Property Commercial Law
sectors
TMC - Technology, Media & Communications Consumer Products

Further reading

  • Belgium - Sustainability claims and greenwashing

Insights by Tom

See all Insights
Legal Update Belgium

The end of stringent rules on “sales” in Belgium

28 May 2026 4 min read
Legal Update Belgium

Belgium's Anti-SLAPP law

11 May 2026 5 min read
Event Belgium

CMS at INTA 2026

02 May 2026
Event Belgium

Green claims in focus

16 Apr 2026
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