Hoyng Monegier was set up on New Year's Day 2011, replacing the American law firm Howrey. IP partners, it seems, had become frustrated with the amount of work they were turning away and decided to break off to become an independent firm with offices in the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Spain. The firm hired Simon Dack, Joris van Manen and Marlou van de Braak to bolster its practice in patent litigation, trade marks and copyright respectively. "It has some of the best IP lawyers in the country now," says one competitor. "You're in pretty safe hands there. Just look at the breadth."
Willem Hoyng, one of the founders of the new firm, says: "This is a venture. But based on the quality of the staff and the clientele they will bring, this will be an exciting prospect from day one."