Kirian Claeyé promoted to partner at ALTIUS
ALTIUS is delighted to announce the promotion of Kirian Claeyé to partner. Kirian has been a pillar of ALTIUS’ IP department for many years, and has contributed to ALTIUS’ growth and development through his hard work, commitment, and innovative thinking.
Let’s ‘fire up’ Kirian with some questions and introduce you to our brand new partner.
When did you start working at ALTIUS?
I started as an intern in 2010, immediately after graduating from Ghent University. It was my first position and, apart from a later LL.M. at Berkeley University, I have stayed ever since.
How did you start your career at ALTIUS?
If anything, it did not start according to plan. ALTIUS rejected my application the first time I applied for a position in the IP team. Only after following-up, my later mentor Christophe Ronse thanked me for my ‘stubbornness’ and eventually ‘made me an offer I could not refuse’.
What does this promotion mean to you?
I am proud of course, not only because I perceive it as a strong sign of recognition, but also because it shows that I am part of a firm that focuses on the dedicated and practical training of its associates to potentially shape the firm’s future leadership.
And above all, I am grateful. To all the people who have supported me throughout my journey, not only my clients and colleagues at ALTIUS, but also my friends and family, and particularly my wife, Laurian, and our daughters, Lena and Robin.
What has been key in building your career at ALTIUS?
The key element to me is to always keep the clients’ interests first in mind. Clients highly value a client-focused service, which leads to renewed votes of trust and word-of-mouth referrals.
That does not mean that there is a one-size-fits-all approach. Clients come in all colours and shapes, and the first task for a lawyer is to understand what exactly the client is looking for, and then tailor your service to the client’s expectations.
What are your professional goals going forward?
First, to guarantee a friendly, lively and pleasant work environment: the more motivated everyone is, the more qualitative our output will be.
Second, to keep our IP team’s longstanding top tier recognition, and actively take part in shaping the new Unified Patent Court’s case law.
Finally, to further boost and spread ALTIUS’ integrated industry-based approach as a one-stop-shop for our clients.
According to Valérie Struye, ALTIUS’ General Manager, Kirian personifies the values of ALTIUS:
“For ALTIUS, Kirian’s promotion as partner means a lot. Not only is Kirian a very talented lawyer focused on delivering the best service and support to our clients, but he is also a real ALTIUSer and has very much contributed to the spirit and culture that makes us so unique.
At ALTIUS we are delighted to see our lawyers develop and grow within the firm to be the next generation of leaders! ”
Christophe Ronse, an IP department partner, believes this is the logical and well-deserved next step in Kirian’s career:
“This promotion is testament to Kirian’s strong commitment to ALTIUS. His dedication, expertise, and exceptional contributions to our firm have made this the natural and merited next step.”
Congratulations!
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