Seun Lari-Williams is a PhD researcher in the Government and Law Research Group at the Faculty of Law, University of Antwerp, supervised by Prof. Esther van Zimmeren and Prof. Stefan Rutten. His dissertation, "Towards a Competitive, Fair and Sustainable Copyright System: Developing Effective Dispute System Designs," applies Dispute System Design (DSD) theory to copyright dispute resolution in the creative sector, examining digital platform contracts, collective management organisations, and copyright small claims systems.
Seun holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2014. Between 2014 and 2019, he practiced as a litigation attorney in Nigeria, advising clients in the entertainment industry on copyright, licensing, and dispute resolution. In 2019, he was awarded a DAAD scholarship to pursue an LL.M in Intellectual Property and Competition Law at the Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC) followed by a graduate internship at an IP law firm in Brussels. He is a member of EUIPO Working Group 5, "Mediation as a Subject in IP Study Programmes," under the Pan-European Seal Programme.
Areas of Expertise:
- Intellectual Property Law
- Dispute System Design
- Copyright Law
- Alternative Dispute Resolution
- Law and Technology
Prizes and Awards:
- IViR Science Fiction & Information Law Writing Competition, Most Thought-Provoking Story Award (2026)
- WIPO ADR Young Article Competition, Tier 1 Winner (2025)
- EPIP Young Scholar Award, Recommendation of Distinction (2025)
- WIPO Doctoral Presentation Prize, ATRIP Congress, 3rd Place (2025)
- ALAI European Authors' Rights Award, 1st Prize (2020/21)
Selected Publications:
- Lari-Williams, S. & van Zimmeren, E. (2026) Reimagining the Unified Patent Court as a multi-door courthouse.
- Lari-Williams, S., Rutten, S., and van Zimmeren, E. (2025) Enhancing the IP system through Dispute System Design.
- Lari-Williams, S. & van Zimmeren, E. (2025) Intellectual property offices as dispute resolution service providers: a Dispute System Design perspective
Full Publication List: repository.uantwerpen.be/acadbib/irua/24025/N
Selected Projects:
- 2023 - 2027 - Towards A Competitive, Fair and Sustainable Copyright System: Developing an Effective Dispute System Design