Intellectual property transactions

Intellectual Property is fundamental to almost every organisation. We understand the opportunities and challenges that come with technology and IP focussed transactions.

We have a strong track record in advising on transactions that have technology or intellectual property at their heart. We have deep expertise in contracting in the SaaS, MedTech, medical research and life sciences sectors, and we know what you should consider before entering into any contracts, receiving investment, or initiating any M&A process.

In a new business, how IP is protected can be fundamental to its value and fundraising prospects. We work with founders to protect their IP and data, as well as their brand alongside our trade marks team.

We use our experience to anticipate risks and help you drive value from your IP and data.

How we can help

We can advise on:

  • Protecting and structuring your IP ownership to ensure that your organisation retains and controls key rights.
  • Drafting and negotiating IP commercialisation and licensing arrangements.
  • Supporting research and development projects, including collaboration and partnership agreements.
  • Advising on and negotiating IP-driven commercial contracts.
  • Reviewing AI-related agreements and issues around the use and publication of IP.
  • Structuring and negotiating data licensing and data-sharing arrangements.
Recent examples of our work

Life sciences & MedTech

  • Advised a designer, developer and supplier of generic and customised drug delivery and medical device platforms on the commercialisation and licensing of their intellectual property to a pharmaceutical developer and manufacturer based in the USA for a long-term arrangement.
  • Advised a UK life sciences company on a research and development agreement as well as on various ancillary agreements relating to the development of healthcare products with a Swiss pharmaceutical development company.
  • Drafted and negotiated complex commercial agreements including a technology development agreement and grant agreement, involving complex IT, regulatory and intellectual property issues for a UK organisation offering alternative and fairer access to financial products and services.
  • Advised a life sciences organisation based in London on an innovation program between the client, commercial and academic partners and SMEs, its work advising investment funds on their investment in medical start-ups and the client’s own intellectual property.
  • Assisted a medical research organisation on drafting and negotiating a master services agreement for use with contract research organisations, including negotiating complex IP provisions and agreeing appropriate allocations of the risk. In addition, advising on of material transfer agreements, involving protracted negotiations around intellectual property and data sharing.
  • Advised a London based MedTech company on its collaborations with a network of health partners, whereby the client assisted with collecting and collating data on life sciences capabilities at various locations, including key facilities, institutions and industry partnerships and the demand for new life sciences spaces.
  • Advised a medical technology manufacturer on a collaboration agreement with a global pharmaceutical giant for the development of innovative analytic tools for that company, responsible for drafting and negotiating the agreement with the pharmaceutical company and their advisors.

Charities

  • Advised a UK charity on an intellectual property licence with a production company for the use of the charity’s intellectual property in a high-profile TV series.

Professional and membership bodies

  • Advised a professional body responsible for education, training, and standards in psychiatry with the tender process for their publishing suppliers for books and journals including their negotiation of a publishing agreement, and associated intellectual property licensing, with a prestigious publishing house.
  • Advised a leading operational risk consortium on how it licenses the aggregated data it collects to its member firms, as well as its use and potential sale of aggregated data.

Research

  • Advised a well-known research institute on drafting its interim university collaboration agreement between the institute and its prestigious university collaborators and as well as drafting a collaboration agreement for use by the institute with a number of third-party research collaborators. This involved drafting and negotiating complex intellectual property provisions.
  • Assisted a research community of population statistics by reviewing a proposed service agreement to be entered into with an international business consultancy, including the relevant data licensing provisions.

Financial services

  • Drafted and negotiated complex commercial agreements including a technology development agreement and grant agreement, involving complex IT, regulatory and intellectual property issues for a UK organisation offering alternative and fairer access to financial products and services.
  • Advised a blockchain payment provider on a software development agreement which included a complex intellectual property position including significant open-source software licensing as well as advising on a master framework agreement for the provision of its payment on-chain solution with a leading global investment bank.
  • Advised a London based investment holding firm on the termination of a trade mark sublicence with an Asian private equity firm and other ancillary documents as part of a merger between the Asian private equity firm and a global investment organisation.

Data licensing

  • Advised on the sale of a climate modelling software company to a global management consultancy, advising on licensing arrangements, including both the data licences it has in place with current data providers and the licensing of the companies’ data to its customers.
  • Advising a global environmental disclosure organisation on structuring and negotiating complex IP and data licensing arrangements to support the use, sharing and commercialisation of its proprietary data and content.

Retail

  • Advised a developer and manufacturer of pet treats, supplements and chews in its negotiations with a pharmaceutical company for the development of unique supplement for dogs, the development agreement included complex intellectual property provisions and non-compete clauses.

 

Meet our team