I need some commercial advice

Commercial insight into complex IP issues

We have a wealth of experience advising on technology transfer and the commercialisation of IP, ranging from advising on the existence, protection and management of IP rights (including unregistered IP rights such as trade secrets, copyright and database rights), to drafting and negotiating complex contracts involving IP and their interaction with European competition law and due diligence on IP assets. We can assist with a wide range of transactions involving IP, from one-off licence deals and multi-institution research collaborations to IP elements of mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and stock market flotations.

All our advice and support is given with a high degree of commercial understanding, pragmatism and focus. By leveraging our commercial experience and that of our technical colleagues as well as a deep understanding of IP and the delicate interplay of the law; and by working collaboratively within the constraints imposed by your IP, your business sector, and your budget, we will ensure the best possible outcome for you in any given deal.

Meet our Legal Team

David Fyfield

Senior Associate, Lawyer

Caroline Hart

Senior Associate, Lawyer

Sean Jauss

Partner, Lawyer, Head of Legal Services

Edward Kelly

IP Support, Legal Assistant

Emma Kennaugh-Gallacher

Senior Professional Support Lawyer

Frederick Steele

Trainee Lawyer, Legal services

Expert IP legal advice

Advisory Services

We advise on a wide range of IP matters, including unregistered IP rights (trade secrets, copyright, brands, database rights, designs and data protection etc.), their management, protection and exploitation, the interplay between European competition law and IP agreements, IP deals and contracts, IP portfolio management and the interface between medicines law and IP, including clinical trial agreements and regulatory exclusivity.

Due Diligence

We can conduct IP due diligence or IP audits on your IP or that of your target of interest. This can range from high level commentary to a detailed analysis of all aspects of the portfolio in question, including analysis of registered and unregistered rights, entitlement, licenses and other IP contracts, encumbrances, FTO and validity and patentability (including prior art searches and landscape analysis) and infringements. The due diligence can be a focussed bespoke effort or part of a wider corporate project. We have in-depth experience of dealing with all stakeholders and advisors in transactions ranging from stock market flotations to private equity deals and asset purchases.

Contracts, Transactions & Technology Transfer

We can support all your IP transaction needs, including advising on strategy and deal planning as well as preparing, reviewing and negotiating contracts. This may be quite specific, for example handling a complex licensing or collaboration deal, to more wide ranging such as understanding the nature of a target patents, know-how and secrets and building a model for their acquisition and successful exploitation.

Why choose to work with our legal team

We have a pragmatic commercial awareness that is highly valued by our clients. It is the combination of this awareness and our legal and technical abilities, that allows us to provide focused, useful, and competitively priced advice. We work across all industry sectors and are just as comfortable whether we are working with sole inventors and academics, or CEOs and their boards.

We understand how to operate in the SME and university environment, and are keenly aware of the demands placed on technology transfer offices. As a firm we work with 8 out of UK’s top 10 universities. We are often involved right at the moment of a company’s formation. In fact, many of the spin-out companies we work with are born from patented technology we have procured for universities and research institutions. We are particularly active in this space and have a proven track record in providing universities, start-ups and established companies with robust “investable” IP.

We are equally happy to collaborate with other professional advisors to ensure clients benefit from joined up thinking when it comes to their IP strategy. We understand that not all our clients have the resources of some of the large blue chip companies we work for and we are aware of the tight budgetary constraints facing some research departments and SMEs. We will tailor our work to a budget, but we will always look to deliver value through highly focused and commercially useful advice.

We also advise on life science regulatory exclusivity, clinical trial agreements, human tissue regulations and advanced therapy medicinal products. We are well-known for handling portfolios that cover major blockbuster drugs in the biologics space.