Patents

We have a broad range of scientific backgrounds in our team, including people who have worked in industry.  We understand complex technologies.

Our deep experience in key sectors including energy, manufacturing and technology means that we can deliver commercial, sensible advice and anticipate your needs.  We bring horizon issues to our clients to anticipate their landscape ahead.

Our services in the UK and China include:

• advising on potential collaborations with third parties including research and development contracts;
• in and out-licensing of technology;
• advising on the patent aspects of the sale or purchase of businesses;
• patent transfers as part of Group restructurings and advice on maximising tax efficiency of IP assets;
• freedom to operate/infringement/validity reviews;
• assertions of patents and negotiating licences;
• all aspects of patent litigation, including managing international litigation; and
• use of our Reaching Solutions product, a project management tool, to put our clients in control of their patent disputes.

Our expertise includes:

• Providing strategic IP guidance for a client developing coal gasification plants in China; analysing and establishing a patent portfolio protecting the client's own technologies. We also provided freedom to operate (FTO) analysis to the client in the face of a large portfolio of third party patents asserted against them.
• Advising Drax Power on the ownership and rights to use the IP in new turbine engines as part of its £100m investment to reduce carbon emissions at the UK's largest coal fired power station.
• Pursuing UK patent infringement litigation for Siemens concerning protection for electronic components, through to the Court of Appeal.
• Advising a leading manufacturer of digital gateways to the Pay TV market on all patent assertions against them globally.  
• Acting for a major European electronics retailer to handle various standards based patent assertions against our client's own brand products manufactured by OEMs, including laptops, TVs and handheld devices. We have considerable expertise around FRAND licensing. 
• Providing strategic IP due diligence and advice on the worldwide patent protection available to and potential challenges to a novel chemical process, with dependent engineering designs, in which our client was investing.