Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions
M&W attorneys are adept in assisting clients with the protection and commercialization of their intellectual property assets, and advising on complex technology and intellectual property transactions. We negotiate and draft intellectual property licenses and transfers; provide strategic guidance on optimal structures for IP and IT transactions; and evaluate IP portfolios in connection with mergers and acquisitions, licenses, and other corporate transactions. We also handle agreements related to the development, testing, manufacture, marketing, and sale of IP products and services.
Our attorneys have extensive experience assisting clients across a wide variety of industries in connection with IT sourcing transactions. Indeed, few attorneys understand IP issues both in the commercial and government space. With this expertise, M&W attorneys are able to navigate our clients through complex transactions in which commercial technologies and preexisting IP are introduced into government programs, and where federal law, agency requirements and funding conditions affect IP rights and disrupt licensing models. Our attorneys regularly assist clients working with cloud service providers, including hosting, management and cross-licensing issues related to deployment of technologies on the cloud. Our attorneys assist clients with the utilization of open source software (OSS), including proper licensing and distribution, and the introduction of OSS into proprietary software platforms and stacks, hardware, data centers, and other solutions.
M&W attorneys regularly lecture on legal and regulatory issues arising with respect to cloud computing, OSS, technology deployment and the evolving government regimes of software and data rights. Clients value our capacity to broker “cradle-to-grave” solutions and guidance that ensures internal IP development, downstream productization, third party IP integration, appropriate pass-through models (particularly through the channel) and end-user licensing function together and protect our clients’ long-term interests.
Our attorneys have extensive experience assisting clients across a wide variety of industries in connection with IT sourcing transactions. We collaborate with our clients during the structuring and negotiation of their sourcing relationships in order to develop a customized and flexible contract structure designed to meet their objectives and then adapt as those objectives evolve. We work hard to understand our clients’ business priorities, corporate structure and culture, internal capabilities, and the overarching IT strategic plan or initiative.
Our attorneys have significant experience drafting and negotiating various agreements, outsourcing deals, systems integration, and technology procurement, as well as on the IT aspects of substantial corporate transactions. In addition, M&W provides strategic guidance on the full spectrum of IP and IT agreements, including:
- Joint ventures and strategic alliances
- Research, development, and cooperation agreements
- Software, Software as a Service, cloud service, and other IT service agreements
- Consulting agreements
- e-Commerce agreements
- Service and supply agreements
- University research agreements
Lastly, our attorneys advise clients on both national and cross-border IP protection and enforcement strategies. We handle IP disputes related to trademarks, copyrights, the production of data, derivative works, and the proper use of trade secrets and other classes of protected information.