Intellectual Property, Technology & Licensing

Practice Overview

Drummond Woodsum’s intellectual property law attorneys understand the critical importance of intellectual property issues to our clients and in the marketplace. In fact, for many companies, intellectual property (“IP”) represents its most important asset.  These assets need to be identified and protected from their inception and at every step along the way.  We are committed to understanding your business, technology, IP needs, and the marketplace in which you operate.   We will work closely with you in developing appropriate documents for your employees and consultants designed to protect your IP. This is an area where a failure to act or pay attention early on can have devastating consequences for your business, and we will work with you in efficiently developing readily understandable non-disclosure and assignment of IP agreements.  Our IP lawyers also provide expert counsel on copyright and trademark law, trade secrets, privacy rights, franchise law, outsourcing contacts, and licensing matters. Our IP Group assists clients directly with copyright and trademark searches, registrations, and the development and protection of your brand.  We work with several of the state’s most recognizable companies on their varied brand and trademark needs. We also advise on the protection of trade secrets for those businesses and individuals opting to maintain the privacy of their intellectual property.  Furthermore, we have extensive experience in software and biotechnology licensing agreements of every variety, having worked with pioneers in these fields for decades, as well as a wide range of other agreements, including materials and technology transfer agreements, IP joint venture agreements, distribution agreements, franchise agreements, and outsourcing agreements, among others.

In addition, our IP Group assists our corporate and M&A lawyers in a range of business transactions, including reviewing documentation during the critical due diligence phase of a sale, purchase, or merger and assisting with the negotiation and review of licenses and other IP-related contracts. We also work with members of our Litigation Group in cases involving patent, copyright and trademark protection and infringement and contract claims.  Our Litigation Group has pressed and defended against all manner of IP-related claims, including claims involving licensure, copyright and trademark law, patent rights, trade secrets, and related contract disputes.  Whether those claims arise in state court, Federal court, or Federal bankruptcy court, our litigation team is ready to help.

We emphasize a team approach, whether with the Business Services Group or our Litigation Group, to develop and protect integrated legal strategies for intellectual property fortification, exploitation, and protection for individuals and businesses of all sizes. We believe this collaborative approach offers clients the most efficient and thus cost-effective expert advice, whatever might be the individual client’s needs. We pride ourselves on our efficiency and in many cases work with our clients on a fixed fee basis for certain services.