At Tucker Ellis, we realize that adding value to mergers, acquisitions, and other transactions means far more than crafting and negotiating agreements. Our team combines expertise across the spectrum of our service areas to ensure that our clients’ business goals are achieved. Our clients rely on our counsel to suggest business strategies to increase profits and position their companies for long-term success.

The use of commercial agreements – such as licenses, development agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and assignments – help intellectual property owners protect and monetize their IP portfolios. In a global economy where companies have worldwide platforms, clients often collaborate with third parties. When our clients establish a working relationship with third parties, they turn to our lawyers to ensure the relationship and business goals are protected.

We advise our clients and help draft agreements and policies in areas including:

• Licensing
• Employee invention
• Nondisclosures
• IP ownership
• Development
• Contract manufacturing
• Software
• IP settlements
• M&A IP support
• IP assignment
• Supply
• Employees
• Consulting
• IP purchases
• Joint ventures

We bring significant value to your company by identifying the appropriate agreement and making sure your rights are secured for the specific relationship and company goals. IP agreements are often overlooked as another way to provide a layer of protection for your intellectual property rights and getting an edge over competitors while avoiding any confusion between relationships with third parties. Moreover, our multidisciplinary approach and close collaboration with attorneys in the Tucker Ellis Business Department ensure a high level of expertise across all legal areas when preparing these types of agreements.

Areas of Emphasis

• Joint ventures, joint development agreements, and strategic alliances
• Intellectual property and technology due diligence
• Software licensing, software as a service, and cloud computing
• Complex technology manufacturing and supply agreements
• Mobile device technology and applications
• Adversarial patent licensing
• Digital content and eBook licensing
• eCommerce platforms
• Online marketing and lead generation
• Foreign technology ventures
• Patent risk assessment
• Patent portfolio assessment