Biotechnology and Life Sciences

We have unique experience representing entities in the creation of, and participation in, technology consortia, standards-setting organizations, and similar multi-party development initiatives that collectively develop and promote technology guidelines, databases, protocols, standards, and related works. We provide counsel concerning the many legal and business issues related to the creation of, and involvement with, consortia.

We help to form and administer consortia, including preparing governing documents, with a goal of enhancing members’ ability to participate in collaborative research and development and cooperatively use resulting guidelines and other work products. Our attorneys also assist consortia with creating organizational structures, including governing boards and working groups, and developing policies governing ownership of intellectual property developed by consortia, as well as licensing of patents and other intellectual property rights between consortia members.

For clients joining existing consortia, we evaluate business ramifications of consortia participation. We also analyze all legal issues associated with such participation, including crucial issues, such as patent disclosures and patent licensing. Our attorneys investigate matters concerning member contributions to consortia and prepare applicable agreements. We also assist consortia members in creating internal corporate policies governing that company’s consortia participation and conduct internal training sessions regarding these policies.

Jennings Strouss represents a wide-range of biotechnology and life science clients in the private and public sectors, from emerging to established, small to large, and local to international. The firm’s corporate and tax services include entity formation, the creation of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions representation, private equity and venture capital counseling, corporate governance and regulatory compliance, employee compensation and tax advice, and assistance with other general legal and business matters.

Jennings Strouss provides comprehensive intellectual property representation to companies in the biotechnology and life sciences industry, including the domestic and international aspects of:

• the protection and maintenance of patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets and other intellectual property rights
• intellectual property licensing
• joint technology developments
• the creation of technology consortia and other multi-party development initiatives
• sponsored research and other research collaborations
• technology transfers of research from a university or research institute
• efforts to commercialize university and research institute technology
• the formulation of internal intellectual property policies for universities and research institutes

Our familiarity with transactions for both the private sector and universities and research institutes enables us to understand the cultural nuances involved with handling transactions between the two and, therefore, allows us to determine the appropriate legal solutions more effectively.