Intellectual Property

Our Intellectual Property Unit has been established in recognition of the increasingly important role intellectual property plays in commercial life. Due to the rapid growth in the value of intellectual property to businesses, there has been increasing demand from clients for assistance with the intellectual property aspects of their businesses.

The IP Unit works closely with its clients in order to understand their commercial objectives and to provide them with practical and commercial advice. The IP Unit is made up of several solicitors from corporate and business technology law backgrounds who are themselves based within the corporate/commercial department.

Intellectual Property Law

The IP Unit advises on all aspects of intellectual property, from the creation, exploitation and enforcement of intellectual property rights, to the intellectual property aspects of major corporate transactions such as acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures while, at the same time, advising on how the treatment of intellectual property can impact on other relevant aspects of the law, such as competition matters.

The IP Unit has carried out a significant amount of work in the intellectual property area for clients across a wide variety of sectors such as Amphion Semi Conductor Limited (formerly Integrated Silicon Systems Limited), The Queen's University of Belfast, Randox Laboratories Limited, Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland and EZ-DSP.

Intellectual Property Issues

Our expertise and experience extends to:

• establishment of rights - how to establish, register and maintain valuable
  intellectual property rights including securing rights from employees, independent
  contractors and business partners;


• enforcement - in disputes concerning all types of intellectual property,
  positive action must be taken against any infringement or potential infringement
  of intellectual property rights;


• stand-alone intellectual property transactions - structuring, negotiating
  and documenting licences, assignments and technology transfer;


• transaction support - extending advice beyond due diligence to the structuring
  of intellectual property rights, ownership and licensing matters in the context
  of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and financings;


• intellectual property audit - documenting, implementing and review of assignments,
  licences and advising on clients' intellectual property internal processes;


• research and development - advising clients on the most effective method
  of exploiting the results of research and development as carried out by the
  participating parties.

The IP Unit is confident that it can provide advice on all aspects of intellectual
property to you, as it does to current clients.