Integrated IP support services
We provided a patent attorney to work in-house and manage the patent portfolio of a pioneering O&G service company, reducing the burden on senior management.
Background
An international oil and gas service company was pioneering solutions in a high-technology sector which had become very commercial. This led to an explosion in the number of patents over a short space of time. With the patent landscape becoming increasingly populated, looking after the company’s portfolio and tracking competitors was placing an increasing burden on senior management’s time.
The company had a good long-term relationship with a firm of UK-based patent attorneys that filed and prosecuted patent applications on its behalf. They asked us for the wider support required to allow management to focus on other aspects of the business.
What we did
Management needed more resource, but the volume of work was not sufficient to justify employing full-time legal staff. Our solution was to provide an attorney on a fixed-term contract to work in-house in the company’s office.
The tasks carried out included:
- Day-to-day management of the company’s IP portfolio
- Overseeing and monitoring work of external advisors
- Defining and implementing internal IP policies
- Overseas travel to help select counsel in other jurisdictions
- Tracking and observing court proceedings
- Competitor watching and patent tracking
- Preparing and reviewing licence agreements
Outcome
As a result of the extra resource provided by our attorney, the CTO and other senior managers were able to get back to the day-to-day tasks involved with driving an international business forward. The client renewed our initial contract twice. We took care to ensure that the presence of our attorney did not jeopardise the existing relationship with their external advisors. We worked alongside them to provide the additional services without duplicating their work.
How we can help you
- As an external resource looking after your IP portfolio, we free up senior management time allowing them to work on other business priorities
- By providing in-house support we gain an excellent understanding of your business, your requirements and your technology
- We build relationships with your technical and/or legal staff
- We work alongside existing advisors without jeopardising your relationships or communication channels with them
- We can make your dealings with external advisors more efficient
- We offer attractive rates if you commit to a long-term relationships with us