| Technology Transactions and Licensing |
WilmerHale’s technology transactions and licensing lawyers leverage technical knowledge, business acumen and legal experience to structure, prepare and negotiate technology-related agreements. We apply the depth and breadth of our expertise to generate value for our clients. As a result, we were selected by PLC Cross-Border Life Sciences Handbook 2009/10 as a "leading" law firm in the US in Commercial/Partnering.
Each year, we handle hundreds of strategic alliances, joint ventures, outsourcing and licensing transactions. The complexity of these deals often demands deep experience and close collaboration among our corporate, licensing, intellectual property and tax lawyers. Some of these deals are helping to shape the future of science and technology, and others have received industry recognition for their importance. For example, in four of the last nine years we worked on the biotech strategic alliance chosen by Recombinant Capital for the Breakthrough Alliance Award.
Many of these transactions span several countries or continents. Our lawyers in the United States, Europe and Asia work together seamlessly to find the right solution for our clients' business.
We regularly advise clients across a broad spectrum of industries, including:
- information technology and electronics
- biotechnology and pharmaceuticals
- nanotechnology
- telecommunications
- Internet and e-commerce
- healthcare and medical devices
Our recent high-technology licensing experience includes:
- Analog Devices—domestic and international product development, supply, OEM and license agreements
- Avid—key licensing, distribution and supply agreements for Avid and its Digidesign division
- IMLogic—collaboration with AOL to provide instant messaging support services to AOL's business customers
- O2 Germany—strategic agreement with NTT Docomo for mobile Internet service technology
- Red Hat—establishment of South American distribution channel
- RSA Security—agreement with Aladdin Knowledge Systems for security token devices
- SmartBargains—agreements with online merchants for B2C shopping portal
- Starent Networks—international distribution agreements and licensing transactions
Our recent strategic alliances and collaborations for life sciences companies include:
- Achillion Pharmaceuticals—collaboration with Gilead Sciences
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals—alliance with Novartis for RNA interference therapeutics
- AVEO Pharmaceuticals—$100 million collaboration with Merck
- Becton Dickinson—diabetes research and development with Plureon
- Eyetech Pharmaceuticals—$750 million strategic alliance with Pfizer—winner of 2004 Breakthrough Alliance Award
- Icagen—collaboration with McNeil
- Idenix Pharmaceuticals—$862 million strategic alliance with Novartis
- Infinity Pharmaceuticals—small molecule alliances with Johnson & Johnson and Novartis