Strategic Outside Intellectual Property Counsel For Businesses
Intellectual property issues rarely arise in isolation. Patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, competitive activity, product development, and business transactions can create ongoing legal needs that require both specialized IP knowledge and an understanding of a company’s broader business objectives.
Not every company needs to maintain a full-time intellectual property legal department. Even companies with established in-house legal teams may benefit from experienced outside IP counsel who can provide additional capabilities, manage specialized matters, or take responsibility for particular areas of the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
At Fogarty IP, our attorneys serve as outside intellectual property counsel to companies ranging from emerging businesses to established corporations. Depending on the client’s needs, we can supplement an existing legal department or function as the company’s primary resource for intellectual property matters.
An Extension Of Your Business And Legal Team
Our goal as outside IP counsel is to develop the type of long-term working relationship typically associated with experienced in-house counsel. We work to understand each client’s technology, products, competitive environment, business priorities, and budget so that intellectual property decisions can be made in the context of the company’s overall objectives.
For companies without dedicated IP counsel, we can help manage the intellectual property function across the organization. For companies with in-house attorneys, we can provide additional IP experience and resources while working collaboratively with management, engineers, product teams, and other legal counsel.
The scope of the relationship is tailored to the client. We can assist with a particular project, manage a specific portion of an IP portfolio, or provide ongoing counsel across a broad range of intellectual property matters.
Comprehensive Intellectual Property Support
As outside intellectual property counsel, Fogarty IP can assist companies with matters including:
- Developing and implementing intellectual property strategies
- Identifying potentially patentable innovations and conducting patent mining programs
- Evaluating inventions and developing patent filing strategies
- Preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications
- Managing patent portfolios and associated filing decisions
- Conducting patent and prior art searches
- Developing trademark protection and registration strategies
- Preparing and prosecuting trademark applications
- Managing trademark and copyright portfolios
- Protecting software and other copyrightable works
- Developing strategies for protecting trade secrets and confidential information
- Preparing and negotiating intellectual property licenses
- Addressing intellectual property issues in joint ventures, development agreements, and other business relationships
- Evaluating intellectual property issues associated with new products and services
- Assessing third-party intellectual property risks
- Coordinating with foreign counsel on international intellectual property matters
- Assisting with intellectual property due diligence in business transactions
- Developing practical IP policies and procedures
- Managing intellectual property budgets and helping prioritize legal expenditures
Intellectual Property Counsel Aligned With Your Business
An effective intellectual property program should support the business rather than operate independently of it. That means understanding which innovations warrant investment, which brands require protection, where competitive risks exist, and how intellectual property resources should be allocated.
We work with company leadership, in-house counsel, engineers, inventors, product developers, and other stakeholders to identify intellectual property issues early and develop practical strategies for addressing them. This approach allows us to provide advice that considers not only the applicable law but also the commercial importance of the technology or brand, the competitive environment, and the company’s available resources.
A Long-Term Resource For Your Intellectual Property Needs
For many clients, our role extends well beyond preparing individual patent or trademark applications. We develop ongoing relationships that allow us to become familiar with the client’s technologies, products, personnel, competitors, and strategic objectives. That institutional knowledge can make intellectual property counseling more efficient and allow legal strategies to evolve as the business grows.
Whether your company needs assistance with a specific intellectual property matter, additional support for an existing legal department, or an experienced team to manage its ongoing IP function, Fogarty IP can provide outside intellectual property counsel tailored to your business.
Contact Fogarty IP by email or by phone at 469-985-3505 to discuss your company’s intellectual property needs and how we can work with your team to develop a practical, cost-conscious approach to protecting and managing your intellectual property.