Intellectual Property

Maximizing the commercial value of intellectual property

Dechert’s IP practice has extensive experience assisting companies with monetizing and extracting value from their IP portfolios, including managing strategic worldwide licensing campaigns and conducting enforcement litigation when necessary.

With dynamic new products and innovations developing at an extraordinary rate, our lawyers possess the critical knowledge of the underlying science and technology to help clients continue to achieve IP maintenance and growth.

We focus on the priorities and needs of our clients, devising strategies to protect their interests throughout the world, enhance their market position and shield them from infringement and unfair competition.

Companies call on Dechert to enforce their IP portfolios and defend against infringement claims anywhere in the world. From the courtroom to the negotiating table, our IP litigators have an established record of obtaining favorable results for clients.

Unlike most large firms – which are defense-oriented – we represent both plaintiffs and defendants, allowing us to provide clarity to clients on both sides of the table. Our lawyers regularly handle and try complex cases where hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars are at stake.

Clients also depend on us to accomplish their objectives outside of the courtroom. We routinely secure licensing and settlement agreements that save our clients’ money, preserve their goodwill and deliver more long-term benefits than likely would have resulted from litigation.

When settlement is not an option, we have a record of achieving favorable results for our clients in bench and jury trials, often in bet-the-company disputes. Our global litigation experience across jurisdictions and tribunals is extensive, and we also have served as co-counsel in trials around the world. We draw on this experience in developing venue-specific litigation strategies for our clients.

Clients in the life sciences, chemical and medical technology industries depend on Dechert’s experienced global team for the full range of IP counselling needs. We are a stand-alone practice with our own prosecution clients who bring us their most important and complicated prosecution work.

Dechert lawyers are skilled at developing second generation patent protection for drugs and biologics coming off first generation patents. We help create value for our clients so they can sell their products, get funding and be involved in beneficial collaborations.

Our strategic advice is informed by years of industry knowledge and experience as well as significant scientific and technical acumen. Many members of our practice hold Ph.D. or equivalent degrees in the sciences and have either postdoctoral or industrial research experience above and beyond their experience as lawyers. Our extensive practical experience includes drafting and prosecuting to issuance patent applications across a diverse array of technologies.

Clients turn to us for our extensive transactional experience and detailed knowledge of the intellectual property and technical issues at the core of their transactions. We provide a comprehensive range of services to all types of developers, owners, licensors, licensees and buyers of IP.

We provide counseling and strategic advice that helps clients maximize the commercial value of their IP assets by entering into arrangements and alliances that drive profitability, expand market share and make a significant impact in the marketplace.

Our team works side-by-side with Dechert’s corporate and M&A lawyers to provide IP support in collaboration with mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions, including deal structuring, negotiation of relevant IP terms and agreements, and IP due diligence.