Our Intellectual Property practice in the Life Sciences encompasses strategic counseling, acquisition of rights, defense, and enforcement. We function as general IP counsel for our smaller life sciences clients by undertaking every aspect of their needs, including filing and prosecuting patent applications, licensing technology, clearing products for commercialization, and defending and enforcing claims of infringement. We also provide strategic planning advice, and assist in all phases of evaluation, development, and commercialization of drug, device, diagnostic and biologic technology.
Our IP Group includes attorneys with degrees and backgrounds in pharmacy, chemistry, molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, metallurgy, chemical engineering, biomechanical engineering, and other disciplines at the core of drug and device medical technology development.
International Patent Prosecution
Reed Smith works with clients to develop commercially meaningful patent portfolios. Our practice is based on our investment in understanding our life sciences clients’ business, their research progress, and their competitive market environment. This integrated, collaborative effort results in real-world value to our clients, and in work product that reflects credit on both the client and our firm. We have significant experience in the life sciences sector and our work has included U.S. and overseas prosecution of drug and biologic patents for the diagnosis and therapy of cancer, AIDS, and other auto-immune diseases and neurological disorders.
Trademark
Reed Smith’s extensive domestic and international practice – from securing trademark rights to policing and preventing trademark infringement to litigating trademark and unfair competition matters – helps maintain and enhance trademark portfolios for national and international life sciences companies. Our electronic docketing system allows us to cost-effectively manage large portfolios and attend to all matters, from payment of government fees to the maintenance of policing programs against infringement.
We also counsel life sciences companies in trademark branding, protection and enforcement. Our trademark attorneys are specifically attuned to the intricacies and particular issues associated with advertising and branding matters, and are able to combine this unique sensibility with a traditional trademark practice.
Risk Management
We apply our extensive courtroom experience to help clients reduce the risk of IP litigation and minimize exposure to damages. Our attorneys provide in-house training and seminars on hot topics in intellectual property. We advise on product development, recall campaigns, warnings and disclaimers, packaging design, document retention strategies, and safety engineering.
Firm lawyers secure protection from intellectual property and other liability when negotiating clinical-trial and sponsored-research agreements. And we assist clients with regulatory matters such as Consumer Product Safety Commission reporting obligations. Our in-house medical and scientific analysts, several with M.D., R.N., and Ph.D. credentials, provide sophisticated litigation and risk management support.