As IP commercialisation continues to move up the corporate agenda, so monetisation through licensing becomes ever more important. Allowing others access to the intellectual property you own can be a quick way to enhance bottom-line performance, as many companies have shown over recent years.

At a time when many enterprises that are reliant on intellectual property to protect and enhance their revenue are resorting to costly litigation to resolve patent disputes, it is well worth considering how licensing can offer a viable alternative to the courtroom. Companies operating in a number of sectors are coming to realise that collaboration is much more realistic than investing huge sums in R&D and product rollout. And for those companies with well-known, consumer-friendly brands, licensing deals can generate tens of millions of dollars each year. As shareholders become increasingly savvy about the value that intellectual property represents within a corporation, they will come to expect that all potential revenue streams are thoroughly explored and, where appropriate, exploited. Whether a company is seeking to defend or assert what IP it has or to collaborate with peers on future developments, more often than not there is a licensing avenue worth investigating. Ultimately, whatever licensing strategy is right for your business, it is clear that you should certainly have one in place.

In the following pages, correspondents examine some of the topics that need to be factored into any licensing deal. In addition, we seek to identify those attorneys at law who are considered to be market leaders in the provision of legal expertise relating to patent and technology licensing. Over a period of four months, an Intellectual Asset Management research team spoke with private practice lawyers, as well as the users of their services, in 25 key jurisdictions. Their aim was to identify the lawyers whom clients turn to when they want to ensure an effective and watertight licensing agreement.

All individuals identified in this publication are there because we received substantial positive feedback about them. We cannot claim to have captured every top name in every country that we cover, but we are confident that the vast majority have been included. And we are certain that everybody who is listed deserves to be. A full methodology detailing how the research was conducted, as well as the subsequent decision-making process about whom to include, can be found on page 8.

In addition to the editorial on leading practitioners, you will find a directory in which biographical details of some of the lawyers mentioned are featured. All those who were selected for listing in the IAM Licensing 250 were offered the opportunity to publish a biography for a fee – some decided that they wished to, while others declined. Inclusion in the editorial is not linked to this; the research was conducted entirely independently of any commercial considerations.

Sara-Jayne Clover
Reporter
IAM magazine