Richards Buell Sutton LLP - Intellectual Property Law Services

What We Do

We provide a complete range of legal services for clients active in the technology and intellectual property sectors to protect and maximize the potential value of their intellectual property assets. We can assist you, whether you need advice and representation in relation to:

corporate financing and setting up business structures and relationships,
commercializing your products and introducing them to the market,
protecting or defending your intellectual property rights,
attracting and keeping skilled employees, or
accommodating growth and restructuring.

Our firm advises clients on all aspects of licensing, technology transfers and we have extensive experience dealing with transfers between institutions (e.g., universities, colleges, health care agencies and research facilities) and business interests operating in the life sciences and software industries. Our lawyers and trade-mark professionals also frequently assist clients in negotiating and drafting agreements relating to the development and use of technologies in the retail, resource and manufacturing sectors.

We have industry specific knowledge and our group includes lawyers focused on financing and securities, employment law and intellectual property law. Our diversity of experience means our clients are well equipped to deal with the full range of legal issues they may face.

Legal Services

Our Intellectual Property Group frequently addresses a wide variety of issues that affect clients operating in the technology and intellectual property sectors including those listed below:

Life Science, Bio-Technology and Technology Transfer

patent and technology licensing agreements
start up, growth and restructuring of bio-tech companies
research collaborations, sponsored research and secondment of professionals between institutions and industry

Internet Laws & E-commerce

start-up issues including financing, corporate structure and employment infrastructure
trade-marks, domain names, copyright and patents
marketing, terms of use, privacy policies, nondisclosure agreements and online liability
online licensing, distribution, e-commerce and other technology transfer agreements
mergers and acquisitions involving companies with internet-related assets

Application Service Providers (ASP) and Software Licensing Transactions

protecting intellectual property assets in the hardware, software and internet industries
advice on technology transfers, product commercialization, sale and distribution to end users, preferred marketing relationships, joint ventures and collaborations
advising clients developing software from ASPs in the gaming industry, to online merchandising and retailing and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
negotiating OEM, reseller and sales representative agreements

Trade-marks and Domain Names

registration, protection and licensing of trademarks for national and international clientele
trademark dispute resolution, infringement matters and passing-off
domain name registration, transfer and disputes

Securities and Corporate Finance

advice, strategy and assistance drafting corporate documents relating to options for financing business ventures, structuring and restructuring
corporate securities matters including IPOs

Employment Issues

assistance in managing general employee relations, including employee policies, compensation and discipline
advising on employment issues unique to the technology and intellectual property sectors, including advice regarding the assignment of inventions, and employment, consulting, noncompete and confidentiality agreements

For assistance please contact one of our intellectual property lawyers:

Trade-mark Agents

Recent Articles/Publications

"Tips on outsourcing software development", April 17, 2009 by Sze-Mei Yeung and Jeff Lowe - This article originally appeared in the April 17, 2009, issue of The Lawyers Weekly published by LexisNexis Canada Inc.

Intellectual Property Law Newsletter:

June 2009 - Outsourcing of Software Development by Canadian Companies to Offshore Jurisdictions