Case Studies
You will find below examples of the work we do, some typical and some more unusual. Some of these have been made deliberately anonymous in order to protect our clients' privacy.
Chef Works
related links: trademarks / retail & leisure / food & drink
Chef Works has been manufacturing and distributing chefs apparel and clothing for over thirty five years and began exporting 15 years ago from its initial base in South Africa.
The business comprises various companies owned by the founding family plus numerous independent distributors across the globe. Clothing is manufactured in Southern Africa, China and Bangladesh.
A new company has been created to house all the intellectual property which consists of a variety of trade marks and a design right registration.
Licensing is key to the company’s intellectual property strategy and is held in an off shore holding company. The company enjoys the following benefits:
- It has a clear system of registering and protecting its brand.
- The IP is held in one company to ensure no disputes evolve regarding creation and ownership.
- The company has the opportunity of licensing to third parties in the future should it wish to do so,
- The licensing process is simpler,
- The assets of the holding company can be valued due to the income stream,
- The ring fencing and valuation of IP could enable the company to seek a higher valuation in the event of a takeover/ flotation,
- The IP holding company is ring fenced from any of the trading companies thus ensuring a high level of asset protection.
Honeyman Group
related links: paterns / technology / health care
The Honeyman Group is a UK based consultancy company operating in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors. Over the past few years, the company has successfully developed new process technology for which it obtained some worldwide Patent and Trade Mark protection. The potential and scope for this technology went beyond the existing UK and Irish markets of the company’s core business activity, and it also had the potential to move into several other market sectors. A strategy needed to be developed to move the company forward maximising rollout efficiency and returns.
The method chosen by the Honeyman Group was to first spin out the IP into a new company. ‘NewCo’ was formed as a vehicle with the specific purpose of rolling out the technology across the World and was geared to this task, unlike the core consulting business which clearly was not. As part of the process, NewCo gave an exclusive license back to the core business to use the technology in the UK and Irish Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology sectors, so there was no effective change for the existing business. Thus, NewCo was able to enter discussions with a number of potential Licensees and partners around the world, and was free and unencumbered in these negotiations towards optimising the overall outcome on a case-by-case basis.
Whilst IP was at the heart of this operational strategy, its use also enabled the Honeyman Group to optimise its wider business and commercial objectives in areas such as equity, funding, and tax planning.
Confidential client
related links: technology / copyright / confidentiality
Mr. X had been suspended from his work as a software programmer and had then resigned from his job. A few weeks later Mr. X was served with a search order as it was alleged he had taken confidential information from his employer. We successfully defended Mr. X and managed to settle the litigation with various undertakings.
Actions against Getty images
related links: copyright / online trading / e-commerce
We have acted for a number of individual and businesses who have been accused of taking Getty images photos without paying any royalty. We have successfully defended everyone.
Polymer Recycling Limited
related links: paterns / technology / licensing
We have assisted an innovative rubber recycling company in Doncaster who have a new patented process for recycling rubber. Polymer are currently looking to licence their patent and know how on a worldwide basis and have success manufacturing and research facilities overseas.
Simcyp
related links: health care / software licensing / technology
Simcyp Limited originated as a spin out of the University of Sheffield. Simcyp now is now internationally acclaimed for the software it licenses which creates not only a virtual person but whole virtual populations which are used in drug modelling and testing. We assist Simcyp with a wide range of licenses and collaboration contracts with drug companies.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require advice: ring 0844 800 8871 or 0113 237 9900. Our first 20 minute interviews are free and at no obligation to you.
