Foley proudly sponsored the Lab to Market – IP Protection and Licensing Track at the TechConnect Summit 2009, held in conjunction with the Nanotech Conference 2009 and Clean Technology Conference 2009 on May 3 – 7 in Houston, Texas.
Leading companies, investment firms, and technology transfer offices from around the globe will come together to locate promising technologies and early-stage companies within the areas of cleantech, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. This summit is notably one of the biggest multi-sector gatherings in the world.
On May 4 we discussed the inner workings of the cleantech and nanotechnology IP landscape with leaders brought together from a variety of industries and fields to share their unique perspectives and best practices.
Lab to Market — IP Protection and Licensing
IP Track: IP Licensing Strategies & Transactions — Creating Real Value From Your Technology Portfolio
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
This panel included discussion on moving innovative ideas into the marketplace, balancing the costs of creation within the confines of limited budgets, and a sector analysis from Foley’s Cleantech Energy Patent Landscape report.
Moderator:
- John M. Lazarus, Senior Counsel and Chair, Green Energy Technologies Practice, and member, Intellectual Property Department and Mechanical & Electromechanical Technologies Practice, Foley
Panelists:
- Catherine Ives, Director, Office for Technology Transfer and Licensing, Boston College
- Peter Watson, VP of Finance and Administration, Redlen Technologies
- Edouard C. LeFevre, Partner, Emerging Technologies Industry Team, Foley
IP Track: License Your Portfolio — Surviving Due Diligence
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
This panel included a discussion of determining whether to license and, if so, provide best practices for a company to do so, key concerns and considerations for investors, critical policies and procedures, and understanding the people aspect of due diligence and strengthening vital relationships needed to move forward.
Moderator:
- Steven Rutt, Partner and Vice Chair, Nanotechnology Industry Team, and member, Intellectual Property Department and Green Energy Technologies Practice, Foley
Panelists:
- Daryl Boudreaux, Founder and former CTO, NanoHoldings LLC
- Luka Erceg, President and CEO, Simbol Mining Corp.
- Julie Heinrich, Intellectual Property Counsel, Plextronics
- Adrian R. Cyhan, Senior Counsel and member, Intellectual Property Department, Green Energy Technologies Practice, Electronics Practice, and Nanotechnology Industry Team, Foley
