Intellectual Property

Shearman & Sterling's Intellectual Property Group is a full-service intellectual property practice that handles intellectual property litigations, infringement and validity analyses, licensing, intellectual property portfolio development, intellectual property due diligence and intellectual property issues arising in corporate and financial transactions.  The Group includes seasoned intellectual property attorneys in New York, Silicon Valley, London and Germany, which enables us to handle matters locally from any of these offices, as well as to effectively and efficiently manage cross-border transactions and implement global intellectual property strategies in coordination with our offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia.

The Intellectual Property Group was built through selective recruitment and training to create a group having outstanding legal and technical credentials.  Our intellectual property attorneys hold degrees in fields that include chemical engineering, computer science and biochemistry, and many of our attorneys are registered to practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office.  Group members also have work experience as scientists and engineers with leading life science and technology companies.  In addition, attorneys in the Group have experience at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office and as in-house intellectual property counsel in a variety of fields, including software, consumer products and media/entertainment. 

The Intellectual Property Group's combination of legal skills and technical expertise differentiates us from many of our peer firms and allows us to provide comprehensive advice on a wide range of intellectual property and technology matters, including:

• Intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and financing transactions, and the formation of joint ventures
• Intellectual property litigation and dispute resolution, including arbitration and mediation
• Patent infringement and validity analyses and opinions
• Licensing and technology transactions
• Securitization of intellectual property in debt transactions
• Patent, trademark and copyright prosecution
• Intellectual property portfolio development counseling
• Intellectual property due diligence
• Internet and new media issues