Academic In-Licenses and Collaborations

Overview
Professionals

Overview

Not-for-profit research institutions are strong sources and drivers of innovation.

Collaborating with academic institutions, research hospitals, and foundations is an increasingly important way for companies to accelerate value creation across industry sectors and technologies. These relationships are challenging to structure, and there's often great pressure to conclude an agreement quickly and with modest cost. You want to be sure your critical interests are protected, and ensure that your contract can withstand future due diligence by potential investors, underwriters, and commercial partners. 

Experience

We have an extensive practice devoted to collaborations between industry and academic institutions. Our 2,500+ clients have included public and venture-backed companies, investors, academic researchers and entrepreneurs, foundations and other not-for-profit entities, and some of the most prestigious universities in the U.S. and Europe.

We regularly work with startups seeking to in-license their core technology, as well as more established companies looking for complementary discovery and development expertise. We have helped academic institutions negotiate intellectual property licenses, organize consortiums, and optimize their investments in companies that are further developing technology invented in the institutions’ labs.

Our transactional experience includes:

In-licensing of compounds, processes, and platform technologies developed by academia and other nonprofits
Sponsored research
Academic consulting
Materials transfer arrangements
Research collaborations
Clinical development collaborations
Consortiums

A Devoted Team

We have more professionals focused on this area than you’re likely to find anywhere else, including lawyers and contracts specialists who have devoted their entire careers to these collaborations, and have worked in-house in these institutions. We recognize that the culture of these institutions is unique, leading to profoundly different approaches to contracting. And we know how to navigate the negotiation in order to get the job done efficiently, without sacrificing important details. Based on our significant market knowledge, we can advise you on prioritizing goals in negotiations and efficiently finding common ground.