Woodcock Washburn counsels major academic and research organizations on safeguarding their intellectual property. Our attorneys work as a part of a legal team to forge a strong foundation for the type of "at-risk" ventures generated by university and nonprofit research institutions.
The firm's attorneys advise academic and research organizations on transferring technology to both new ventures and corporate sponsors, helping to protect and commercialize their technology. Woodcock Washburn has assisted many clients in founding new companies and corporate spin-offs involving technologies as diverse as biotechnology; bioinformatics, chemicals, nanotechnology, medical devices, materials science, mechanical and electrical engineering, and computer science.
Our lawyers' in-house backgrounds and advanced degrees allow them to provide full support in each field. For example, all of our chemical patent prosecution attorneys have either advanced degrees or in-house chemical industry experience as scientists or counsel, making them thoroughly familiar with the established strategies within various industries and able to inject fresh thinking whenever necessary.
We have counseled clients on nanotechnology-enabled inventions such as polymers, nanoparticles, quantum dots, semiconductor processing, carbon nanotubes, opto-electronic devices, solar-power devices, fuel cells, memory devices, DNA sequencing, medical imaging, micro- and nano-fluidic devices, microarrays, biological and chemical sensors and more. Many of our lawyers are active in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and various nanotechnology groups.
Our firm also provides comprehensive counseling and advocacy on FDA medical device matters ranging from product clearance and approval to post-market requirements, enforcement and compliance issues, product promotion, and advertising.
Woodcock Washburn has represented the University of Pennsylvania for more than 20 years, protecting its seminal work in microlithography, Nobel Prize winning polymer batteries and fuel cells, medical imaging and systems, peptide mimetics, remote sensors and systems, orthopedic materials and devices, testing equipment and sensors, developments in biotechnology and a host of pharmaceuticals.
Our other academic and nonprofit clients include Burnham Institute for Medical Research, Princeton University, Scripps Research Institute, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Washington. We also are currently working with a major university to establish a series of startup companies to exploit the university's technology in genetic stimulation.
