Irell & Manella LLP is a leading law firm in national and international transactions involving information technology, telecommunications, computing, media, biotechnology and other advanced technologies, and the protection of intellectual property including patents, copyrights, trade secrets, trademarks, service marks and trade dress. The firm has handled transactions of the highest importance in these areas for industry leaders and entrepreneurs throughout the world for more than 35 years.
More recently, Irell & Manella took an early leading role in the emergence of business transactions on the internet and has actively represented clients in a wide variety of internet-related technology and trade transactions involving intellectual property since 1994.
In short, Irell & Manella’s longstanding and unmatched expertise in intellectual property, technology and trade transactions makes the firm uniquely suited to assist clients in resolving the complex issues and problems that will arise as technology, communications, media and related industries continue to converge, and in achieving the maximum value from their business strategies.
Clients
The clients of the firm’s intellectual property transactions practice group range in size from multinational Fortune 500 companies, to start-up and middle-market entities, to individuals with significant assets in venture capital or technology. They form a diverse roster of companies and individuals involved in every aspect of the computer, information technology, biotechnology, telecommunications, internet, media, entertainment and other industries. The intellectual property transactions practice group’s most important clientele include the following:
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Creators and producers of digital and analog special effects for major motion picture studios and other entertainment formats;
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Developers and manufacturers of biotechnology and medical technologies;
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Developers, manufacturers and distributors of computer hardware, software and peripherals;
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Providers of telecommunications products and services;
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Providers of internet and other online services;
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Operators of internet search engines and portals;
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Owners and developers of databases and related software products;
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System operators and channels in the cable television industry;
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E-commerce companies;
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Developers and providers of gaming and gambling technology; and
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Investors and financiers.
Distinctions between industries, technologies and practice groups invariably blur the realities of the business world. Therefore, in addition to these clients the intellectual property transactions practice group often represents companies from more traditional industries, such as retail establishments and real estate developers, in connection with specific transactions involving technology, communications, entertainment and the internet, including technology procurement, outsourcing transactions and e-commerce strategies.
