Licensing & Agreements

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Licensing Strategy

Your intellectual property is more than a legal asset—it’s a business tool. At Brooks Kushman, we help clients turn innovation into opportunity by structuring and negotiating licensing agreements and other commercial contract terms that protect your IP and advance strategic goals. 

Our team combines legal, technical, and business insight to ensure every agreement reflects the value of your innovation, avoids unnecessary risk, and positions you for long-term success. 

Our Value to You 

As a firm that focuses exclusively on intellectual property, we bring a rare combination of technical depth and business perspective. We work alongside your team to structure deals that work for your business’s goals. 

  • We blend IP strategy with commercial insight to support your business goals. 
  • We identify risks and opportunities others may miss. 
  • We go beyond traditional licensing to support a wide range of technology-driven agreements. 

Whether you’re expanding into a new market, entering a joint venture, or developing the next generation of your product, our team helps you do it with clarity and confidence. 

Types of Agreements We Support 

We regularly advise clients on IP terms and structures across a variety of agreements, including: 

  • Licensing and IP acquisition agreements 
  • Joint venture and co-development agreements 
  • Business and marketing collaborations 
  • Supply and purchasing contracts involving proprietary technologies 
  • Sweepstakes and promotional agreements 
  • Non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements 
  • Commercial contracts with embedded or licensed technology 
  • Traditional patent and trademark licensing 
  • Trade secret and know-how arrangements 
  • Technical consulting agreements 
  • Standard-essential patent (SEP) and FRAND licensing 

If your agreement touches technology or innovation, we can help ensure it is built to last. 

How We Support Clients 

Every client relationship is different. Some companies manage licensing internally and bring us in for final review or special projects. Others rely on us as outside counsel for all licensing and technology agreements. Our services are always flexible and scalable to your needs. 

We regularly provide: 

  • End-to-end agreement drafting, negotiation, and review 
  • Institutional support, including process mapping and licensing workflows 
  • Risk assessment and strategic guidance for tech-heavy deals 
  • Education and support for in-house teams 

Clients also turn to us after deals go wrong. We often resolve issues that arise from agreements not built with IP in mind to help those businesses get back on track. 

Client Education and Counseling 

Many companies don’t realize what’s missing from their licensing agreements until it’s too late. That’s where we come in. 

We help: 

  • Educate midsize and growing businesses on the value of IP-savvy contracts 
  • Support lean in-house teams that need guidance or overflow support 
  • Help larger companies avoid pitfalls and strengthen internal processes 
  • Bring IP expertise into agreements that are often handled by non-IP counsel 

Our goal is to prevent those missteps before they happen and to partner with your team so licensing and incorporating IP contractual terms becomes a proactive part of your growth strategy. 

Real-World Experience 

We’ve helped clients across industries leverage their IP and use licensing to strengthen their competitive position, grow new revenue streams, and avoid costly mistakes. Some examples include: 

  • Developed licensing structures that aligned with both the business model and the technical complexity of the technology. 
  • Provided strategic counseling on embedded software licensing, where standard templates were insufficient. 
  • Supported the creation of a licensing program to help mitigate litigation risk and assert IP rights more effectively. 
  • Supported drafting and negotiating joint development agreements with corporate partners and universities to both provide and receive IP rights needed for success of the business 
  • Supported drafting IP and confidentiality terms in consulting agreements 
  • Advised and drafted IP terms for merger and acquisition deals, including due diligence on IP assets and associated representations and warranties to be included in the transfer.  
  • NDA and trade secrets counseling. Advised clients on how to strengthen confidentiality protections following lessons learned from litigation. 

Cross-Practice Collaboration 

Licensing opportunities often arise in other areas of our IP practice, especially patent and trademark prosecution. We work closely with internal teams to spot those opportunities and make sure clients get holistic support. 

We regularly educate our own team through internal training, client checklists, and knowledge-sharing to better identify and advise when licensing support should be offered as part of ongoing client relationships. 

Thought Leadership and Industry Involvement 

We’re committed to advancing the conversation around licensing strategy. Members of our team are active in key industry organizations, including: 

  • Licensing Executives Society (LES)
  • IPO Licensing Committee
  • AIPLA Licensing Committee

We also publish insights and case studies to help clients learn from real-world examples and evolving trends in IP. 

Let’s Talk 

If your agreement involves intellectual property, either as a standalone license or part of a broader deal, our team can help you do it right. From strategy to structure to resolution, Brooks Kushman brings clarity and confidence to licensing. 

Contact us to learn more about how we can support your next agreement. 

Insights

Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Welcomes Attorney Brett Smith

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Chris Smith Re-Appointed to Vice Chair of IPO’s IP Licensing & Related Issues Committee

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Christopher Smith to Present at IPO Association Annual Meeting

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Podcasts

Intertwining Brand Therapy and Virtual Reality in the Metaverse with Jaime Schwarz from Brand Therapy LLC.

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Chris Smith Re-Appointed to Vice Chair of IPO’s IP Licensing & Related Issues Committee

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Publications

The Impact of Bankruptcy on IP Licensor and Licensee Rights

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Presentations

Benjamin C. Stasa, Ph.D. candidate, to Speak at AUTM 2023 Annual Meeting

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Chris Smith Re-Appointed to Vice Chair of IPO Licensing and Related Issues Committee

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Articles

Nike v. StockX Case Highlights Many Unanswered Questions About IP and NFTs

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Presentations

John LeRoy to Speak on IP Panel at Upcoming Auto IP Event

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Chris Smith Re-appointed Vice Chair of IPO Patent Licensing Committee

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Media Coverage

Brooks Kushman Associate Corey Neil Quoted on Drastic Industry Changes in Patent Strategies for Driverless Cars in a Managing IP Article

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Presentations

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Christopher Smith to Present at IAM Patent Licensing Event

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Articles

Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Trademark License Bankruptcy Dispute

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Presentations

Thomas Lewry and and Christopher Smith to Speak at Two Panels Focusing on Developments in Patents and Licensing

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Presentations

Corey Neil to Speak at Autolex Autonomous Vehicle Legal Forum

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Media Coverage

Marc Lorelli Featured In Corporate Counsel Article Focused On Open Source Software ACC Panel

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Presentations

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Marc Lorelli To Serve As Panelist At 2018 ACC Corporate Counsel University

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Media Coverage

John LeRoy Quoted in IAM Article on Recent Speaking Engagement at IP Auto USA Event

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Appointed President of MIPLA

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Presentations

Brooks Kushman Shareholder to Speak on IP Panel at Automotive Legal Summit

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Presentations

Brooks Kushman Attorneys to Speak at Michigan Intellectual Property Law Association Luncheon

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Shareholder Elected Vice Chair of IPO IP Licensing Committee

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Media Coverage

John LeRoy Featured in Crain’s Detroit Business

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Press Releases

Ranked As One Of The “Top 20 Firms” By Juristat

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Welcomes Richard J. Cantor, Expands Patent Prosecution Practice

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Expands Life Science and Chemistry Practice

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Articles

BK Attorney Cautions Organizations That Assign Patents To IP Holding Companies

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Media Coverage

Brooks Kushman President Featured in Crain's Detroit Business

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Publications

Preparing for Your Company's Future - Defensive IP Due Diligence

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Publications

New Resource: Recent Developments in Information Technology Law – Third Quarter 2013

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Announces Four New Attorneys; Further Expands Medical Device and Trademark Practice Groups

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Presentations

Brooks Kushman's Tong Discusses Intellectual Property Law at Los Angeles Paralegal Association's 37th Annual October Conference

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Media Coverage

Four Brooks Kushman Lawyers Named to 2013 Super Lawyers List; Ten Attorneys Honored as Rising Stars

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Publications

The State of the Computer and Internet Law - 2008

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Publications

Patent Licenses Versus Covenants Not to Sue: What Are the Consequences?

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Press Releases

Brooks Kushman Hires Industry Veteran Daniel Stock, Enhances Corporate Transactions Expertise

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Publications

Michigan SuperLawyers 2006

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Publications

Restriking the Balance: The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) and Reverse Engineering

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Publications

What a Patentee Must Do to Prove Infringement and Damages of a Method Claim for Computer Software

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William Abbatt

Patent Prosecution & Patent Litigation

Michigan

Rebecca Cantor

Patent, Trademark, Trade Secret Litigation, & Trademark Office Proceedings

Michigan

Mark Cantor

Shareholder & General Counsel

Michigan

Molly Crandall

Co-Chair Trademark

Michigan

Thomas Cunningham

Patent, Trademark, Copyright, & Trade Secret Litigation

Michigan

Tiffany Fidler, Ph.D.

Co-Chair Patent Prosecution

Michigan

John Halan

Patent & Trade Secret Litigation & Post-Grant Proceedings

Michigan

Matthew Jakubowski

Chair of the Executive Committee, Patent Prosecution, Patent Litigation, Intellectual Property Agreement Drafting & Negotiation

Michigan

Erica D. Klein

Trademark & Copyright

Michigan

Robyn Lederman

Executive Committee Member, Trademark

Michigan

John LeRoy

Executive Committee Member

Michigan

Matthew Mietzel

Mechanical & Electrical Patent Prosecution & Licensing

Michigan

Yasmeen Moradshahi

Electrical/Mechanical Patent Prosecution & Litigation

Michigan

Isheeta Patel Laxmanan

Chemical and Materials Patent Prosecution & Opinions

Michigan

James W. Proscia, Ph.D.

Applied Physics, Chemistry, Electrical, & Biotechnology Patent Prosecution

Nevada

Abdulai Rashid

Patent Prosecution & Intellectual Property Litigation

Michigan

Thomas A. Runk

Electrical & Software Patent Prosecution

California

Brett J. Smith

Mechanical & Electrical Patent Prosecution

Michigan

Christopher Smith

Co-Chair Litigation, Post-Grant Proceedings, Licensing, & Patentability Opinions

Michigan

Mark Stuenkel

Mechanical/Electromechanical Patent Prosecution, Patent Portfolio Management, & Opinions

Michigan

Brooks Kushman
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