Stephen, an intellectual property specialist, works in Henmans's corporate team. He has advised on a broad spectrum of IP related matters ranging from the negotiation and interpretation of licensing arrangements covering patents, trade marks, designs, databases, software and copyright works to advising on standard commercial terms, distribution arrangements, IT and e-commerce related issues including data protection queries, distance selling regulation and website terms and conditions.
Stephen’s particular expertise is in the field of technology transfer and he has a solid appreciation of the dynamics of relationships between universities and funding bodies and between universities and commercial organisations. While at the University of Oxford, he advised on the formation of numerous university spin-out companies and on all aspects of the technology transfer and commercialisation process including licensing, consultancy and strategic planning and research and collaboration agreements. He also worked on the formation and management of investment vehicles and advised on the management of the University’s portfolio of shares in spin out companies including advising in relation to several further funding negotiations.
Since joining Henmans, Stephen’s role has broadened to include advising commercial organisations on intellectual property issues and on their relations with research institutions. He has attracted a number of clients from the research sector and remains active in the technology transfer field. He continues to present seminars to delegates from the university technology transfer sector on behalf of the firm and on behalf of external bodies.
Some examples of his current work are:
- Advising a group of investors on their proposed investment in a university spin-out company;
- Working on a general retainer to advise a university on technology transfer issues, provide training for staff and update their existing suite of documentation;
- Dealing with patent licensing and assignment arrangements in order to formalise and correct an existing revenue sharing arrangement;
- Advising a healthcare provider in relation to a grant of funding to a teaching hospital to further a specific research project;
- Advising various academics on the terms of their several consultancy arrangements with a range of technology companies;
- Advising a medical device manufacturer in relation to appropriate distribution structures and terms agreement;
- Advising a range of IT companies on their terms and conditions of business.
Stephen qualified in 1997 and after spending five years in private practice dealing mainly with commercial and IP matters, he spent a further five years as in-house counsel at Isis Innovation, Oxford University's technology transfer company. He left Isis Innovation to join Henmans in 2007.