Driving Down Legal Expenses when Handling Litigation  

Ashley Kisner from Strasburger & Price, a solution provider at the marcus evans Chief Litigation Officer Summit Spring 2012, on controlling litigation costs.  � Interview with: Ashley Kisner, Partner, Strasburger & Price

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Arbitration was previously seen as a cost saver, but we can now see that it is often not any cheaper to arbitrate issues than it is to handle them in court. Early mediation is a viable way to avoid costs when handling litigation,” says Ashley Kisner, Partner, Strasburger & Price. It is often advisable to get the two parties together and have a serious settlement discussion before money is spent on filing suit, she adds.

From a solution provider company at the marcus evans Chief Litigation Officer Summit Spring 2012, taking place in Amelia Island, Florida, March 18-20, Kisner discusses how to keep costs down through mediation, e-discovery and alternative billing solutions.  

How should companies determine what should be kept in-house or outsourced? 

When work is kept in-house, the attorney is naturally going to be more tuned-in to the business and the chain of reporting. There will be much more familiarity, and business executives may feel more comfortable working with their in-house lawyer.

Outside counsel, however, may be more objective and able to address the problem from a more global perspective, as they have experience in a variety of industries. Most routine parts of litigation should be entrusted to outside counsel. Outsourcing may involve more expense, but it should free up more time for the in-house lawyer to focus on strategic thinking and ways to create value for the business.

How can Chief Litigation Officers drive down legal expenses?

The cost to arbitrate a case includes most of the same discovery expense, plus you still have to pay the arbitrator. Early mediation can be effective to avoid costs when handling litigation.

Another effective strategy is to carefully plan how a case should be handled before it gets too far down the road. Discuss whether in-house paralegals should collect the documents, who will be the key witnesses, who will be deposed and how many depositions will be needed. Explore when and how to involve experts. Having those conversations earlier can help avoid surprises and control costs.

Is e-discovery still a viable solution for handling litigation?

Companies have lived with e-discovery for a while and most now have strategies for how they handle electronically stored information in litigation. The focus remains on identifying and locating relevant documents quickly and training people to retain them.

The developing issue is, when does the retention obligation end? The litigation may be over, but cases tend to overlap, so it is challenging to know when it is safe to resume normal document retention protocols. E-discovery vendors are becoming more efficient and cost effective, but there is still progress to be made.

How can companies successfully implement alternative billing arrangements?
 
We have not seen a mass exodus away from the billable hour. Alternative fee arrangements seem to work best when there is enough history between in-house and outside counsel that a predictable and creative pricing structure can be implemented. Both sides must focus on the long term relationship, and not solely on one case. A long term focus will ensure that the client is well served and the fee arrangement is fair to both the client and the law firm. 

Contact: Stacey Melvin, Journalist, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Chief Litigation Officer Summit Spring 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida, March 18-20, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on managing litigation, implementing innovative strategies to successfully manage multiple cases and reducing overall costs.  

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Strasburger & Price, LLP

Strasburger & Price, LLP is a full-service law firm with offices in Austin, Collin County, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio (as Strasburger Price Oppenheimer Blend), Texas, New York City, Washington, D.C., and through Strasburger & Price, S.C., Mexico City. Strasburger serves as a trusted adviser to publicly and privately held companies, entrepreneurs, governmental entities and individuals. Strasburger attorneys represent a variety of companies including start up, middle market and international corporations.

For more information about Strasburger, please visit www.strasburger.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Protecting IP Assets in Turkey

Riza Cagirgan of Gür Law Firm, a firm at the upcoming marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012, on IP protection in Turkey. Interview with: Riza Cagirgan, Partner, Gür Law Firm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As commerce with emerging markets becomes a standard practice for businesses, behind the scenes, Intellectual Property (IP) Counsel are having to deal with the challenges involved in protecting IP in other jurisdictions.

When it comes to Turkey, the message from Riza Cagirgan, a Partner at Gür Law Firm, is clear: Only local firms can have the know-how to direct IP Counsel in the most appropriate and cost efficient way. Gür Law Firm is a sponsor at the upcoming marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012, in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April.

What advice would you give to multinational companies that want to protect their IP assets in Turkey?

Turkey follows EU directives in IP legislation and is part of many international agreements for IP registration, but there are differences with the local laws. Before taking any action, multinational companies should ask for the details from a local attorney. A trademark should be searched in Turkey and all IP rights must be checked against the Turkish laws.

Turkey is a big market and it has been very attractive to international investors in recent years. In line with that level of trade, we are expecting more IP filings and litigation in Turkey from European and other Western countries.

Although most IP Counsel know this already, it is important to get specific legal advice from a particular jurisdiction. It is not only about registering IP rights or fighting lawsuits. Only local counsel can direct them in the most appropriate and cost efficient way. 

How does IP protection in Turkey differ from other European countries?

The biggest difference is in IP litigation, where Turkey is somewhat like Italy, where the period of a lawsuit can be longer and companies cannot get preliminary injunctions for their patents or designs. For trademarks that are not well known, it is almost impossible to get a preliminary injunction. In litigation, it is not easy to stop an infringement for at least two or three years.

How can IP Counsel ensure IP assets are not affected by budget cuts?

This is also a problem in Turkey. Half of a conflict can be resolved through letters, through which we may get some compensation and the chance to stop the infringement without fighting a lawsuit that will result in additional costs for the client. We also recommend negotiating with infringers or other alternative dispute resolutions, to avoid going to litigation.

How do you see this industry in Turkey developing?

We have been waiting for new trademark and patent laws for a long time. The draft laws are ready but have yet to be enacted by the National Assembly. Once that is done, IP protection laws will be much better and clearer in Turkey.

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law European Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Grand Hotel Huis Ter Duin, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on managing, valuing and monetising the organisation’s intellectual property assets.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.iplawsummiteurope.com 

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Gür Law Firm

GUR Law Firm (GLF), which is one of Turkey’s leading general practice law firms, established by its founding partner Mr. Tevfik Gur, provides legal services with a legal staff of 52 lawyers, 16 paralegals and 21 other staff. GLF has five major departments namely as Litigation, Corporate, Debt Collection, Intellectual Property and Maritime. Most of GLF staff has excellent writing and speaking skills of English language. The other languages spoken by the legal team of GLF include German, French, Russian, Italian and Arabic.

For more information: www.gurlaw.com and www.gurip.com

About marcus evans summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Guarding IP Assets in the Caribbean

Gabriela Bodden of e-Proint, a service provider at the upcoming marcus evans IP Law Summit Spring 2012, offers her expertise into protecting intellectual property in the Caribbean.� Interview with: Gabriela Bodden, Partner, E-Proint

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“Safeguarding intellectual property (IP) in the Caribbean is a challenge, as the legislation is not all the same,” says Gabriela Bodden, Partner, E-Proint. “IP Counsel face the question of what, when and where to file their trademarks and patents.”

From a law firm attending the marcus evans IP Law Summit Spring 2012 in Amelia Island, Florida, March 18-20, Bodden addresses some of the issues that US companies encounter when dealing with IP rights in the Caribbean and Latin America. 

Why is protecting IP assets in this region a challenge?

The legislation in the Caribbean is not all the same. There are around 25 island nations that have gradually shed their dependency on UK and The Netherlands jurisdiction laws, while others still operate under extremely outdated legislation.

IP Counsel face the question of what, when and where to file. They must consider which countries permit the extension of UK registrations, which others apply the Nice Classification system, which possess a local classification or allow service mark filings. For example, in Grenada and the British Virgin Islands service marks can only be registered as an extension of UK registration. Hence, before proceeding with any trademark or patent filing projects, we recommend that counsel conduct an audit on all trademarks in the local languages and on a country-by-country basis, to determine the status of a company’s registrations and also their position in the jurisdiction.

What cost-cutting strategies could you share?

In the past, when faced with a large filing project, it meant having to file before the local registry in each country and this is still the same, however, IP right holders are now able to claim priority through the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property in various countries in the region, as most Caribbean islands accept a priority claim filing. Antigua and Cuba have also signed the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks. 

To save costs, it is always recommended to file in countries where multi-class applications are possible.

To maximize the value of IP assets in this region, what else should IP Counsel consider?

They must consider their company’s business strategies and goals. Depending on the types of goods they sell, they may take advantage of trade blocks that eliminate or reduce tariffs. There might be preferences for the goods and services traded between two countries. These are important tools.

Counsel should prioritize filing in the countries where their goods and services will be introduced and where they are vulnerable to piracy. They must strengthen the company’s position in the region in comparison to their competitors. Their IP rights are their most important assets, and must be aggressively protected in the region.

Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division

Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law Summit Spring 2012

This unique forum will take place at The Ritz Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida, March 18-20, 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on safeguarding IP, developing sustainable brand protection strategies, global IP portfolio management and maintaining competitiveness with IP litigation.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About E-Proint

E-Proint’s vision is to be the most respected Intellectual Property law firm to offer a one-stop shop service within the Caribbean and Latin-America. Our professionals are ranked amongst the best in the field. We offer the finest legal advice whilst retaining the flexibility to respond to the individual needs of each client based on an ethic of excellence.

www.eproint.com

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-on-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com 

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Delivering the Best IP Results

Loek Penders, a speaker at the marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012, discusses how to focus innovation efforts to deliver the best IP results for the organisation. Interview with: Loek Penders, Director of IP, Akzo Nobel

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The main duty of Intellectual Property directors should be to help the business focus on and prioritise its innovation and brand building initiatives, and bring it all together to ensure the best IP results for the organisation, says Loek Penders, Director of IP, Akzo Nobel.

A speaker at the marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012 in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April, Penders offers his suggestions for IP protection and ensuring the best possible protection for new products and initiatives, in all respects.

How can IP Counsel make sure their company’s IP assets do not suffer as a result of budget cuts?

The major challenge for IP departments today is getting research and development and marketing organisations to focus their efforts on innovations that will deliver the best IP assets.

How could the value of IP assets be maximised?

The best value one can get from IP and innovation efforts is by combining various types of innovation and brand identities together. For instance, building brand identity along with interesting technical innovations and other IPs, such as artistic packaging and marketing material.

However, facilitating this process can be tough. Many IP functions have traditionally operated relatively fragmented, with separate trademark, patent and licensing groups. It is a challenge to serve the business as a consolidated service and help to build strong IP assets, but that is the best way for out-winning the competition.

Is the relationship with outside counsel a factor for success?

With budgets under pressure, many in-house IP managers are looking at reducing outside counsel spend. At the same time, having to do more with less, IP functions rely heavily on outside counsel to take on peak load and provide flexible resources. This means that building a good relationship with selected outside counsel, firms that know you well and that you know well, where there are agreed processes and communication, is important for an effective cooperation.

Globalisation and global operations are further challenging IP Counsel. How can IP assets be properly managed in this setting, where multiple jurisdictions are involved?

Innovation and branding projects have become more global in nature. To add the most value, the IP Counsel must be involved early in the process. She/he can develop an IP strategy aimed at building the best possible global IP asset base, steering innovative efforts in that direction and mitigating risks along the way. Implementation of the strategy requires a lot of planning and coordination, and a strong lead from the in-house IP Counsel. It has become more complex to navigate through the global complexities, but at the same time more exciting and rewarding.

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law European Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Grand Hotel Huis Ter Duin, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on managing, valuing and monetising the organisation’s intellectual property assets.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.iplawsummiteurope.com

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Making IP Infringement Demands Go Away

Chris Neumeyer, a speaker at the marcus evans IP Law Asia Summit 2012, on responding to IP infringement demands. Interview with: Chris Neumeyer, Director, Legal Department, Lite-On Technology Corporation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Legal Counsel must be very careful when responding to claims that their company’s products are infringing patents, says Chris Neumeyer, Director, Legal Department, Lite-On Technology Corporation. If handled carefully, many intellectual property (IP) matters that appear serious can be resolved at no cost, he adds. A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans IP Law Asia Summit 2012, Neumeyer offers his expertise into responding to patent licensing claims and avoiding litigation.

How should Legal Counsel respond to claims that their company’s products infringe patents and that their use should be licensed?

Patent licensing demands can be extremely serious and lead to thousands or millions in attorney fees and licensing costs. The good news is that if handled well, such claims can often be resolved at no cost. First, counsel need to review the letter, and evaluate the patent owner, the patents and the products identified. Are there similar cases pending in litigation? Have other companies licensed the patents? As for the products, one must speak with the business units and engineers. What is the sales volume? Are the components purchased from suppliers? Are there possible design-around solutions?

Once these have been evaluated, counsel should send a polite but non-committal response to the sender of the demand, requesting various further information that is required. One should put the ball back into their court and wait. Such claims are often illegitimate and will simply go away when put to the test.

Should the response be different if it is a customer formally informing them of their alleged infringement of a third party’s patents?

There are some differences in how this should be handled. Counsel should first check if there is a signed agreement requiring indemnification and whether it includes any exceptions to such obligations. Often, there is no obligation to indemnify if the claim arises from the customer’s specifications. Is that the case here? Counsel should also determine whether the claim arises from components provided by suppliers, in which case they should be responsible.

What if there is no choice but to either license or litigate? How can Legal Counsel ensure the best possible outcome?

Demanding parties will often make threats and demands that sound very serious, but they may be bluffing. It is important not to give in too early. Determine the seriousness of the threat. Have they filed other lawsuits against others? How long have the discussions been going on for?

If it is clear that litigation is imminent, then counsel should seriously consider mediation or arbitration, as the costs may be much less. If one must litigate, it might make sense to sue the other party first for declaratory relief, to establish the forum of the lawsuit.

In any event, we recommend that counsel always try their best to settle. It is never too late for that.    
 

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law Asia Summit 2012

Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on IP protection, strategies to maximise IP monetisation and IP outsourcing.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.iplawasia-summit.com 

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced. Kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

How to Obtain a Winning IP Protection Strategy

Markku Simmelvuo from Papula-Nevinpat, a sponsor company at the marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012, shares IP protection strategies. Interview with: Markku Simmelvuo, Managing Partner, Papula-Nevinpat

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cost should not always be top priority for Intellectual Property (IP) Counsel, says Markku Simmelvuo, Managing Partner, Papula-Nevinpat. “They should build long-standing relationships with their outside counsel to get best results,” he adds.

From a patent agency attending the upcoming marcus evans IP Law European Summit 2012 in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April, Simmelvuo talks about IP protection and why relationships matter.

How can IP Counsel ensure that budget cuts do not negatively impact their company’s IP?

For best results, IP Counsel must work with good quality, efficient IP firms, who handle large volumes of work and are able to pass on some of their cost efficiencies. They should select patent agencies that provide a wide array of services, and consolidate their work into those selected offices even if they do not represent all the countries they operate in. That way, they will build a strong relationship with a party that truly understands their business.

What do IP Counsel overlook?

Cost should not always be top priority. IP Counsel can get the best efficiency from outside counsel if they concentrate on building a strong relationship with them. They overlook the size of the portfolio or the areas they want to protect their IP in, sometimes going too wide, while other times not wide enough. There must be a linkage between the area of protection and markets, what is reasonable and what is not. Counsel in large companies understand this, but it is often overlooked in small companies.

What lessons into IP protection could your give?

Quality comes from attitude and experience. It is very important to work with a counsel who wants to achieve the best possible protection for the clients’ IPs, patents and trademarks. They should never give up too easily.

IP Counsel must also work very closely with the business people who make the strategic decisions for the company. Only they will be able to guide them on which patents are worth protecting.

How could the value of IP assets be maximised?

It depends on the business. Pharmaceutical companies need to get patents for all that they have spent years researching on. In the fast moving and changing technology sector, where a patent application’s lifecycle is short, it is different.

There is huge value in having large patent portfolios. Even quite old portfolios are valuable at the moment. Having a working strategy for applying reasonable patent applications and trademarks would help maximise the value of IP assets.

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law European Summit 2012

This unique forum will take place at the Grand Hotel Huis Ter Duin, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, 23 – 24 April 2012. Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on managing, valuing and monetising the organisation’s intellectual property assets.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.iplawsummiteurope.com 

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About Papula-Nevinpat

Papula-Nevinpat is a globally recognized patent, trade mark and design agency based in Finland with a strong foothold in the Eurasian territory.

We represent our clients directly in the Eurasian Patent Office, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus and thus are able to provide our clients a very cost-effective way of protecting their industrial property rights in these countries. In other parts of Eurasia, we represent our clients through our cooperation network.

Our experienced patent attorneys have thorough understanding of our clients’ technologies. Furthermore, we have specialized technical knowledge in IT, nanotechnology, bio- and pharmaceutical industries.

www.papula-nevinpat.com

About marcus evans summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Working Towards Better IP Laws and Policies

Steven Liew, a speaker at the marcus evans IP Law Asia Summit 2012, on forming mutually beneficial relationships with government officials. Interview with: Steven Liew, Chief Government Relations Officer, eBay Inc. Asia Pacific region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Intellectual Property (IP) Counsel to do their jobs well, they need to know what the law is as well as what it could be, says Steven Liew, Chief Government Relations Officer, eBay Inc. Asia Pacific. They can only achieve this by working with lawmakers and government officials in crafting laws and policies, he adds.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans IP Law Asia Summit 2012, Liew examines the ideal IP Counsel and lawmaker relationship, and the mutual benefits that can arise from it.

How does having a good relationship with government officials deliver better results?

IP laws constantly change and develop, while in certain jurisdictions they are nascent. IP Counsel need to know what the law is but also what it could be. They should establish good relations with the officials in the countries they operate in, as well as the country of their company’s headquarters. They need to have an extensive network across different countries, in order to influence how laws and policies are crafted.

Although the government and lawmakers define how laws and policies are developed, IP Counsel can influence the direction that laws and policies take.

What is the desired relationship with government bodies and how can it be achieved?

The desired relationship is one that is mutually beneficial. From my years of engaging with governments in different countries, I can say that those drafting the laws and policies are also looking for our input, guidance and advice. Not just input that is advantageous to our company, but advice that would help drive legal developments in the right direction. That is the desired outcome.

What should IP Counsel be cautious of?

Counsel are tempted to set goals on the number of cases to handle or damages to receive from courts against infringers. These are great metrics, but also a very easy way to miss the wood for the trees. What would a target of increasing numbers by ten per cent every year help them achieve? Would that mean they are doing a good job? There are many other questions that must be asked, in terms of strategy and goal setting, so they should not go into the planning process with just numbers in mind.

How can IP Counsel maximise the potential value of their organisation’s intellectual assets?

There are two aspects. One is to have a good inventory of all IP assets and sit down with the business team to figure out how to exploit them. Many mobile phone manufacturers have done very well in building their IP portfolio and cross licensing with other manufacturers, which has pushed the boundaries of what capabilities our phones will have in the future. Counsel must find what IP they can grab and exploit to maximise profits.

The other important part of this is to go on the offensive and enforce rights very vigorously. Just filing copyrights and trademarks is not enough. It is more important to know how to enforce those rights.

Contact:
Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian
Press Manager
marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the IP Law Asia Summit 2012

Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on IP protection, strategies to maximise IP monetisation and IP outsourcing.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.iplawasia-summit.com 

marcus evans group – legal sector portal

The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com

All rights reserved. The above content may be republished or reproduced – kindly inform us by sending an email to press@marcusevanscy.com

Peterson Tien, a speaker at the marcus evans Litigation Asia Summit 2012, on the importance of developing a trustworthy relationship with outside counsel. Interview with: Peterson Tien, General Counsel & Vice President, Chimei Innolux

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Working with outside counsel can prove to be very expensive, but unfortunately it is a must as there is no in-house team that can be equipped with the legal knowledge and know-how of every jurisdiction, says Peterson Tien, General Counsel & Vice President, Chimei Innolux.  General Counsel must work with outside counsel to reduce litigation costs and achieve better outcomes.

A speaker at the upcoming marcus evans Litigation Asia Summit 2012, Tien shares his views on improving the relationship between in-house and outside counsel. 

How should General Counsel handle litigation cases? 

General Counsel must adopt a proactive approach to litigation, as it is very time consuming and expensive. To handle litigation in a budget effective way, they must establish a high-quality monitoring system, particularly when it comes to building relationships with outside counsel. It is equally important for in-house counsel to have a top-down approach where there is full alignment from C-level executives.

How can the relationship between in-house and outside counsel be improved?

This relationship is one of love and hate. Unfortunately, no in-house team can be equipped with all the legal knowledge and know-how of every country and jurisdiction, so part of this must be outsourced. If too much trust is put in outside counsel, they will take advantage of that and run the budget very high. Organisations must spend time to build up a good relationship without giving them a blank cheque. It is advisable to be very detailed-driven and give outside counsel a list of what you will and will not pay.

General Counsel should also ask outside counsel for an overall budgetary estimate for the case as well as monthly forecasts. They have better knowledge of litigation actions and can presuppose what the outcome will be. By looking at this outlook of expenditure, General Counsel can look at the accumulative forecast at the end of the year and see if there is any major deviation and spot issues in a timely manner. 

How has litigation become a part of the overall business operation?

Traditionally, litigation aggressive companies only existed in the US. There is now a trend in Korea, Japan and Taiwan of managers expanding their business thought, not only covering the operation of commercial matters but also placing a strong focus on litigation.

Contact:
Stacey Melvin
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marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 400
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com

About the Litigation Asia Summit 2012

Offering much more than any conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The Summit includes presentations on cost-effectively managing disputes, foreign jurisdictions and the importance of building strong relationships with external counsel.

For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at www.litigationasiasummit.com 

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The Legal Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations.

Please note that the Summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.

About marcus evans Summits

marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one business meetings. For more information, please visitwww.marcusevans.com

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The statistics from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) found that there was a 5.2 per cent dip in the number of people applying to study law this year, when compared to a year before. In fact there was nearly 14,000 applicants for law courses at the 26 universities that supply figures to UCAS.

However, it wasn’t just law courses that suffered a drop in student numbers overall there was a nine per cent drop in the number of people applying to higher education courses; which is the biggest fall in more than 30 years.

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