Biddle Law PC

GENERAL COUNSEL
SERVICES

Standards-setting organizations, open source initiatives and other technology consortia face a wide range of legal issues, including:

• Complex intellectual property licensing matters, particularly related to standards-essential patents

• Nuanced and high stakes antitrust concerns

• Non-profit corporate entity formation and corporate policy implementation

• Development, maintenance and enforcement of global trademark portfolios, sometimes in many dozens of jurisdictions

• Compliance and interoperability program implementation, and related logo licensing programs

• Tax matters, including issues related to maintenance of non-profit status 

• Collaboration/liaison arrangements with related orgs

• Board of Directors support

• Engagements with contractors and employees

• Event agreements

• Export control and related issues (e.g. OFAC compliance)

Biddle Law PC specializes in providing outside general counsel support for these organizations, drawing from our unparalleled experience managing the unique issues that technology consortia face.

Ironically, there is no standard for standards, and we have seen the bewildering array of issues that can arise in this space. We identify best practices, and provide practical, solution-oriented legal advice. We believe that good lawyering is a competitive advantage for technology consortia, and strive to be key contributors to our client's success. 

STRATEGIC CONSULTING

Information and communications technology products and services exist within a complex web of interoperable networks. The methods used to form these ecosystems of interoperable products and services vary widely, and involve a balance of business, technical and legal factors. Biddle Law PC helps clients develop strategies for creating and shaping technology ecosystems.  We focus in particular on intellectual property considerations (e.g. related to standards essential patents), legal and practical issues associated with open source software and hardware, and on matters related to compliance and interoperability. We draw from a comprehensive database we have developed that includes detailed information on the practices of several hundred standards setting organizations, and are thus able to suggest best practices based on robust empirical research.

RESEARCH & POLICY

Biddle Law PC plays a bridge role between industry and academia. Members of the team have authored groundbreaking research papers on standards setting, technology governance and other intellectual property-related topics, and have coordinated several global academic workshops, with support from leading academics and from industry, that resulted in major publications (including the “Best Patent Law Book of 2019”). Firm principal Brad Biddle maintains a side role as a Faculty Fellow at ASU's Center for Law, Science and Innovation and is a Visiting Scholar at Lewis and Clark Law School. He has a strong belief that collaborations between industry and academia make both institutions stronger.