Technology

The legal environment for the technology industry is so sophisticated that top caliber legal counsel experienced in the domestic and international needs of technology companies is essential to commercial success. New England is considered one of the top technology centers in the United States, and McLane's attorneys have a strong understanding of the needs of both emerging and established technology companies, gained through the representation of numerous technology clients.

McLane's Technology Group provides a full range of legal services to technology clients in such vital areas as financing and venture capital; structuring and management of corporate governance; intellectual property; securities offerings; private placements; mergers and acquisitions; bankruptcy proceedings; contractual arrangements with employees, consultants and partners; drafting and implementation of pension and profit sharing plans; and general corporate and taxation advice.

Our services typically include negotiating development contracts; technology partnering; strategic alliances; joint marketing and development agreements; negotiating and structuring software/technology licensing, distribution, reseller and royalty arrangements; source code escrow agreements; representation in complex technology acquisitions, as well as drafting documentation in connection with the sale, licensing, support and maintenance of technology; distribution in foreign markets; selling and licensing via electronic or Internet commerce; U.S. and international patent, trademark and copyright protection; and the maintenance and protection of economic interests in intellectual property.

When litigation is necessary, our attorneys provide the kind of practiced advocacy necessary to aggressively protect and secure our clients' interests. We have helped large software companies, such as Microsoft Corporation, protect their copyright ownership in software against piracy and counterfeiting. We have also represented small business software developers to protect their ownership interests in software code embedded in a larger product, as well as assisting companies in negotiating and settling Business Software Alliance copyright infringement claims.

Whether a small enterprise, a regional company or a multi-national giant, patents play a vital role in the development of new technology. Our Technology Group attorneys advise and assist inventors, in-house counsel and R&D to document, file, and defend their patents. We counsel our clients on all aspects of the complex processes behind these decisions, as well as helping to critically evaluate the invention to determine whether the benefits of patent protection will outweigh the costs of obtaining and maintaining the patent.

The attorneys at McLane uphold the firm's view that in the current marketplace, our clients with specialized businesses require equally specialized and expert legal services. McLane is an active member in Software Association of New Hampshire (SWANH), New Hampshire High Tech Council (NHHTC), and the North Shore Technology Council (NSTC).

For further information on how we can assist you, contact Mark A. Wright, Chair of the Intellectual Property Group, at mark.wright@mclane.com.