The best in-house legal counsel does not just outsource legal work for cheaper foreign labor. They also outsource legal work for expert work done domestically. This transfer of work is called legal process outsourcing. The most recent trend in this space includes companies outsourcing some of their legal work to companies in India that can do the work at a fraction of the cost. But, this practice of outsourcing has been alive and well for over half a century in the IP space. Oftentimes, in-house counsel does not have the time or expertise to handle patent prosecution, patent litigation, or oversee outsourced foreign labor to ensure the quality, accuracy, and competency of the outsourced work, so they outsource to U.S. law firms having experts who can do the work better and more efficiently.
TraskBritt has been one of the preferred firms of in-house counsel for decades. Here are some of the key reasons our clients outsource legal work to us.
Outsource IP litigation.
In-house counsel generally does not want to be caught up in the minutiae of IP litigation, slogging away in the trenches. Let us worry about it instead. Our clients hire us to assist in representing them in complex litigation matters anywhere in the world, whether it is before federal or state courts, the Second Circuit or the Tenth, or even the Supreme Court of South Korea. We have dealt with patent infringement, patent oppositions, copyright infringement, trademark disputes, trademark oppositions, and cancellation proceedings. Our firm can provide the niche experience necessary to win a difficult trial.
Get IP dispute resolution experts.
Deciding between trial court, arbitration, and mediation can be tricky. A niche IP firm like TraskBritt will know the costs and benefits of all three and will be able to advise and select the best path to ultimately save your employer the most money. Dispute resolution is one of the top reasons in-house counsel hire us. We work with you to develop the best strategy for your case and then do the heavy lifting so you can go home at night.
Figure out technology licensing.
Technology licensing is on the rise; everyone knows that. However, not everyone knows how to write a technology license. This is where we come in. Clients frequently come to us to negotiate agreements to protect, acquire, sell, and/or license their technology. This work often also includes us doing the due diligence on the deal.
Develop a comprehensive IP strategy
The best offense is a good defense. The best in-house counsel teams up with an IP firm early-on to develop a winning IP strategy. It is helpful to get an outside set of eyes to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the strategy. Additionally, our clients ask us to go further by researching a competitor’s IP portfolio and analyzing the portfolio’s strengths and weaknesses. This comprehensive perspective allows a more powerful strategy to be developed to proactively protect against the exploitation of IP.
Protect IP assets internationally
When your IP goes international, it is a strong sign you need a specialized IP law firm. Although we are a local firm for many clients, we also assist in representing them internationally. Here is a short list of countries where we have assisted clients in gaining IP protection: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the EU (Germany, Holland), Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. We speak: Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, and Armenian. Usually, the time and expertise required to deal internationally are so high, it just makes sense to outsource to TraskBritt.
Closing Remarks
Outsourcing legal work offshore is a growing trend, but it has been happening domestically with IP matters for a long time. The top five reasons we have seen clients outsource legal work:
- IP litigation
- Get dispute resolution experts
- Figure out technology licensing
- Develop a comprehensive IP strategy
- Protect IP assets internationally
If you need to do one of these tasks, just let us know.