Pillsbury invites you to join us for an MCLE presentation. Laura Latham and Kate Nyce from our Employment Law practice will provide a look back at key employment law developments from 2012 and a look forward at what to expect for the coming year.

Bioscience companies rely more heavily on having an effective intellectual property portfolio than do companies based on other technologies. Often, the time required to reach product commercialization in biosciences is several years in the future. As a result, one of the greatest assets for the company is its intellectual property portfolio. Both a sword and a shield, a strong portfolio enables the company to protect the promise that it will be able to maintain a proprietary position in the market relative to its competitors. As a result of its pivotal role in the future success of the bioscience company, the presence of an effective portfolio is key to attracting potential investors.

Intellectual property rights are often key to the foundation, growth, and ultimate survival of a company. For technology and bioscience companies, the ability to raise funding is dependent on establishing a sound intellectual property portfolio and strategy.

This program will give you a basic understanding of IP with emphasis on innovation protection using the patent system and trade secrets.  It will also cover the legal requirements and basic process for obtaining a patent and the effect of recent major changes to the U.S. patent system.

Please join Laura Latham and Karen Harkins from Pillsbury's Employment team for a discussion on social media considerations and how to leverage social media opportunities while avoiding the legal pitfalls.

Bioscience companies rely more heavily on having an effective intellectual property portfolio than do companies based on other technologies. Often, the time required to reach product commercialization in biosciences is several years in the future. As a result, one of the greatest assets for the company is its intellectual property portfolio. Both a sword and a shield, a strong portfolio enables the company to protect the promise that it will be able to maintain a proprietary position in the market relative to its competitors. As a result of its pivotal role in the future success of the bioscience company, the presence of an effective portfolio is key to attracting potential investors.