Our experienced research and development / technology transfer team

Research and development / Technology transfer in Germany

Any joint research and development of new technologies and products of your company together with one or more other companies or in cooperation with a research institute will raise various legal questions even before it actually begins. Furthermore, this area of law often operates in regulated industries. To effectively support you in terms of the cooperation, it is therefore necessary to understand the project not only from a legal point of view but also from an economic perspective with regard to the respective industry.

Legal advice on research and development / technology transfer

We therefore provide you with comprehensive advice both before and during the implementation of cooperations from a contractual and regulatory perspective and support you in finding practical solutions for complex project structures. These will lead your way through the implementation of cooperations as well as the subsequent use and exploitation of the project results.

A technology transfer, i.e. a transfer of innovations in the form of industrial property rights, inventions and know-how, grants the respective companies the opportunity to (additionally) exploit their innovations or to synergise their innovative energies through cooperation and thus to increase turnover or even to open up new markets.

At the same time, it is necessary to consider the risks and rights of the parties involved, in particular with respect to the negotiation and design of the contractual bases of cooperations and technology transfers. Building on our wide experience in various industries, we will support you in particular during the negotiations with your cooperation partner, the individual contract design and the subsequent exploitation of products and granting of licences.

The area of research and development / technology transfer therefore covers the entire spectrum of legal issues regarding the development, protection and trade of innovations and technologies.

Main areas of advice in research and development / technology transfer

Research and development contracts
Employee invention law
Licences and granting of rights
Technology transfer agreements
Licence agreement enforcement procedures in court
IP Due Diligence

Extensive experience in research and development / technology transfer

Advising an international automotive supplier concerning a high-volume cooperation with another automotive supplier in the areas of R&D and licensing
Advising Otsuka in the international cooperation with the pharmaceutical group Mylan regarding market access and commercialisation of medicinal products: project support, negotiation and design of licence agreements
Advice and contract negotiations between research companies and research institutes regarding artificial intelligence
Negotiation and design of contracts regarding technology transfer of medicinal products
Contract design regarding the cooperation between automotive companies and incubator
Advising a US pharmaceutical company in the area of clinical trials as well as non-interventional studies

Contact us

Dr. Tobias Maier, Partner

Rechtsanwalt, Head of Commercial (Germany), Co-Head of International Health and Life Sciences
+49 89 54565 262
E-mail Dr. Tobias Maier

Dr. Alexander Niethammer, LL.M. (UConn), Managing Partner

Rechtsanwalt, Attorney-at-Law (New York), Managing Partner Germany
+49 89 54565 318
E-mail Dr. Alexander Niethammer, LL.M. (UConn)

Axel Zimmermann, Partner

Rechtsanwalt
+49 89 54565 223
E-mail Axel Zimmermann

Eversheds Sutherland (Germany) Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB is a partnership with limited professional liability (Partnerschaftsgesellschaft mit beschränkter Berufshaftung) under German law, with its registered seat in Munich, registered with the partnership register of the Munich District Court under PR 1947 and having its business address at Brienner Straße 12, 80333 München, Germany. Eversheds Sutherland (Germany) Rechtsanwälte Steuerberater Solicitors Partnerschaft mbB is part of a global legal practice consisting of separate and distinct legal entities that operate under the name Eversheds Sutherland and provide legal or other services to clients around the world. Each Eversheds Sutherland entity is a separate legal entity and is not responsible for the acts or omissions of, nor can bind or obligate, another Eversheds Sutherland entity. Eversheds Sutherland Entities are constituted and regulated in accordance with relevant local regulatory and legal requirements and operate in accordance with their locally registered names. The use of the name Eversheds Sutherland, is for description purposes only and does not imply that the Eversheds Sutherland Entities are in a partnership or are part of a global LLP. The responsibility for the provision of services to the client is defined in the terms of engagement between the instructed firm and the client.