Our clients typically require the following:



Our technical expertise and experiences
are in the following areas:

Life Sciences

Biochemistry
Biofuels
Biomarkers
Biomolecular Engineering
Biotechnology
Diagnostics
Drug Design
Genomics
Immunology
Neurodegenerative Diseases
Oncology
Personalized Medicine
Proteomics
Soft Tissue Regeneration
Structural Biology

High Technology

Acoustics and Fluid Dynamics
Aerospace Sciences
Communications
Electromagnetic Environmental Effects
Electro-Optics
Electronic Protection
Fuel Cells
Human Factors
Information Technology/Security
Law Enforcement Technology
Learning Technology
Lighting and Luminaires
Manufacturing Technology
Materials Science
Missile Systems
Mircoelectronics and Applications
Modeling and Simulation
Navigation
Networking
Optoelectronics and Photonics
Packaging
Radar
Safety, Health and Environmental
Signature Control and Reduction
Signature Science
Simulator Test Beds
Technology Insertion
Telecommunications
Test and Evaluation
Transportation

 

Perception Partners serves business decision makers that require concise understanding of intellectual property value and risk.

We address a wide range of strategic, market and financial requirements related to the identification, protection, management and leverage of intellectual property. To understand how we have served others and in turn may serve you or your stakeholders, please consider some of the following cases.

Brief case studies of Perception Partners successes

• Predicted the outcome and valuation implications of a medical device litigation almost one year before the ruling. We identified prior art for a combination of therapeutic practices related to wound care to demonstrate that asserted claims were in fact obvious to one skilled in the art as of the date of application. We further identified discrepancies in the file history that strengthened our case. Our findings were used by relevant stakeholders to hedge investment positions.

• Improved speed to market of new products by identifying comparable substitutes to a “patent fence” faced by a Fortune 100 packager. We mined patent data in similar technology classifications and found no other patents, but we did identify a lead innovator. By researching the innovator and their suppliers, we found a supplier with a trade secret, non-infringing process that enabled an earlier launch at a lower cost than anticipated.

• Designed an IP management program for a national telecommunications services provider. The company had not built a large patent portfolio while others in the industry had amassed a virtual “arsenal.” To respond internally, we structured an inventor incentive program, education regimen and communications strategy to build consensus. We also mapped out the organization and responsibilities of an IP committee, and equipped the General Counsel with a clear roadmap to present to management. For an external response, we instituted a landscape analysis plan and identified desirable assets for in-licensing and acquisition. This plan was implemented in 2006.

• Built IP evaluation practices to help the Global Licensing group of a Fortune 100 healthcare products provider prune a 3000+ patent global portfolio. We assisted in improving abandonment audits, in which hundreds of patents are rapidly evaluated for keep/reject decisions over a rolling calendar. We developed analytical processes to identify out-licensing opportunities with other similarly-sized partners – addressing the inevitable challenges when two or more multi-thousand patent portfolios have the chance to combine. We also developed a marketing approach to simplify asset classification beyond internal jargon to create smarter published packages of assets for license. As a result, key patents considered for abandonment were retained and subsequently licensed.

• Determined that a large food and beverage company was inadvertently "leaking" technology to its competitor through weak policies related to vendor management. This was proven through a combination of patent analysis and competitive technical intelligence. We were then able to recommend strategic actions to reduce competitor access to our client’s innovations.

• Discovered that a monopoly supplier of an essential nanomaterial had actually donated the underlying patents on their technology to a university. Our client was able to connect with the technology transfer office of the university and discuss sponsored research in order to gain access to improvements on the same technology. The strategy we recommended was an “end run” around the monopoly supplier to serve as a negotiation tactic to reduce our client’s overall pricing.

• Identified an important sub-portfolio of a multi-billion dollar telecom hardware provider that was high quality, yet underexploited. Through industry research, we observed that the economics of licensing were far more attractive than the exclusion practiced by the assignee. While not immediate, within six months industry forces had taken notice of a similar portfolio and valued it at $1 billion. The company has subsequently been acquired.