Briggs, Thomas A.

Current Employment Position(s)

Partner

Lawyer Overview

Tom Briggs' practice focuses on commercial transactions where intellectual property, technology, information, and knowledge or other intangible assets are a significant factor. He has particular experience in licenses, joint development, strategic alliances, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and settlement agreements. Tom is co-leader of the Licensing & Technology Transactions services of the Firm's IP Practice.

Tom negotiates and drafts agreements involving the transfer, use, and sharing of intellectual property, including agreements relating to research, development, licensing, clinical trials, confidentiality, noncompetition, consulting, assignment, supply, manufacturing, outsourcing, sales agency, strategic alliance, joint venture, and information technology. He also oversees and evaluates due diligence relating to the acquisition or licensing of technology and intellectual property. Tom has developed particularly effective methods for assisting clients in establishing formal, global intellectual property management programs; he also audits clients' existing property management programs and conducts seminars on IP and technology transaction subjects in public and private settings, including for legal education credits.

Tom serves clients in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food, renewable energy, semiconductors, software, steel, and chemicals. His clients include AlphaMicron, Athersys, Bunge, Celgene, Cleveland-Cliffs, Dana, Dow Corning, IBM, MedImmune, Micron, Nielsen, Resilience Capital, Riverside Partners, TECT, and Timken.

In helping clients with their technology transactions, Tom draws upon a rare combination of work experiences. He is a patent lawyer who has litigated cases involving infringement, misappropriation, and noncompetition and has prosecuted patent and trademark registrations. He has served as chief intellectual property officer and assistant general counsel of M.A. Hanna Company (now PolyOne Corporation). He also spent 10 years as a practicing chemical engineer and plant supervisor with Union Carbide/Praxair before his career as a lawyer.

Areas of Practice

• Intellectual Property
• Mergers & Acquisitions
• Licensing & Technology Transactions
• M&A
• Joint Ventures & Strategic Alliances
• Consumer Products & Retail
• Life Sciences

Representative Cases

• Abbott agrees to acquire Facet Biotech for $722 million , (2010)
• Albertson's acquired by consortium of investors for $17.4 billion , (2009)
• American Greetings acquires Papyrus trademark and wholesale business , (2009)
• Athersys and Pfizer join forces to use stem cells to treat IBD
• Athersys forms strategic alliance with 3-D Pharma over certain drug targets
• Athersys merges with MCL and acquires stem cell technology , (2009)
• Bayer AG forms strategic alliance with Schering-Plough , (2009)
• Bayer CropScience acquires U.S. agricultural biotech company Athenix , (2009)
• Blue Point Capital sells controlling interest in TREK Diagnostic Systems , (2009)
• Celgene licenses to Cambrex certain chiral intermediate chemistries , (2010)
• Celgene licenses to Teva market generic version of Focalin capsules and tablets , (2010)
• Clearlight Cream sells Bocchi Laboratories , (2009)
• Clearlight Cream sells Medicia Corporation , (2009)
• Cleveland-Cliffs forms joint venture to develop new ironmaking technology , (2009)
• Cleveland-Cliffs forms strategic alliance with Kobe Steel , (2009)
• Dana Corp forms Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, a joint venture with Bendix , (2009)
• Dana Corp forms strategic alliance with Permo-Drive , (2009)
• Dow Corning acquires semiconductor technologies , (2009)
• Federated Department Stores acquires Liberty House
• Federated sells Lord & Taylor division to NRDC Equity Partners , (2009)
• GeoSynFuels strikes joint venture with Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, establishes Agrius BioForms, LLC , (2009)
• Harris Corporation acquires Tyco Electronics Wireless Systems , (2009)
• IBM divests printer business to Ricoh , (2009)
• J.M. Smucker acquires International Multifoods Corp. , (2009)
• J.M. Smucker Co. acquires Jif and Crisco product lines from Procter & Gamble , (2009)
• Kirtland Capital portfolio company acquires Hardee Equipment Company , (2009)
• Kirtland Capital sells TruSeal Technologies to Quanex Corp. , (2009)
• Lacquer Craft Manufacturing acquires Universal Furniture
• LSI Logic develops strategic alliance with StorageTek
• MedImmune licenses in IP on antibodies that target IL-5 receptor , (2009)
• Metering Technology Corp. negotiates strategic alliance for electronic utility meters
• Micron Technology forms IM Flash Singapore, a joint venture with Intel Corporation in Singapore , (2009)
• Micron Technology forms IM Flash Technologies, a $5.2 billion joint venture with Intel Corporation , (2009)
• Micron Technology forms MeiYa Technology Corporation, a joint venture with Nanya Technology Corporation , (2009)
• Morgenthaler acquires Flow Solutions , (2009)
• Nonprofit organizations form spinoff companies
• Nonprofit research hospital develops licensing and IP management programs
• OfficeMax establishes strategic alliances for selling technology products and services
• OM Group acquires EaglePicher Technologies from EaglePicher Corporation for $171.9 million , (2009)
• OM Group acquires electronics business of Rockwood Holdings for $315 million , (2009)
• Parallel portfolio company Moosejaw Mountaineering and Backcountry Travel completes additional recapitalization
• Parker Hannifin acquires Denison International , (2009)
• PolyOne acquires GLS , (2009)
• Premier Farnell sells Kent Automotive and Premier Industrial to Lawson Products
• Resilience Capital acquires business unit of Andrew Corporation , (2009)
• Resilience Capital sells business unit of ASC Signal Corporation , (2009)
• Riverside acquires ActivStyle , (2009)
• Riverside acquires assets of LocalTel Yellow Pages , (2009)
• Riverside acquires Crisis Prevention Institute
• Riverside acquires L-com , (2009)
• Riverside sells Delta Petroleum to Grief , (2009)
• Soin International acquires Sundance Products , (2009)
• Sumitomo Bakelite acquires Vyncolit , (2009)
• SupportSoft sells its enterprise business to Consona
• Thales sells consumer navigation business to Shah Capital-led investor group , (2009)
• Timken Company acquires Torrington Division of Ingersoll-Rand Company , (2009)
• Timken sells Latrobe Steel , (2009)
• Timken signs agreement to sell needle roller bearings business to JTEKT , (2009)
• Uncle Waffles, Ltd. sells assets to J.M. Smucker LLC
• University Hospitals Health System performs clinical trials for pharma and medical device companies , (2009)
• Verity Instruments acquires IP for semiconductor manufacturing

West Practice Categories

Business Organizations, Business Successions, Closely Held Businesses, Copyrights, Corporate Governance, Directors' & Officers' Liability, Dissolution, Formation & Business Planning, Franchising, Intellectual Property Law, International Intellectual Property, Joint Ventures, Limited Liability Companies, Mergers, Acquisitions & Divestitures, Non-profit & Tax-exempt Organizations, Partnerships, Patents, Reorganizations, Shareholders' Rights, Technology Licensing, Trade Associations, Trade Dress, Trade Secrets, Trademarks

Bar Admissions

• California

Education

• John Marshall Law Schl-Chicago
• U of Akron

Published Works

• Quanta Computer v. LG Electronics: The U.S. Supreme Court Breathes New Life Into the Patent Exhaustion Defense, 2008

Address

12265 El Camino Real Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92130-4096

Phones

1.858.314.1164 (Business Phone)

Faxes

1.858.314.1150 (Business Fax)

Emails

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Websites

http://www.jonesday.com