In an interview published in the IAM Strategy 300 Global Leaders guide, Garrard Beeney and Nader Mousavi, co-heads of S&C’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice, discussed developments in the intellectual property field, as well as how S&C’s IP practice has evolved over time. Garrard, a litigation partner, noted that IP disputes more frequently go to trial given the heightened stakes for multinational corporations. This trend was reflected in S&C’s recent victories for Bayer over BASF before an ICC tribunal, for Columbia University in a jury trial against Norton LifeLock and for Ocado in a patent dispute with rival AutoStore in the International Trade Commission.
Nader, a transactional partner, noted that the value of intangible assets continues to grow as technology or other intangibles have become more central to the value of leading companies: “[I]n 1975, more than 80% of value of the S&P 500 was in tangible assets. Now, it is estimated that only 10% of the value of the S&P 500 is in tangible assets, with 90% being in intangible assets.”
Both stressed the importance of the Firm’s culture of teamwork. Said Nader: “We achieve the best results by ensuring that everyone is rowing in the same direction and focusing on our common objective.”
Read the IAM interview.