GHA are delighted to recommend Eversheds law firm for support with developing Consortium Agreements. The following information will give you a brief overview of the company and its services. For more information you can visit their website.

A Brief Overview

We are a full service international law firm, headquartered in the UK, with offices throughout Europe, Africa and Asia.

There are many good reasons why you should choose to develop a relationship with us:

• We have extensive experience of working with a wide range of clients on collaborative development arrangements (and FP7 and grant funding consortium agreements, in particular) in a range of technology sectors, and assisting in development, protection and exploitation of products and IP portfolios.
  
  
• We work with our clients (and alongside their in-house teams) and support them in the way that they choose.
  
  
• Our advanced client relationship model will help manage workflow efficiently and control cost.
  
  
• We will provide you with training, information support and access to systems and technology for speed and increased value for money.
  

There are many law firms in the world, but very few like ours. Eversheds has consistently been at the forefront of changes in the legal profession and is widely regarded as one of the most progressive and forward thinking practices around. We have a reputation for being unstuffy, down-to-earth, accessible people who provide advice in a straightforward way. We are continuously challenging the concept of what a law firm is and how it operates.

The core elements of our service will include:

• Working collaboratively with you and G&H Associates towards common objectives, delivering real benefits and value to your team through strategic partnering.
  
  
• Developing a relationship based on mutual trust, sharing of risks and rewards and a commitment to each other’s financial success.
  
  
• A constant willingness to be innovative and progressive, and to maximise the use of technology to improve the way in which we work together through knowledge transfer and training.
  
  
• Dedication to working in the way that suits you best and actively encouraging continuous improvements in the way we work together.
  
  
• Working with you to identify and reduce exposure to business and legal risks.
  
  
• Working with you to define a set of performance measures focussed on getting the results you want.

We look forward to working with you.

A Winning Combination

Resource, reputation and market knowledge
Our group includes some of the most respected and highly recognised lawyers in the technology field. The group includes lawyers with backgrounds in many disciplines including engineering, computer science, chemical engineering, industrial chemistry and physics.

We also offer you full and comprehensive coverage in all major jurisdictions through the Eversheds network of offices. We have been involved in very many projects where advice was required across multiple jurisdictions, and our local knowledge combined with an international overview has proved invaluable. We are not interested with putting flags on maps but in extending our reach to meet the needs of our clients. Our international vision is about delivering a high standard of integrated service across all jurisdictions and our clients increasingly tell us that we differentiate ourselves from our competitors by doing just this.

This means that you have a coherent international network to use, a guaranteed quality of service wherever you need us and lawyers who understand their own culture and the bigger picture.

Track record

We act for a diverse range of clients including some of the largest technology companies in the world. For these types of client, we have acted in very many cutting edge transactions and cases with an international perspective.

Creative initiatives and investments
Through our network of UK and overseas offices, our group has established a reputation for developing innovative solutions to deal cost-effectively with the maze of challenges facing clients which arise from an ever-changing commercial landscape.

In common with our clients, our group recognises the need to be innovative, easy to use, customer focussed, highly responsive to market conditions and competitively priced.

Services we deliver to our clients
Our group provides advice in a whole range of areas, including:

• Consortium and other collaborative agreements


• Global IP management


• Dispute management, including alternative dispute resolution procedures


• Reputation management and protection for companies and individuals


• Corporate and transaction structure advice

Adding Value

Our approach
We recognise that technical excellence is taken as a ‘given’ and in doing so, distinguish our approach to the provision of legal and business advice on the basis of service quality and our modern approach to managing the client relationship.

We have invested considerable resources and time in the development of our client relationship management programme. It has been used extensively and is based on best practice. However, it is flexible and has been successfully tailored to individual client’s needs. This ensures the highest quality of delivery, client satisfaction and maximum value.

Eversheds’ Added Value Services

We strengthen our commitment through:

• Developing a deep understanding of your business and key needs.


• Developing more effective and efficient ways of working.


• Maximising opportunities while minimising legal risk.


• Using our experience to our clients’ benefits in terms of fee budgeting and case management.


• Developing common solutions to familiar problems and solving new ones.


• Always delivering within the agreed time scale.


• Complying with our clients’ reporting need, and responding clearly and concisely.


• Streamlining documentation and exchanging information on-line whenever possible.


• Sharing knowledge - regular bulletins and newsletters.


• Creating commercial best practice without reinventing the wheel.

We would be happy to discuss our client relationship management programme with you.

Key Contacts

James Fry, partner
James is a partner specialising in intellectual property and technology work and read Chemistry at The University of Sheffield before qualifying as a solicitor in 1996. 

He has significant experience of acting for clients in a range of industrial and technology sectors, including the bio-pharma, chemical, energy and engineering sectors. Much of his work is focussed on IP strategy and audit, IP licensing and R&D and other collaborative agreements. He also has significant experience of advising on regulation and how this impacts IP/product development e.g. REACH, advertising regulation and the regulation of medical devices and pharmaceuticals.

He has advised on a range of projects under EU Framework Programmes 5 to 7 as well as other funding and collaborative schemes.

James is a regular speaker on IP and contractual issues. He is rated as a leading IP lawyer in both Chambers and the Legal 500 (the main UK directories) where he has been quoted as being: "not afraid to express his opinion" and "a highly skilled, commercially astute negotiator". Chambers 2006 Edition also rates James’ team as “one of the best bioscience teams in the region.”

James is a member of the Licensing Executives Society, AURIL (Association for University Research and Industry Links) and UNICO (University Companies Association).
t: 0845 497 7622
m: 0778 911 1795
e: jamesfry@eversheds.com

Emma Cassie, solicitor

Emma is a solicitor in Eversheds' commercial practice, focusing on non-contentious intellectual property matters.

Emma advises clients in the science and technology fields on intellectual property protection, management and exploitation.

In addition to advising clients on a range of collaboration, licensing, R&D and manufacturing and supply agreements, Emma regularly provides support on both vendor and purchaser side corporate transactions involving businesses in the sector. Emma has experience in acting for diverse clients in the biopharma sector from start-ups to AIM listed companies and from charities to multinationals and her experience includes an 8 month commercial secondment to a NASDAQ listed drug discovery business. Emma has also advised a number of biotech clients in relation to projects under EU Framework Programmes, including the drafting and negotiation of Consortium Agreements.

t: + 44 (0) 845 497 7539 
e: emmacassie@eversheds.com