Standard essential patents sit where patent law, antitrust, and technical standards collide, and the stakes are high on both sides of the table. We represent patent owners seeking fair compensation and implementers seeking workable license terms. Because we understand the standards themselves, from cellular protocols to codecs, we can argue essentiality and infringement on the technical merits rather than from the sidelines.
FRAND Licensing Strategy
Patents declared essential to a standard usually carry FRAND commitments, fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory licensing terms. We advise on what those obligations require, structure and run licensing negotiations, value portfolios and model royalty rates, and keep you aligned with the rules of the standard-setting organization involved. The goal is a defensible position you can hold whether the deal closes at the table or in court.
SEP Litigation and Rate Setting
When negotiations stall, we litigate. That includes infringement actions asserting standard essential patents, FRAND rate determination proceedings, breach of contract claims over licensing commitments, antitrust claims involving SEP abuse, and the contested question of when injunctive relief is even available for an SEP. We frame each of these around the leverage you need to reach a fair license.
Coordinated Global Disputes
SEP fights rarely stay in one country. Parallel proceedings in the United States, Europe, China, and other key markets apply different rules, and a ruling in one forum can reshape the others, including through anti-suit and anti-anti-suit injunctions. We help you sequence and coordinate these cases so the pieces work together instead of cutting against each other.