Claire Smith

Partner, Bristows

Claire is a partner in Bristows’ market-leading Commercial IP practice.

Clients seek Claire’s support on many different types of commercial arrangements involving their most valuable assets - their inventions, ideas, technologies, brands, designs, software and content. These include anything from high value research collaboration and licensing deals, through to the intellectual property aspects of corporate or joint venture transactions, the large majority of which are cross-border.

She works with a wide variety of organisations - ranging from start‑ups, SMEs and academic institutions to global multinationals and household names - and across a range of industries, most notably the life sciences, technology, media and consumer product sectors.

Before becoming a lawyer, Claire spent a number of years working in quality assurance and operations roles in Abbott Laboratories' medical device business. Since being at Bristows, Claire has spent time seconded to the in‑house legal team of a leading global pharmaceutical company. Claire is also a member of the UK BioIndustry Association’s Intellectual Property Advisory Committee.

Contributed to

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Licensing intellectual property rights

Practice notes

This Practice Note discusses the key practical points to consider prior to drafting and during the negotiation of an intellectual property licence (IP licence), from both a licensor’s and a licensee’s perspective. It discusses the key terms of an IP licence, including sub-licences, payment terms, improvements to the licensed IP, warranties, representations and indemnities, and the prosecution, maintenance enforcement and defence of the licensed IP. It also looks at the termination of IP licences and considers compulsory licences, collective licensing, SEPs and FRAND licence terms and the registration of IP licences.