Paul Conover Presents Knobbe Martens at LSI USA '23

Transcription

Paul Conover  0:05  

My name is Paul Conover. I am a partner at Knobbe Martens, which is a intellectual property law firm. Next slide, please. We are the largest firm in the world that has attorneys who specialize exclusively in intellectual property for medical device companies. And consistent with that, over the last decade, we received more patents covering medical devices in the United States than any other law firm in the world. Our attorneys focus exclusively on IP law, and we have experience in every field of technology that relates to medical devices. We've got seven offices nationwide, and 300 lawyers and scientists. I go to the next slide, please. We've been involved in many RNA m&a deals. We've got some examples here over the last couple of years, large deals small deals, we represent IP holders, as well as companies that are acquiring them or investing in them. Let me just give you a quick update on a legal issue of interest to medical device companies. You may have heard recently that the FDA is proposing to impose a ban on non compete agreements. non compete agreements or non compete clauses in agreements are agreements between individuals and companies typically, where the individual who is usually an employee or a contractor agrees not to compete with that company at the end of their term of service. Some states allow them, some states limit them and other states currently forbid them where we're sitting today in a state that forbids and in California, non compete clauses are already illegal. The FTC proposes to ban them completely as a matter of federal regulatory law. This raises some complicated intersections between state and federal authority. There are many predicting that it will not survive Supreme Court scrutiny. The Supreme Court has had two cases over the last six months one that is decided and other that has just had oral argument on relating to excessive administrative regulation. And there is some thought that that this will be struck down by the Supreme Court. Planning for it is complicated. If you need help navigating the situation with a non compete clause. Please come and see us