TECHNOLOGY
LAW FIRM
Specialist legal services to support commercialization of technology.
SPECIALTY
AREAS
IP STRATEGY
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A critical aspect to successful commercialization is leveraging the various protection mechanism in an optimized manner, including trade secrets, patents, and others. Beyond this, we provide bespoke commercialization advice to assist clients in ensuring strategy is aligned with business objectives.
PATENTS
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We have two decades of experience in the preparation, filing and management of patent applications both in Australia and across the globe. Our services extend to providing detailed Freedom to Operate, infringement and risk management advice, enforcement strategy implementation, and portfolio management.
COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS
No matter what form of agreement or structure is required to meet commercial objectives, we have you covered, including complex licensing agreements, project implementation contracts, NDAs and research/collaboration agreements.
DUE DILIGENCE
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Our objective is to deliver increased peace of mind for investors and those seeking investment, whether that be delivering a comprehensive data room, or assessing the extent to which a company's IP supports its purposed value proposition.
TRADE SECRETS
Advising on best practice for managing and maintaining trade secret protection over valuable assets.
TRADEMARKS & BRANDING
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Development and implementation of branding protection strategies, including fling of trademarks locally and abroad.
CAPITAL RAISING
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We advise on deal structures, and assist with preparation and negotiation of a range of relevant documents, including term sheets, subscription/shareholder agreements, and debt financing documents.
COMMERCIALIZATION
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Advice in relation to strategies for technology commercialisation, including monetisation models, development pathways, and exit strategies.
DOCUMENT SUITES
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We are able to provide customised document suites to suit your business, including template MOUs, MTAs, NDAs, and documents for employees/contractors.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
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Services for corporates, incubators, accelerators and universities, designed to equip people with the right tools to enable successful commercialisation.
OUR VISION
Our mission is simple: to help our clients achieve success by delivering the highest quality strategic technology law advice, in a manner that is easy for clients to understand, and efficient in terms of resources.
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This is only achievable by a specialist who is across the nuances involved in IP strategy and technology commercialisation, and yet appreciates that the true value of advice comes from cutting through that complexity to offer powerful and practical client solutions. Clients should not need to understand the nuanced intricacies of legal frameworks; they want to know that there is a skilled advisor in their corner who can be trusted to identify the best decisions to support their desired outcomes.
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In Australia, only a handful of Patent Attorneys are qualified to practice as lawyers (or even attended law school), and very few lawyers have a deep understanding of science and technology. This often leads to a disjoint in advice: patent attorneys are not equipped (or permitted) to provide broader legal advice; and lawyers may have limited grasp of the technology which affects their ability to truly underrated what is at stake in a transaction. This often jeopardises the commercial relevance and effectiveness of IPatretagy and advice. With Forward Technology Law, that issue simply does not arise.
Our advisory skills are supported by a passion for working with growing businesses, and functioning in the modern entrepreneurial ecosystem. As a small firm, we are not driven by stakeholder/shareholder profits; our drive is to work closely with smart companies and find fulfilment in their success.
OUR FOUNDER
MATT WARD
REGISTERED PATENT ATTORNEY
LEGAL PRACTITIONER
BSc LLB MIP
Matt has been practicing as a patent attorney and lawyer in Australia for close to 20 years, specialising in delivering innovative intellectual property strategies and bespoke legal services to technology companies, ranging from start-ups and scale-ups all the way through to ASX-listed entities.
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With over a decade of working in a large firm environment, and undertaking additional studies in the United States, Matt has had the opportunity to work with some of Australia's top practitioners and numerous large multinational technology companies. His studies include a bachelor degree in mathematical physics, undergraduate and postgraduate specialist legal degrees, and completion of the Venture Finance Programme delivered through the University of Oxford.
Matt's areas of practice in technology law extend across a range of business needs in the tech sector, including IP, patents, trademarks, licensing, litigation support, capital raising transactions, general commercial counsel, and more. The intersection of law and technology is a complex space, and one where specialist legal advice is crucial. Matt has experience negotiating complex licensing and other deals in such settings, often working in conjunction with more general commercial counsel from larger firms which lack his unique expertise.
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Matt certainly doesn't fit the conventional lawyer stereotype. Whilst delivering quality IP advice to smart companies is one of his life passions, he's just as comfortable flying drones for media projects in the Andes, designing mountain bike parks for the local community, or building experience as a heli ski guide in Alaska. He flourishes in high-intensity environments.
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CONTACT
FORWARD
TECHNOLOGY LAW
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