Longford Capital’s Partnership with University of California

Longford Capital is a leading provider of litigation finance solutions to Universities.

Partnering with Universities to Advance Innovation

Universities devote significant resources to research and development, and to safeguarding the inventions created from this work with intellectual property protections. At the same time, Universities often struggle to generate meaningful revenue from their valuable intellectual property rights – revenue that could be used to advance the core mission of the University. At Longford Capital, we provide financial assistance to Universities to help them realize the full value of their research and development activities, without burdening their budgets. We are proud to support the amazing work of America’s Universities, which is the backbone of innovation and economic growth in the United States.

Longford Capital’s Partnership with Universities

Longford Capital’s Value Proposition to Universities

Longford Capital will pay the attorneys’ fees and expenses (including expert and consultant fees) associated with a University’s intellectual property monetization campaign, including:

The attorneys’ fees incurred to evaluate the University’s intellectual property portfolio to identify the most valuable assets
The attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses incurred to conduct the University’s licensing efforts
The attorneys’ fees, out-of-pocket expenses, and costs of proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office incurred as part of the University’s enforcement efforts

In return for its investment, Longford Capital will receive an agreed upon portion of the proceeds generated from the monetization campaign. If no proceeds are generated from the monetization campaign, Longford Capital is owed nothing.

Benefits to Universities

Partnering with Longford Capital enables Universities to:

Monetize their valuable intellectual property portfolios without burdening the University’s budget
Re-invest revenues generated from intellectual property monetization into research and development
Attract and retain the finest academic talent by rewarding innovation through intellectual property monetization
Transfer the financial burden of intellectual property monetization to an outside funding source
Work with their law firm of choice, without paying traditional hourly rates

How does litigation finance work?

Funds from a litigation finance contract are typically used to pay attorneys’ fees and other expenses incurred during litigation. The funding is not a loan, but, a form of non-recourse financing. Funds do not need to be repaid if the claim is unsuccessful. If the claim is resolved successfully, either through settlement or award at trial, the litigation finance firm recovers its investment, plus an agreed-upon return.

Benefits to Law Firms

Partnering with Longford Capital enables law firms to:

Provide alternative fee structures to their University clients
Provide a “no cost” option to Universities to monetize their valuable intellectual property rights
Avoid the risks associated with full-fee contingencies
Finance the attorneys’ fees, out-of-pocket expenses, and costs of proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (e.g., inter partes reviews, ex parte reexaminations, covered business method reviews, and patent prosecution fees)
Finance the strategic culling of a University’s intellectual property portfolio

Strategies for Monetizing a University’s Intellectual Property

There a number of strategies that Universities can employ to monetize their are intellectual property rights:

Universities can license their patented technology to companies that are currently using the technology
Universities can license their patented technology to companies that are not currently using the technology, but would find value in the technology
Universities can enforce their intellectual property rights in litigation
Universities can license their intellectual property rights to University-backed start-ups

Preparing for a Monetization Campaign

STEP 1:

Obtain University support for the monetization campaign

Consult with the University’s Technology Transfer Office, Research Foundation, relevant department chairs, and leadership team

STEP 2:

Meet with the University’s faculty and patent counsel to identify the most attractive intellectual property assets

STEP 3:

Retain experienced outside counsel and other appropriate experts and consultants to strategically analyze the University’s intellectual property portfolio