Each year, thousands of discoveries originate in the fruitful minds of institutional researchers. Calfee’s technology transfer practice group helps research institutions and their corporate partners convert these valuable discoveries into income-generating assets.
Our technology transfer experts regularly counsel institutions and their licensees in a broad range of transactions. By assembling a multidisciplinary team, including lawyers from our intellectual property, capital raising, and government relations practices, we find cohesive solutions to the unique challenges presented by moving technology out of labs and into the market.
In addition to transactions, Calfee assists major research institutions with establishing internal innovations programs, intellectual property cultivation exercises, internal intellectual property practices and policies, and licensing programs to monetize intellectual property resulting from years of research and funding.
Calfee offers a full suite of services to support research institutions and their corporate partners, including:
Since 2004, Calfee has been recognized as a Leading Law Firm for Intellectual Property by Chambers USA, most recently in Band 1 in Ohio (2025). Clients provided feedback to Chambers USA researchers, "Calfee is esteemed for its handling of IP litigation and portfolio management on behalf of large clients in Ohio and the Midwest and across the USA. The IP team is highly experienced in the engineering, chemical, and biological sectors, with notable abilities in handling matters for consumer products and manufacturing clients. The team is responsive, practical, and extremely knowledgeable."
Clients interviewed by Chambers USA said, "The firm offers excellent value for its services. The team is dedicated and provides sophisticated IP legal services at an attractive cost. Calfee's IP attorneys are highly regarded; they are true experts, and they do excellent work for their clients. This is a power bench; the team works well together and supports each other well. Each individual is responsive and knowledgeable in their expertise and experience. This is definitely one of my favorite firms to work with."
Chambers USA researchers also found Calfee's IP team to be held in "very high regard by fellow practitioners who note Calfee's extensive experience representing clients in wider patent and trademark matters, IP litigation matters, appellate work, and advising companies on managing IP assets in China."
Calfee was selected for inclusion in the 2026 "Best Law Firms" rankings in Patent Law (Regional Tier 1 Cleveland, Regional Tier 2 Cincinnati).
We regularly counsel universities, hospitals, public research facilities, and their industry counterparts through complex intellectual property matters. This includes technologies developed in renowned institutions such as the following:
"Calfee's IP group is esteemed for its handling of IP litigation and portfolio management on behalf of large clients in Ohio, the Midwest, and across the USA. They are highly experienced in the engineering, chemical, and biological sectors, with notable abilities in handling matters for consumer products and manufacturing clients."
Researcher comments, Chambers USA
