FTO & DUE DILIGENCE

We check whether your innovation is marketable - and whether the IP portfolio of your partners or Targets delivers what it promises.

Identifying risks in time.

Whether you are launching a new product or investing in a technology-driven company, you need clarity.

Freedom-to-Operate Analyses (FTO) and IP Due Diligence create the basis for informed decisions: They show whether third-party IP Rights could block marketing – or whether an existing IP portfolio is actually resilient, enforceable and strategically valuable.

We combine legal precision with technical understanding and economic focus. For IP security that doesn’t just exist on paper, but works in reality.

Advantages

Creating legal certainty

Recognize at an early stage whether IP Rights of third parties are hindering your market entry.

Securing investments

Avoid surprises with M&A, investments or product launches.

Informing decisions

Make strategic IP decisions based on clear facts - not assumptions.

Minimize competitive risks

Identify potential conflicts before they result in costly proceedings.

What we can do for you

Patents are not just IP Rights – they can also be legal hurdles. Whether you want to protect your own products or evaluate a third-party IP portfolio: We provide clarity. With systematic FTO analyses and IP Due Diligence, we provide the basis for decision-making to identify risks at an early stage, avoid surfaces for attack and secure investments.

FTO - Freedom to Operate (FTO)

Whenever you develop a new product or technology, a central question arises: Can you implement your project without infringing existing IP Rights of third parties?

A well-founded FTO analysis gives you this security – even before it becomes expensive. It is used in product development, in investment processes or before market entry to identify, assess and actively manage risks.

Our services in the FTO area:

  • Research and analysis of relevant IP Rights in the target markets
  • Checking legal validity (term, status, change of ownership)
  • Technical comparison of your solution with property rights claims
  • Risk classification (low, medium, high risk)
  • Development of Design-Around or Licensing Strategies
  • Creation of clear, prioritized FTO reports for technical and legal decision-makers
  • Integration in innovation and development processes

IP Due Diligence

Anyone investing in technology-driven companies or entering into strategic partnerships needs a realistic picture of the other party’s IP portfolio.

We analyze the substance, structure and risks of Patents, Trademarks, Designs and Software IP – and create the basis for secure, well-founded decisions in the M&A, investment or cooperation environment.

Our services in the area of IP Due Diligence:

  • Analysis of the property rights portfolio: Patents, Trademarks, Designs, Software
  • Assessment of the scope of protection, economic relevance & legal risks
  • Examination of ownership structures, transfers and license models
  • Uncovering legal weaknesses and potential legal disputes
  • Consideration of technical dependencies and R&D relationships
  • Preparation of structured due diligence reports for Investors, buyers or partners
  • Support in transaction negotiations with legal & technical IP expertise

Request advice on patent protection

Take advantage of our expertise for your patent protection. Let us discuss your needs together and determine the best strategies.

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Our technical areas of expertise

Technical complexity is not an obstacle for us, but part of everyday life. Our team combines legal know-how with a sound technical background from a wide range of specialist disciplines. This enables us not only to protect your inventions legally, but also to penetrate their content and argue them convincingly – vis-à-vis patent offices, courts and business partners.

Our approach is interdisciplinary, solution-oriented and close to technological practice. We not only keep an eye on Protectability, but also on usability, scalability and strategic fit – both nationally and internationally.

Industry and Technology

  • Mechanical and Plant Engineering
  • Automotive
  • Construction
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Process Engineering
  • Technical Physics
  • Materials Science

Health and Life Sciences

  • Medical Technology and Medical Devices
  • Biotechnology
  • Chemistry (Pharmaceutical Chemistry)

Consumer Goods and Luxury

  • Luxury Brands
  • Consumer Goods
  • Cosmetics

Media, Entertainment and Public Sector

  • Media & Entertainment
  • Public Sector

IT and Artificial Intelligence

  • IT and AI
  • Enterprise Software and Database Technology
Your Contacts

Our Team

Professional competence and international experience characterize our Team, which consists of experts from various fields.

To the entire Team

Dr Philipp Rüfenacht

Partner, Swiss Patent Attorney, European Patent Attorney, Representative before the UPC, Dipl. Phys. Uni BE

Mirko Schade

Managing Partner, German Patent Attorney, MBA St. Gallen, Dipl.-Ing. Aerospace Engineering University of the German Armed Forces
To the entire Team
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