Connectivity, convergence and communication are driving forward the Components & Devices industry as M2M & IoT products and solutions become ever more ubiquitous.

While our reputation comes from supporting on international projects, transactions and disputes involving clients focused on the Tech sector, increasingly companies from a range of industries are looking to adopt and implement components and devices in previously unseen quantities. This includes businesses related to energy (smart meters, grid automation, battery systems, storage), automotive (autonomous driving, battery systems, driver support, engineering support and public infrastructure) and healthcare (wellbeing, remote care, diagnostics and medical devices with communication capability).

Our international experts work across the Components & Devices lifecycle, advising on issues relating to:

Design IP protection; regulation, privacy by design

Disputes/claims product liability, recall, IP infringement (patents, designs, TM, copyright levies etc.)

Distribution & monetisation multijurisdictional (consumer) contract reviews, distribution and reseller agreements, end user terms, advertising, data protection

Manufacturing licensing, export / import, know-how, JVs, product, labelling and environmental regulations, telecoms regulation

Product compliance and regulation

Trade Secrets

Transactions IP transactional, Tech M&A.

Contacts

Ted Chwu

Partner | China

 +852 2248 6000

 [email protected]

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Dr. Fabian Niemann

Partner | Germany

 +49 (0)69 74222 6000

 [email protected]

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Ronald Hendrikx

Partner | UK

 +44 (0)20 7415 6000

 [email protected]

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Recent highlights of work

We provided comprehensive advice in connection with the sale of a major printer manufacturer to a Chinese consortium and subsequent reorganisation (under corporate law, employment law, IT/ contract law, data protection law, capital market law).
Having advised EE on the launch of EE TV, we have continued to advise in relation to new and innovative feature launches. EETV continues to push the boundaries of innovation and deliver new technological benefits to its customers. At an industry level it also became the first ‘quad’ player offering mobile, home line, broadband and television. It also demonstrates how media, technology, telecoms and electronics continue to converge, and how the media landscape is evolving. This raises interesting legal and commercial issues for the industry, particularly other providers of TV and on-demand services.
Advising a US tech conglomerate on a range of telecoms regulatory issues associated with the deployment of a suite of innovative over-the-top (“OTT”) services across Europe and Asia-Pacific. The services advised on are diverse and include voice over Internet protocol (“VoIP”), broadcasting and IP messaging/chat room services. We have advised on the regulatory status of these services under the telecoms regulatory rules in the UK and in other EU and non-EU countries and on the compliance requirements that may apply to such services under the relevant national laws.

Accolades

"When we work in a location for the first time, they are able to connect me to good lawyers, which is really helpful."

Chambers Global 2019
Ted Chwu advises on cross-border IP litigation, enforcement, monetisation and prosecution strategies in technologies such as materials technology, aerospace, semiconductors, IoT applications and consumer electronics.

Chambers Asia Pacific 2019
Clients find the team's "ability to tap into lawyers in other locations really helpful," adding that the "advice is pragmatic as well as sensitive to challenges we have".

Chambers Global 2019
Jane Mutimear “is very engaging, very proactive and ensures a constructive relationship with the client.”

Chambers Global 2018
Broad capabilities across the full range of rights, with a strong reputation for patent and trade mark disputes in the technology and communications sectors. Richard Vary focuses on standard-essential patent litigation.

Legal 500 UK 2020
Bird & Bird LLP are noted as “highly regarded practitioners offering expertise on transactions and disputes in the technology and telecommunications sectors” who "are known to conduct good and original work in the TMT area and possess a wide-reaching presence in terms of their jurisdictional abilities".

Chambers Global 2018