Partner Sarah Cooleybeck will speak on the panel “Licensing as a Growth Engine: How Startups, Strategics, and Investors Structure Deals for Novel Devices” at the MedTech Conference hosted by AdvaMed.

The discussion will explore how parties define and negotiate intellectual property rights, and how those definitions influence value, control, and risk allocation. Panelists will compare approaches to escrow arrangements, regulatory maintenance, update rights, and commercial support in software-enabled devices, highlighting differences from traditional medical device. They will also examine platform-versus-product thinking: when to license a narrowly scoped indication versus a broader technology stack, and how rights such as right of first refusal, territory, and field-of-use affect long-term partnership potential as well as valuation and exit opportunities.

Using real-world examples from recent licensing and collaboration deals, the speakers will share practical lessons on how to structure agreements that are financeable, scalable, and durable—while preserving the flexibility to pivot strategy as technologies, markets, and regulatory expectations evolve. Attendees will leave with a cross-functional view of licensing that connects term-sheet language to commercialization pathways and patient impact.