Thomas A.Briggs (Tom)

Tom Briggs negotiates technology-based transactions, such as licenses, strategic alliances, joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, where intellectual property is the focal point. Tom also negotiates agreements that involve the transfer, protection, or sharing of IP or of new products and services, such as for distribution, manufacturing, supply, software and services, joint development, sponsored research, clinical trials, employee IP rights, and consulting.

Tom is the Firm's head of transactions for California, where he serves as cross-practice leadership of lawyers in the M&A, private equity, and financial market practices and others handling transactional work, including in the IP, energy, real estate, and health care practices. He was a founder of Jones Day's IP Transactions team.

Tom has extensive experience representing clients in cross-border transactions, particularly between the United States, China, Japan, and Europe. Clients include Bunge, EagleTree Capital, Genomatica, Idemitsu Kosan, Incyte, Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Koch, Organon, P&G, Polaris, and Shanghai Junshi.

In helping clients with their technology transactions, Tom draws upon a rare combination of work experiences. He is a patent lawyer who has litigated cases involving infringement, misappropriation, and noncompetition and has prosecuted patent and trademark registrations. He has served as chief intellectual property officer and assistant general counsel of M.A. Hanna Company (now PolyOne Corporation). He also spent 10 years as a practicing chemical engineer and plant supervisor with Union Carbide/Praxair before his career as a lawyer. Tom leverages his engineering career and scientific training by focusing on transactions that involve pharmaceuticals, biotech, medical devices, food, agriculture, environment, sustainability, fermentation, industrial chemicals, semiconductors, software, polymers, steel, and oil and gas.