Home / Who We Help / Manufacturer Sourcing and Contract Negotiation
Schell IP helps founders, inventors, and product teams evaluate manufacturer relationships and negotiate agreements that support commercialization while protecting product intellectual property. We connect sourcing decisions with ownership, confidentiality, production obligations, and the ability to move forward if a supplier relationship changes.
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A low unit price is only one part of a manufacturing decision. The terms governing specifications, tooling, subcontracting, changes, and access to technical information can affect the business long after the first order. Addressing those issues before production starts gives the parties a clearer basis for working together.
We help organize the legal and IP questions to ask prospective manufacturers: who will perform the work, where production will occur, which information must be shared, and which approvals are needed before changes or subcontracting. Technical capability, factory capacity, quality systems, pricing, and references also need practical diligence by the business and its technical advisers.
The engagement should define whether sourcing support includes introductions, coordination, document review, or negotiation. Legal review does not certify a factory or guarantee cost, delivery, quality, or commercial performance.
Patent planning and supplier contracting solve different problems. A patent application does not replace confidentiality obligations or settle ownership of a supplier's contributions. Cross-border arrangements also require attention to the countries involved and, when appropriate, local counsel.
Discuss the information, recipient, and purpose before disclosure. An NDA may be one part of a broader approach that includes limited access, permitted-use terms, and patent timing.
Payment alone should not be your operating assumption. The contract should state ownership, possession, maintenance, permitted use, and return or transfer arrangements.
A review can identify terms worth negotiating and gaps between the documents and the intended relationship. Bring the proposed agreement, specifications, and commercial priorities.
Book a Free Consultation to discuss a prospective manufacturer, development agreement, or supply contract before committing your product and IP.
Jeff Schell is a patent lawyer and entrepreneur who helps founders and product businesses working with manufacturers obtain and defend patent rights for their product portfolios. He connects patent strategy with product development, commercialization, and business priorities.
Based in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, Jeff is the founder of Schell IP, which is part of Whiteford, Taylor & Preston, LLP.
Please share only a general description and your timing. Do not submit confidential invention details through this website. A consultation request does not by itself establish an attorney-client relationship.
Learn how the entrepreneurial experience and legal expertise of patent lawyer Jeff Schell provides highly unique advantages for our clients.
