Hilco IP Advisory
Commercial IP advice for businesses, investors and their advisers. We help you understand the intellectual property behind the business, identify risks and opportunities, and prioritise the actions that support growth, investment and transactions.
Hilco IP Advisory sits at the intersection of IP expertise and commercial advisory.
Our work covers patents, software, brands, data, trade secrets and know-how. We connect the IP position to business priorities, working alongside your existing patent attorneys, legal and tax advisers, and internal teams.
Develop and implement IP strategies that align with wider business goals.
IP Strategy DevelopmentProtect and strengthen the value of innovation, brand, and data assets.
IP DiscoverySupport investment, M&A, and restructuring activity with clear insight into IP risks and opportunities.
Pre-Deal IP ScreeningBenchmark IP portfolios against competitors and market trends.
Competitive BenchmarkingIdentify patentable innovations to unlock tax savings through the Patent Box regime.
Patent BoxBuy, sell or license IP to support commercial priorities and realise value.
IP Sales, Licensing & Acquisitions
We help businesses assess their Patent Box opportunity and prepare the IP evidence supporting the claim, covering existing patents and new innovation, working alongside your tax adviser.
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Protect what you're building, and unlock the tax relief it earns.
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Specialist IP input for your deal, without slowing it down.
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Commercial IP advice for corporate strategy, innovation and transactions.
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Client Situation
A corporate finance adviser needed an independent assessment of a technology business developing miniature actuators for smartphone cameras and other compact devices. The technology used shape memory alloys to deliver precise movement for applications including autofocus and optical image stabilisation.
Our Work
We analysed the patent portfolio across actuator mechanics, sensing, control software and manufacturing, mapping protection to products and markets. The review assessed geographic coverage, remaining patent life and competitor activity, including how later inventions supported the business as foundational patents approached expiry.
Outcome
The analysis identified the strongest sources of IP value alongside expiry, coverage and technology substitution risks, giving the adviser a clearer basis for assessing the company’s competitive position and directing further diligence.
Client Situation
A hardware manufacturer was expanding into AI and needed an IP approach that reflected the new inventions and technical know-how emerging from its R&D. The focus was on how to capture and protect the innovation underpinning this change in direction.
Our Work
We worked with the R&D team to identify new AI inventions and developed a trade secret policy to guide decisions about patenting and confidentiality. We also reviewed the relevant patent landscape and freedom-to-operate risks to inform the company’s approach to protection and development.
Outcome
A practical framework for evaluating new inventions, deciding what to consider for patent protection and what to retain as trade secrets. The work gave the business clearer IP priorities as it developed its AI offering.
Browse our full IP Advisory service catalogue, from Patent Box to ExitIP.
Browse the catalogueLearn more about our team, our approach, and the wider Hilco network we draw on.
About IP Advisory
A practical guide for business owners, management teams and investors.
