McCurdy Laud, LLC

We're excited to share that Catlan McCurdy has joined Bridger Photonics as their Chief Legal Officer. This transition builds on Catlan's successful year as Bridger's General Counsel and represents the kind of innovative legal service delivery that has always defined McCurdy Laud. While Catlan will focus exclusively on Bridger's ambitious international expansion and scaling objectives, she will maintain her role as administrative head of our transactional group. Our commitment to exceptional client service remains unwavering. Maxwell McCurdy continues leading client services and firm operations, while Melissa Nelson continues serving our clients with the professionalism they expect, supervised by Sanjiv Laud. We're also actively recruiting an experienced principal attorney to further strengthen our transactional capabilities. This evolution reflects our belief that sometimes the most effective way to serve clients is to think beyond traditional practice models. We're proud to support Bridger's mission to reduce global methane emissions while continuing to deliver the personalized, technically sophisticated counsel our broader client community has come to trust. Here's to new chapters, innovative partnerships, and the continued growth of both organizations. #LegalInnovation #IPLaw #TechLaw #ClientService #McCurdyLaud #BridgerPhotonics https://lnkd.in/g84k84Fy

Melissa Nelson is heading to Chicago this week on behalf of McCurdy Laud, LLC for UIDP 2025: Empowering Productive Partnerships🏙️ University-industry partnerships are where innovation meets commercialization—and where good legal counsel can make the difference between breakthrough success and bureaucratic gridlock. With R&D policies evolving rapidly and technology transfer becoming more complex, events like UIDP Chicago aren't just networking opportunities. They're essential intelligence gathering for the clients we serve. Melissa's focus? Diving into discussions on technology commercialization and partnership structuring. In particular, how these collaborations are adapting to today's challenges to better serve our clients navigating complex IP agreements, federal compliance requirements, and innovative joint ventures. We're looking forward to bringing fresh insights back to our practice and sharing what we learn with the broader innovation community. #UIDPChicago2025 #UniversityIndustryPartnerships #TechTransfer #Innovation #CollaborationAgreements

This month, our litigation team is preparing for trial – the culmination of years of hard work. Preparing for a successful trial is about asking the right questions: What documents tell the real story? Which witnesses hold the key insights? How do we present complex technical concepts in a way that's crystal clear to everyone in the room? This is what taking the pain away looks like in practice. When our clients face high-stakes litigation, they're not just getting an attorney—they're getting a strategic partner who's thought through every angle before walking into that room. Traditional training with modern legal services. The best litigation outcomes happen when clients can focus on running their business, knowing their legal team has everything covered. #PatentLitigation #LegalStrategy #IntellectualProperty #ClientFirst

AI tools are transforming businesses in incredible ways. At McCurdy Laud, LLC we're helping clients navigate these innovations while managing the practical considerations that come with powerful new technology. When OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently acknowledged that ChatGPT conversations could be discoverable in litigation, it reinforced an important distinction: AI platforms are tools, not attorneys. The attorney-client privilege exists in your relationship and communications with your lawyer, not with technology platforms. Here's our two cents on what smart AI adoption looks like: 🪙 Use AI to accelerate research, generate initial contract language, and explore strategic options. 🪙 For sensitive work, consider HIPAA-compliant AI solutions or AI tools that operate within your internal systems rather than cloud-based platforms that store data externally. The future of legal practice combines human expertise with AI efficiency. We're excited to leverage these tools to deliver even better results for our clients—faster, more thoroughly, and more cost-effectively. How is your organization integrating AI tools while maintaining appropriate information security? #LegalTech #AI #AttorneyClientPrivilege #LegalInnovation #FutureOfLaw

Melissa Nelson and Catlan McCurdy recently spent time with the Bridger Photonics team in Bozeman, Montana - a few days that perfectly exemplified what meaningful client relationship looks like. The all-company meeting achieved something rare: genuine alignment and shared energy around Bridger's vision. But beyond the formal sessions, it was the quieter moments that mattered most - team hikes through Montana's landscapes, thoughtful dinners, and conversations that extended well into the evening. These experiences aren't just pleasant additions to business travel. They're the foundation of how real work gets done. When you truly know the people behind the mission, collaboration flows naturally, decisions feel effortless, and the impact of reducing global emissions becomes deeply personal rather than simply professional. The kind of partnership that changes how you see both the work and the world. McCurdy Laud, LLC is lucky to be in a position where it is inspired by the mission of its clients to do more. #IntellectualProperty #LegalCounsel #ClientPartnership #PurposeDrivenBusiness #ClimateInnovation #Montana #TeamAlignment #IPLaw

McCurdy Laud, LLC is heading to Chicago! 🏙️ Attorney Melissa Nelson will be at UIDP Chicago 2025 (Sept 16-18), where university-industry partnerships take center stage. The conference theme, "Empowering Productive Partnerships," resonates deeply with our mission. We've built our practice around one core belief: take the pain away. Whether it's structuring a university licensing agreement or negotiating technology transfer terms, our job is to make complex partnerships feel seamless for our clients. With R&D policies shifting and technology commercialization evolving faster than ever, events like UIDP Chicago are essential intelligence gathering for the clients we serve. We look forward to connecting with fellow innovators, researchers, and partnership leaders who are turning collaboration into action. Join us by registering using the link in the comments below 👇 #UIDPChicago2025 #UniversityIndustryPartnerships #TechTransfer #Innovation #McCurdyLaud

Our July newsletter revisits the post-patent expiration royalties issue we examined last December, with a pivotal Supreme Court decision that solidifies the current licensing landscape. Circuit Split Update: Supreme Court Denies Review, Leaving Patent Licensing Guidance in Place The Supreme Court's denial of certiorari in Atrium Medical Corporation v. C.R. Bard definitively resolves the circuit split debate we covered in our December 2024 newsletter. As we noted in our December analysis, these cases clarify rather than complicate the legal landscape. The justices' denial confirms this view—though circuit courts may emphasize different analytical approaches, their outcomes consistently support existing Brulotte principles. Key developments from our analysis: "The denial carries immediate practical consequences, with the Corteva Agriscience v. Monsanto case resuming before the Delaware Supreme Court after being stayed pending Atrium's petition." "The Corteva case demonstrates the global complexity of modern patent licensing, where unified royalty structures deliberately span multiple jurisdictions—exactly as Kimble envisioned when noting parties could 'find ways around' Brulotte." "For clients structuring patent licenses, this creates both opportunity and obligation. The opportunity lies in courts' increasing comfort with creative payment structures that respect Brulotte's core prohibition while meeting business objectives." Subscribe to our newsletter for our complete analysis of this developing case law by clicking the link in the comments below 👇 #PatentLaw #IntellectualProperty #SupremeCourt #PatentLicensing #Brulotte #LegalInnovation

Upcoming UIDP webinar! McCurdy Laud, LLC's Catlan McCurdy is moderating a conversation with Elaine Brock, JD, MHSA on July 30th about the real compliance challenges our clients face when navigating research contracts in university-industry partnerships. Join us for actionable insights that make complex compliance issues clear and actionable! Register in advance using the link in the comments below 👇 #UniversityIndustryPartnerships #IPCompliance #Innovation

McCurdy Laud, LLC was proud to file an amicus brief on behalf of the Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA ) in Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple, Inc.—a case that will shape how we think about digital marketplaces for years to come. The real highlight? Building our appellate practice with Meredith Stewart's exceptional contributions. There's something magical about working with exceptional team members. ✨ #AppellatePractice #TechLaw #SIIA #EpicVsApple #LegalStrategy

Last month, a federal district court in California issued a significant ruling in the Bartz v. Anthropic case, granting partial summary judgment and providing a framework for how AI companies can and cannot use copyrighted materials. Key takeaways from the ruling: ✅ Training AI models = Fair Use ✅ Print-to-Digital Format conversion = Fair Use ❌ Piracy (downloading unauthorized copies of copyrighted materials) ≠ Justified by downstream fair use While the case will proceed to trial on damages related to the pirated, unauthorized materials, the core question of whether AI training constitutes fair use has been answered. Buying a physical book, scanning the book, and using the digital materials to train AI models is acceptable. But downloading the book illegally or outside the authorized distribution channels is not acceptable - even if the use of the materials would be considered “fair use” if the materials had been properly obtained. The court found that the means of acquisition is key. What are your thoughts on the outcome of this case—should LLM training be considered fair use? Comment below 👇 #IntellectualProperty #AILaw #CopyrightInfringement #FairUse #LegalPrecedent #TechLaw