Robert Brewer

Firm: Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
Location: Nashville - TN

  • 150 Third Avenue South Suite 2800
    Nashville, TN 37201
    USA
  • Tel : (901) 543-5900
  • Fax : (901) 543-5999

Robert Brewer is co-chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group. For more than fifteen years, Bob has focused his practice solely on intellectual property and technology transactions and licensing. Bob helps clients through legal, technical and transactional challenges arising in technology transactions and the technology procurement process, with particular emphasis on the operational, contractual and regulatory aspects of technology agreements in the healthcare industry. His practice focuses on strategic guidance regarding buying and selling technology goods and services, including licensing, professional services, outsourcing, cloud computing, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements, as well as joint ventures, collaborations and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments where technology and intellectual property are of significant importance and value. In addition, he counsels clients on data security and cyberliability issues, proactive data security planning and policies and incident response plans.

Bob’s practice involves:

Health Information Technology – Representing providers (such as hospitals and hospital systems, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, pharmacies, device makers and laboratories) and ancillary entities (such as billing companies and vendors that provide services or financing to healthcare providers) on all matters involving licensing initiatives and the procurement and use of technology in healthcare, including a nationally-ranked academic medical center; two of the largest public hospital operators in the country; the largest senior living company in the country; a leading revenue cycle management and clinical information exchange company; and several investor-owned medical/surgical hospitals and health systems. Bob also has represented healthcare software companies, medical equipment manufacturers and technology services companies in hundreds of transactions involving the licensing and commercialization of intellectual property, the procurement process and negotiation with providers and health systems.

Technology Transactions – Counseling clients with respect to the negotiation and drafting of software licenses, system implementation/integration agreements, ASP/SaaS/cloud agreements, outsourcing agreements, managed services agreements, hosting/data center agreements, co-location agreements, service level agreements, hardware acquisition and maintenance agreements, supply and distribution agreements, reseller agreements, telecommunications agreements and security services agreements. Bob is routinely involved in all phases of IT systems procurement, including drafting RFPs and managing the RFP process; down-selection; developing, drafting and negotiating contracts; establishing service levels and performance criteria; and drafting project management and governance terms.

Research & Development, Technology Transfer & Commercialization Agreements– Structuring and negotiating academic/university agreements, strategic alliances and collaborations and development agreements.

Privacy & Data Security – Advising in-house legal departments, c-suites, boards of directors and IT teams on proactive corporate data security and incident planning and response efforts, including development of corporate privacy and security policies and procedures, breach preparation and cybersecurity risk management, compliance with state security breach notification laws and responding security breaches involving an array of compromised records, including credit card and healthcare data on behalf of both private and public companies. He helps clients identify, evaluate and manage risks associated with their collection and use of information.

Mergers & Acquisitions – Representing clients with regard to intellectual property and technology matters in mergers, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other transactions.

Honors & Awards

  • Chambers USA — Intellectual Property (2019-2021)
  • Best Lawyers® — Nashville Information Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2021); Nashville Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2018, 2016, 2012)
  • The Best Lawyers in America© — Copyright Law; Information Technology Law; Technology Law; Trademark Law (2009-2022)
  • Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2008-2013)
  • Business Tennessee “Best 150 Lawyers in Tennessee”

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC

Our Intellectual Property & Technology attorneys offer the complete range of legal services for the identification, development, acquisition, protection, commercialization and enforcement of intellectual property (IP) assets and related technology. Whether performing due diligence for an acquisition, securing a patent or trademark, or using litigation to resolve an IP dispute, our full-service intellectual property group works closely with clients to provide business-minded solutions and to achieve results in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

Our licensing and transactional attorneys develop a sophisticated understanding of our clients’ businesses and dedicate time to understanding the industries in which our clients operate. They are devoted full-time to counseling, drafting, and negotiating technology transactions. Our IP transaction team also works seamlessly with our other practice groups to provide integrated services to clients in healthcare and corporate mergers, acquisitions, financings, and restructurings involving technology and IP assets.

Our IP litigation practice combines the technical knowledge of our patent attorneys with substantial trial experience. IP litigators protect clients’ ability to research, develop and market intellectual assets, including counseling clients as both plaintiffs and defendants in intellectual property enforcement disputes.

Some of our IP portfolio services include:

  • Patent prosecution, maintenance and enforcement.
  • Trademark clearance, registration, maintenance and enforcement.
  • Copyright litigation and counseling.
  • Trade secret litigation and counseling.
  • IP aspects of mergers, acquisitions, alliances, strategic relationships, joint ventures and other corporate and healthcare transactions.
  • Technology development, procurement and commercialization.
  • Information technology and business process outsourcing.
  • Providing infringement, validity and enforceability opinions.
  • Developing IP portfolio strategies.
  • Counseling on privacy and data security.
  • Advising on media, advertising and marketing strategies.
  • Valuation and asset management.

We proudly represent innovative businesses and fast-growing startups across many industries including automotive, biotechnology, chemicals, computer hardware and software, consumer products, electronics, financial services, healthcare, information technology, life sciences, media and entertainment, music, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.