Ken’s practice focuses on complex technology transactions and advice surrounding the research, development and commercialization of software, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and hardware, and the licensing of intellectual property.
Ken was in-house counsel at Microsoft for twelve years, where he held a wide range of roles, most involving complex technology transactions. He led a team providing legal support for the company’s Microsoft Research division, advising on cutting-edge legal issues and supporting numerous technology collaborations with universities and other companies. He also negotiated major intellectual property license agreements for Microsoft with other major tech companies and supported the company’s IP Ventures team, structuring and negotiating numerous IP-for-equity spinouts.
Ken also served as the first general counsel of FiftyThree, Inc., a software and digital stylus company, partnering with the company’s executives to help lead through four years of growth and its eventual acquisition. Beyond managing all of the company’s general legal issues, he also supported the launch of new software and SaaS offerings and of a new social media platform, negotiated strategic partnerships, advised on data privacy issues, negotiated an asset acquisition, helped to establish an international distribution and retail network for the company’s digital stylus product, and built a significant patent and trademark portfolio. Ken has also worked on secondment for a cloud-based software company, where he supported new product launches and negotiated strategic partnerships, SaaS white label agreements, SaaS reseller agreements and inbound data licenses.
Having worked in-house at technology companies, Ken knows first-hand the challenges faced by company counsel and uses his experience to approach legal matters with a practical, business-minded perspective.