Stafford Matthews, Partner

Mr. Matthews represents companies engaged in the development and manufacturing of technology-based and consumer products in their corporate and intellectual property transactions.  His practice focuses on the development, licensing and transfers of patents and other proprietary rights and technologies in domestic and international markets; inbound and outbound commercial transactions; establishing and enforcing domestic and international systems for the distribution and marketing of products and services; franchising programs; antitrust and unfair competition issues; and structuring and negotiating strategic alliances and other complex business arrangements, including corporate mergers and acquisitions.  Mr. Matthews also counsels clean tech and renewable energy companies in connection with federal stimulus and other non-dilutive financing programs. Mr. Matthews is the co-chair of the clean tech practice team for the firm's Venture Capital and Technology Group.

Mr. Matthews is qualified to practice law as both a US lawyer and an English solicitor. (UK regulated activities regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority).  Mr. Matthews also has a Postgraduate Diploma in European Community (EC) Competition Law from King’s College London, School of Law, University of London.

Mr. Matthews has served as outside counsel for numerous public and privately held companies in the electric vehicle and automotive, energy, computer hardware and software, digital audio and consumer electronics, industrial chemicals, wireless communications, e-commerce, and wine and beverage industries, among others.

In addition, Mr. Matthews has extensive experience in tax matters and represents a number of prominent international charitable organizations concerned with human rights, resource exploitation, and scientific and technological advancement.

Mr. Matthews is a board certified specialist in franchise and distribution law and is recognized by Who’s Who Legal as an expert practitioner in franchise law. He also is a recipient of the Wiley W. Manuel Award for Pro Bono Legal Services, awarded by the Board of Governors of the State Bar of California.

Mr. Matthews is the Chairman of the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California for 2009 - 2010. The board is responsible for the granting and administration of all board-certified legal specialties in the state and is a national leader in the board certification movement for lawyers.  Mr. Matthews recently served as chairman of the Franchise and Distribution Law Consulting Group and as co-chair of the Franchise Law Committee of the California State Bar.

Mr. Matthews’ recent publications include a chapter on international issues in technology transactions for the treatise Intellectual Property for Business Transactions (published in March 2008); “Managing Default and Termination of Licensing Relationships,” The Licensing Journal (May 2006); “How Patent Pools Can Avoid Competition Concerns,” Managing Intellectual Property (April 2005); “Standard Setting Organizations Under a Microscope,” Managing Intellectual Property (October 2004) and a three part article on “Antitrust Issues in Licensing Transactions,” The Licensing Journal.