Imogen Francis

Imogen is a personable, pragmatic intellectual property and technology lawyer. Her experience extends across a range of clients, from disruptive start-ups and research-intensive universities to innovative technology and FTSE 100 companies, predominately across the technology and life sciences sectors.

Imogen is recognised for helping technology companies and universities with agreements concerning the creation, development, protection and exploitation of emerging, unique and, often, ground-breaking technology, and has considerable in-house experience working within such organisations, gained through secondments at her previous firms.

She provides focused, practical and commercially astute legal advice in plain English, which is easy to understand and effect.  She firmly believes that a key part of achieving that is putting the client front and centre.

For me, it’s all about the client first. I very much believe that a lawyer can’t give clear, relevant legal advice unless they take the time to listen to the client and to understand the full picture in relation to the client’s business, circumstances and, critically, their specific requirements. No two clients are the same, so listening is at the heart of my strongest and longest client relationships.

A good lawyer must be approachable and responsive, so that clients feel able to ask questions and voice their concerns and feedback, without judgment. If you understand your client, you are also well placed to highlight additional areas of support that they may need.

Imogen has over 11 years’ experience drafting a wide range of intellectual property and technology contracts for her clients, including:

• NDAs, option agreements and evaluation agreements - to protect and test new methods and innovations.
• Collaboration and joint venture agreements, and software development and maintenance contracts - to develop and maintain new products and technologies.
• Licence agreements, revenue sharing arrangements and reseller agreements - to exploit established products and technologies.

I am passionate about technology. It is a privilege to work for creative clients, forming part of the team that drives forward exciting new products from inception to commercialisation. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my day.

Although intellectual property and technology work is at the heart of Imogen’s practice, her experience and expertise extends to a wide range of commercial law matters including sponsorship work, advice surrounding advertising and marketing, and the drafting of general commercial terms, such as website and mobile app terms and conditions, studentship agreements and service contracts.

Imogen qualified in 2013 and has previously worked at SGH Martineau (now Shakespeare Martineau) and Shoosmiths LLP.

In her spare time, Imogen loves weight training at the gym, volunteering and spending family time with her husband Ben, and little boy Jacob.