New Jersey is a hub for pharma, biotech, and telecommunications. Because of that, our local legal landscape is dotted with specific hurdles. I’ve talked to business owners who got blindsided by state-specific tax implications on royalty payments or realized too late that their exclusive agreement didn’t account for the unique way NJ courts interpret non-compete clauses.

Think about it this way: a licensing deal is like a long-term lease for your brain. If you’re renting out a storefront in a busy Monroe Township strip mall, you wouldn’t just hand over the keys on a whim, right? You’d want to know exactly what they’re doing inside, how they’re maintaining the space, and when you can get it back if things go south. IP is no different—except you can’t just put a new padlock on a software code or a secret formula once it’s out in the wild.