Faculty members who perform sponsored research have a new ally on campus to help them negotiate research contracts.

Brent Davis is the newly appointed Legal Counsel and Manager of Research Contracts for the McMaster Industry Liaison Office (MILO).

“The whole field of intellectual property is changing so fast that it's a constant challenge. There is nothing routine about today's research contract,” says Davis.

Joining McMaster is a homecoming for Davis. A third generation McMaster student, he completed his undergraduate degree in history and political science at McMaster before earning his law degree at the University of Western Ontario.

“It's exciting to return to McMaster and help it in its mission to serve the social, cultural, and economic needs of our community,” says Davis. “Research contracts, in particular, are a way for the university to foster Ontario's innovation economy.”

Davis brings considerable depth in his field to McMaster. He previously served as the Research Contracts Manager for the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. He is also finishing his Master of Laws through Leeds Metropolitan University, focusing on intellectual property and corporate governance. In addition, prior to working in the United Kingdom, Davis practiced corporate and commercial law for six years at a full-service Hamilton law firm.

The Research Contracts unit in MILO works with McMaster faculty who are creating research projects with industry partners, universities, the government or others. The contracts team is available to provide the necessary contract negotiation and drafting support to ensure that these research projects are established on a sound legal and commercial basis. Most importantly, the contracts team has the responsibility to ensure that the university is not exposed to any unacceptable liability and that its researchers maintain their intellectual property rights where appropriate.

“This office has a strong legacy. The challenge is to maintain services while handling the increased complexity inherent in today's technology transfer, such as supporting the creation of start-up companies based on university research. As industry and university research partnerships become more sophisticated, there is a clear need for legal counsel to represent the best interests of the university and its researchers,” says Davis.

“Research contracts are a cornerstone of university and industry interaction. McMaster is fortunate to have a lawyer with Brent's experience negotiating these contracts for our researchers,” says Elsie Quaite-Randall, Executive Director of MILO.

Davis joins McMaster at a time when universities across Canada are under increasing pressure to demonstrate that their research expertise can help the nation compete economically.

“In these times of economic uncertainty, governments are turning to university researchers to develop the knowledge and make the discoveries that will keep the Canadian economy competitive. The Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, in particular, has given us a very strong directive to 'manage intellectual property in ways that support Ontario's long-term innovation goals,'” explains Quaite-Randall.