Andrews Kurth Launches Specialist “Intelligent Energy Law” Initiative at Subsea Expo 2014, Andrews Kurth Middle East Newsletter

Andrews Kurth partners Jeff Dodd, Greg Porter and Hugh Fraser joined forces with James Brown of Murgitroyd European Patent Attorneys at the recent Subsea Expo conference and exhibition in Aberdeen, United Kingdom, to present a specialist seminar on the theme of “Intelligent Energy Law in the Middle East”.

The seminar focused on the increasing demand for advanced technology and know-how in the Middle East energy sector and the legal and commercial issues arising from protecting and exploiting intellectual property assets in the region, including advanced well intervention equipment, engineering drawings and specialist software, and retaining specialist personnel.

Over 5,300 delegates attended the three-day Subsea Expo event in February, during which global opportunities and subsea oil and gas technology developments were showcased. The event is the annual and principal event of Subsea UK, which champions the UK subsea industry – a sector which now has more than 53,000 employees, GBP£8.9 billion in annual product and services sales, and over 750 companies with some of the world’s leading experience and technology.

Hugh Fraser explained: “We are focusing in on how we can better support clients in the key legal areas of intellectual property in international energy regions such as the Middle East: creating and establishing ownership of IP; financing IP development; protecting against third-party infringement and commercialization through licensing or sale of IP. The Aberdeen event with Murgitroyd was an excellent opportunity to discuss the Middle East aspects of energy-related IP, drawing upon our collective experience of technology and know-how emanating from the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and from within the region itself.”

Hugh provided an overview of the key themes and opportunities which were driving the Middle East towards advanced technology and know-how, such as enhanced oil recovery, sour gas, heavy oil and unconventional gas, and specialist presentations were also made during the seminar by Jeff Dodd and Greg Porter and James Brown of Murgitroyd’s Aberdeen office.