MTech

Our Group

Miller Thomson’s MTech Program provides high-quality legal advice and mentoring to technology start-ups — all at a reasonable and predictable cost. Since 2006, more than 200 emerging Canadian businesses have already discovered the MTech advantage in taking their venture to the next level.

MTech was the driving force behind Miller Thomson LLP’s selection as the 2007 “Business of the Year” by the Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, narrowly defeating Research In Motion. Since then many companies admitted to MTech have achieved significant success, assisted in part by the legal expertise provided in a start-up friendly way, through MTech.

Our Expertise

Through our Emerging Business Program, MTech provides qualified Canadian ventures with customized legal advice, packaged as fixed-rate “Kits” designed to serve your specific needs for advice on issues ranging from shareholder agreements to initial intellectual property strategies to human resources and licensing agreements.

MTech can help make you “investment ready,” quickly and efficiently. From start-up through to IPO, MTech can guide you thorough the maze of legal issues faced by emerging companies in increasingly aggressive markets.

MTech’s successful approach includes:

• A focus on IP strategy, such as ensuring that patenting activity focuses on the areas that will create the most value
• Legal services tailored to the unique needs of emerging businesses, such as basic incorporations and customized agreements at discounted fees
• Clear-cut and proven strategies for leveraging assets and growing the business
• Matching early-stage companies with “business-minded” MTech lawyers who “get” start-ups
• Reasonable and predictable billing and payment practices for both standard and customized offerings
• Legal services staged at the “right time” and not sooner than necessary
• Advising clients on how to become “investment ready” from a legal perspective

We recognize some businesses require special expertise, and lawyers who understand the relevant “culture.” For example, a significant number of MTech member companies are spin-offs from research and educational organizations. MTech lawyers have specific expertise in guiding spin-off companies from institutions and we understand the special nuances of servicing the research commercialization space — a significant value-add when choosing legal counsel. As another example, we understand the special legal considerations of creating valuable Web properties.

Our Experience

Leading Business Expertise: As an example, MTech’s corporate and commercial lawyers provide advice across all sectors on business formation, governance issues, organizational structures, registration and licensing matters, regulatory compliance, and shareholder, partnership and joint venture agreements. They advise on commercial matters ranging from cross-border and international transactions to financing arrangements to sales, distribution and franchise arrangements. MTech lawyers also counsel clients on mergers and acquisitions, securities, tax, immigration and other matters relevant to emerging businesses.

Maximize IP Value: Many the emerging businesses helped by MTech have intellectual property (IP) questions and issues. Our lawyers can help clients realize the full potential of IP and shield themselves against the risk of competition, infringement, counterfeiting and loss of value. MTech’s IP experts advise on all aspects of patents, trade-marks, industrial design, trade secrets, IP litigation and disputes, and IP licensing agreements, open source commercialization schemes, as well as the management and securitizing of their IP.

Most important, MTech professionals succeed in helping many businesses by investing their own time upfront in understanding our clients’ business needs and the best path to follow.