Robert Brewer is chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Practice Group. For more than 20 years, Bob has focused his practice solely on intellectual property and technology transactions and licensing. Bob helps clients through legal, technical and transactional challenges arising in technology transactions and the technology procurement process, with particular emphasis on the operational, contractual and regulatory aspects of technology agreements in the healthcare industry. His practice focuses on strategic guidance regarding buying and selling technology goods and services, including licensing, professional services, outsourcing, cloud computing, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements, as well as joint ventures, collaborations and strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions and private equity investments where technology and intellectual property are of significant importance and value. In addition, he counsels clients on data security and cyberliability issues, proactive data security planning and policies and incident response plans.

Bob’s practice involves:

• Health Information Technology – Representing providers (such as hospitals and hospital systems, physicians, skilled nursing facilities, pharmacies, device makers and laboratories) and ancillary entities (such as billing companies and vendors that provide services or financing to healthcare providers) on all matters involving licensing initiatives and the procurement and use of technology in healthcare, including a nationally-ranked academic medical center; two of the largest public hospital operators in the country; the largest senior living company in the country; a leading revenue cycle management and clinical information exchange company; and several investor-owned medical/surgical hospitals and health systems. Bob also has represented healthcare software companies, medical equipment manufacturers and technology services companies in hundreds of transactions involving the licensing and commercialization of intellectual property, the procurement process and negotiation with providers and health systems.
• Technology Transactions – Counseling clients with respect to the negotiation and drafting of software licenses, system implementation/integration agreements, ASP/SaaS/cloud agreements, outsourcing agreements, managed services agreements, hosting/data center agreements, co-location agreements, service level agreements, hardware acquisition and maintenance agreements, supply and distribution agreements, reseller agreements, telecommunications agreements and security services agreements. Bob is routinely involved in all phases of IT systems procurement, including drafting RFPs and managing the RFP process; down-selection; developing, drafting and negotiating contracts; establishing service levels and performance criteria; and drafting project management and governance terms.
• Research & Development, Technology Transfer & Commercialization Agreements – Structuring and negotiating academic/university agreements, strategic alliances and collaborations and development agreements.
• Privacy & Data Security – Advising in-house legal departments, c-suites, boards of directors and IT teams on proactive corporate data security and incident planning and response efforts, including development of corporate privacy and security policies and procedures, breach preparation and cybersecurity risk management, compliance with state security breach notification laws and responding to security breaches involving an array of compromised records, including credit card and healthcare data on behalf of both private and public companies. He helps clients identify, evaluate and manage risks associated with their collection and use of information.
• Mergers & Acquisitions – Representing clients with regard to intellectual property and technology matters in mergers, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other transactions.

Memberships

International Technology Law Association

Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)

Leadership Health Care

Tennessee Bar Association

American Bar Association — Intellectual Property Section; Internet Law Section; Software Licensing Section, Past Chair

International Trademark Association (INTA)

Tennessee Intellectual Property Association

American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA)

American Health Law Association (AHLA)

Accolades

Chambers USA — Intellectual Property (2019-2023)

IP STARS — Transactions Star (2022-2023)

Best Lawyers® — Nashville Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2024, 2018, 2016, 2012); Nashville Information Technology Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2021)

The Best Lawyers in America© — Copyright Law; Information Technology Law; Privacy and Data Security Law; Technology Law; Trademark Law (2009-2024)

Mid-South Super Lawyers “Rising Star” (2008-2013)

Business Tennessee “Best 150 Lawyers in Tennessee”