Founding Partner
Gearhart Law founding partner shares insights on spotting 12 IP red flags before major business transactions at NJSBA Summer Conference
Summit, NJ — August 20, 2026 — Richard Gearhart, Esq. of Gearhart Law, LLC, presented at the New Jersey State Bar Association’s (NJSBA) 2026 Summer Conference, a virtual Continuing Legal Education (CLE) event held for New Jersey attorneys.
Gearhart’s session, which was part of the conference’s Business Law track, focused on helping business and transactional attorneys spot intellectual property pitfalls before they derail a deal. He walked attendees through 12 IP red flags that can surface during financing rounds, acquisitions, or product launches. Addressing these issues early can help prevent transaction delays, reduced valuations, and unnecessary liability.
The presentation covered key IP considerations relevant to business and transactional matters. Topics included IP ownership, employee and contractor agreements, patents, trademarks, trade secrets, software, licensing arrangements, third-party rights, and product clearance.
Attendees came away with practical tools, including questions to ask during due diligence, documents to request from counterparties, and guidance on when it makes sense to bring in IP counsel, all aimed at helping attorneys prevent an overlooked issue from delaying a transaction, hurting a valuation, or exposing a client to unnecessary liability.
The NJSBA Summer Conference offered attorneys up to 8 hours of New Jersey CLE credit, including 2.0 hours of ethics credit.
To learn more about upcoming conferences, presentations, and other events featuring Gearhart Law attorneys, visit the firm’s Events & Sponsorships page.