Ira M. Kalina represents clients in technology transactions, leveraging intellectual property and strategic corporate ventures as well as information technology, online initiatives, and open source. He has assisted clients in the health care, media, gaming, financial services, entertainment, education, and traditional manufacturing industries.

Ira advises clients regarding development and leveraging of innovation, whether independently or in conjunction with third parties through joint ventures, investments, and strategic alliances. He has worked with clients to negotiate joint research and development projects, sponsored research programs with universities and national laboratories, and establishing dedicated labs between universities and industry. He also assists with inbound/outbound licensing programs, technology transfer, distribution, and asset distribution.

Ira counsels clients with respect to all aspects of information technology, from software licenses, SaaS/Cloud services, and big data projects through system implementation and broad-based outsourcing arrangements. He has developed considerable skill in counseling companies with Internet-based business initiatives with respect to all technology and Web issues, from site development, infrastructure implementation and hosting through distribution, content licensing, promotions and advertising. He regularly counsels clients on open-source licensing, open-source initiatives and the potential impact of open-source on software development and mergers and acquisitions.

Ira has particular experience in the health care and life sciences industries, counseling hospitals, academic medical centers, practice groups, pharmaceutical companies, industry associations and vendors with respect to all aspects of information technology, intellectual property, research and development, and strategic ventures. Ira marries a broad mix of commercial and intellectual property experience with a deep knowledge of the healthcare and life sciences information technology ecosystem.

In addition to his law firm experience, Ira worked in-house as vice president of business development and general counsel of a Chicago-based Internet startup. During his tenure there, he was responsible for developing relationships with online content and service providers, network providers and distribution partners. Ira also served as licensing counsel to WMS Gaming Inc., a leading manufacturer of video slot machines, and Midway Games Inc., a leading developer of home video games, where he advised the companies with respect to software development, inbound and outbound licensing, e-commerce issues, advertising, and promotions.

Experience

Representative Matters

• Assisted a publicly traded retailer in negotiations with all of its strategic vendors to re-engineer and centralize its e-commerce platform. Projects ranged from traditional software license, telecommunications/infrastructure, and call center agreements to more specialized payment processing, link sharing, SEO services, and brand loyalty programs.

• Managed the outsourced IT and strategic vendor contracting for a multibillion-dollar health system, ranging from high-volume day-to-day agreements to multi-year, multimillion-dollar strategic agreements across all service areas including clinical, revenue cycle management, human resources, and talent management, finance and telecom.