The Milwaukee-based office of Foley & Lardner LLP says the law firm has received a $208 million contract from the National Institutes of Health.

Foley says the contract calls for it to provide intellectual-property services for up to 10 years.

The law firm says it will begin performing work this month on issues related to biotechnology patents, as well as to patents for mechanical, electrical and software technology.

The firm says lawyers in its Boston, San Diego, Madison and Washington, D.C. offices will work on the contract. Its intellectual-property practice has nearly 240 attorneys.

The NIH is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting medical research.