The ‘excellent‘ team at A&O Shearman assists a diverse range of companies across the biotech, medical device, and consumer healthcare industries on the full gamut of contentious and non-contentious issues. The group often dispenses advice on capital markets issues, and licensing and collaboration agreements. Jim Ford and Matthew Appleton jointly lead the practice; Ford has deep knowledge spanning product distribution agreements, patent licensing, and product development collaborations, while Appleton leads on the transactional side of the practice, often advising large pharmaceuticals companies on public takeovers and private M&A. Praised for her ‘vast amounts of experience‘, patent litigator Marjan Noor has expansive expertise in supplementary protection certificates and the enforcement of strategies. Rafi Allos has ‘great knowledge‘ and regulatory expertise, often acting in disputes concerning generics.
Life sciences and healthcare in London
A&O Shearman
Practice head(s):
Jim Ford; Matthew Appleton
Other key lawyers:
Marjan Noor; Rafi Allos; Mark Ridgway; Tom Edwards
Testimonials
‘Jim Ford has a practical approach to problem solving.’
‘Allen & Overy London is one of the top practices in the UK Life sciences and healthcare patent litigation market. The size and breadth of the team is excellent, particularly the quality of the talent.’
‘Marjan Noor has a technical background and is one of the most experienced lawyers in the UK for patent litigation and regulatory issues, particularly in the biologics cases.’
‘Marjan Noor is excellent and has vast amounts of experience, especially in biologics cases. She would be a go to partner for most important UK patent litigation cases. She knows the market and what the client wants very well, and is on top of the latest trends and developments.’
‘Rafi Allos is very knowledgeable about the market and a tactician when it comes to strategy, and has great knowledge of pharmaceutical regulatory law.’
‘Tom Edwards is a rising star with very deep technical understanding. He is great to work with and provides solid technical support to a matter.’
Key clients
Kyowa Kirin International
Exscientia
Shionogi
Bayer
Regeneron
Work highlights
- Advised Kyowa Kirin International on its joint venture collaboration with Grünenthal in respect of KKI’s established medicines portfolio.
- Advised Bayer on the enforcement and defence of its patents across Europe protecting its product, Xarelto, a blood thinner.
- Advised Exscientia on a research collaboration and licence agreement to develop up to 15 novel small molecule candidates across oncology and immunology, leveraging Exscientia’s AI-driven platform utilising actual patient samples.
Bird & Bird LLP
The team at Bird & Bird LLP handles issues surrounding the classification of medical devices, clinical trials, and advertising with ‘outstanding‘ expertise. Regularly acting for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, the team is noted for advising both generic and innovator clients. Mark Hilton co-heads the practice with Sally Shorthose. Praised for his ‘practicality and thoroughness‘, Hilton has vast experience in patent revocation and infringement proceedings, while Shorthose has broad commercial knowledge, particularly in relation to series investments. The ‘excellent‘ James Baillieu is noted for his experience in assisting corporate venture capital groups with regulatory and technology related matters. Trevor Cook joined the group from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP in October 2022, contributing his knowledge of pharmaceutical and biotech infringement issues.
Practice head(s):
Mark Hilton; Sally Shorthose
Other key lawyers:
James Baillieu; Eleanor Root; Pieter Erasmus; Trevor Cook
Testimonials
‘Excellent depth of expertise, good geographical coverage, highly responsive.’
‘Excellent technical abilities, commercial, highly responsive, good client care.’
‘James Baillieu is excellent, very commercial, and pro-active, bringing an assured confidence and calmness to the table.’
‘Their level of IP expertise is outstanding. Their speed attending client’s queries and focus on business needs is really impressive.’
‘Mark Hilton’s approach to IP issues stands for its practicality and thoroughness. He understands the business needs and focus on them when addressing any IP issues.’
‘Good legal and industry knowledge and give practical advice’
‘Eleanor Root provides very good, practical, commercial advice.’
Key clients
Dexcom Group
Gilead Sciences
Teva Pharmaceuticals
The Broad Institute
Merck KGaA
Danaher Group
Catalyst Clinical Research LL
Serum Institute of India
Eye-Chitecture, Inc
Precision Medicine
Work highlights
- Acted for Gilead in patent revocation and infringement proceedings against NuCana PLC over patents concerning the drug sofosbuvir. The patents were owned by NuCana and were asserted to cover the Gilead products.
- Advised Envision Pharma Group on its acquisition of OKRA.ai, an award-winning technology company active in the provision of artificial intelligence solutions for the healthcare industry.
- Advising Teva in regulatory litigation in relation to defending the grant of a Belgian medicinal product marketing authorisation, which is being challenged in the Belgian courts.
Bristows LLP
Bristows LLP houses a ‘truly exceptional‘ practice which assists clients with the full gamut of commercial, regulatory and IP-related issues. Liz Cohen co-leads the team with Richard Dickinson; Cohen has longstanding expertise in multi-jurisdictional litigation concerning patent revocations, and arbitrations, and Dickinson has in-depth knowledge of biochemistry, often assisting pharmaceutical companies with licensing and manufacturing agreements. Using her in-house experience in the medical device industry, Claire Smith has deep knowledge of licensing and commercial partnership agreements. Brian Cordery ‘goes above and beyond‘ when acting in contentious IP issues, including patent revocation and defence work, while Robert Burrows utilises his knowledge of molecular biology to advise clients on patent validity challenges. Matthew Warren is noted for his commercial expertise, often handling settlements and license agreements, and Marek Petecki regularly assists biopharma corporates and venture capital investors with transactional matters. Alex Denoon has ‘excellent regulatory knowledge‘, often advising disruptive technology clients on human tissue and genomics issues.
Practice head(s):
Liz Cohen; Richard Dickinson
Other key lawyers:
Brian Cordery; Robert Burrows; Marek Petecki; Claire Smith; Matthew Warren; Alex Denoon; Xisca Borrás
Testimonials
‘Strength in depth. Everyone at Bristows provides a consistently high level of service. They are well grounded in the principles of IP law, and they are highly experienced in running litigation. Everyone is willing to muck in and work as hard as it takes to get the job done.’
‘Brian Cordery goes above and beyond to ensure good outcomes for his clients. His work ethic is second to none.’
‘Liz Cohen is understated and calm but really knows her stuff and has very sound judgment.’
Key clients
AstraZeneca
SynaptixBio Ltd
Abingdon Health Plc
Johnson & Johnson
Novartis
Sandoz
Teva
Chiesei
OMass Therapeutics Limited
Medtronic
Hogan Lovells International LLP
The ‘very strong‘ team at Hogan Lovells International LLP assists a varied client base consisting of healthcare, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies with bet-the-company cases and large licensing transactions. Practice co-head Jane Summerfield has vast regulatory expertise spanning clinical trials to reimbursement issues, with particular emphasis on gene therapies and digital health software. Described as ‘Mr. Realistic‘ by clients, patent litigator and co-head Stephen Bennett regularly assists clients with the defence of patents and supplementary certificate rights, while co-head Matthew Felwick is ‘very technical‘ and has deep knowledge surrounding product liability, often acting in group actions and coroner’s inquests. Rated by clients as ‘one of the best life science lawyers in the industry‘, Penny Powell has extensive expertise in M&A and partnering transactions, and counsel Elise Martin is noted for her experience in assisting clients with international regulation and commercial disputes. Having been promoted to partner in January 2023, Stella Wong utilises her medical background to act in disputes concerning biotec, pharmaceutical, and medical device patents.
Practice head(s):
Stephen Bennett; Matthew Felwick; Jane Summerfield
Other key lawyers:
Penny Powell; Elise Martin; Daniel Brook; Stella Wong
Testimonials
‘A really good life sciences team.’
‘Penny Powell is brilliant and one of the best life science lawyers in the industry. Her deep knowledge of the industry and her ability to cut through to the essence of any situation makes her an unparalleled asset.’
‘Stephen Bennett is Mr. Realistic. Tough, honest, and he won’t lead you up the garden path.’
‘Stephen Bennett, Dan Brook, and Stella Wong are very strong.’
‘Very strong team at all levels. Lots of experience.’
‘Daniel Brook is Mr. Genius. No thought unthunk, idea bypassed or strategy unconsidered.’
‘Massive industry knowledge, flawless team interaction.’
‘Matthew Felwick is very technical and has great communication skills.’
Key clients
Sandoz AG
Harmony Biosciences, LLC
Novartis AG
Eli Lilly (Lilly)
Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS)
Akebia Therapeutics
Merck
Astellas Pharmaceuticals
Viatris
Zimmer Biomet
Work highlights
- Advising Harmony Biosciences on a license with Bioprojet SCR granting Harmony the exclusive US development and marketing rights to expand Harmony’s opportunity in narcolepsy, and potentially other indications mutually agreed to by the parties.
- Representing Eli Lilly in the long-running dispute relating to its cancer drug, pemetrexed.
- Acting for Zimmer Biomet and various European subsidiaries in relation to a voluntary recall, concerning Zimmer Biomet’s NexGen Stemmed Option Tibial prosthetic knee component, and coordinating the defence of personal injury claims, including a threatened group action, across a number of European jurisdictions.
Pinsent Masons LLP
Clare Tunstall and Joanne Ellis lead the team at Pinsent Masons LLP, which displays ‘excellent breadth and depth of knowledge‘ when advising clients on market access, M&A, and care home lease arrangements. Tunstall is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to formulating multi-jurisdictional patent strategies for pharmaceutical companies, while Ellis focuses on assisting clients with transactional issues within the dental and social care industries. Charlotte Weekes regularly appears before the High Court and Court of Appeal in patent disputes and damages actions, acting for biosimilar and generics clients. Allistair Booth is noted for his transactional capabilities, particularly in relation to licensing and collaborations; the ‘very accomplished and impressive‘ Gareth Morgan maintains an IP-focused practice, often handling revocation, validity, and infringement issues; and Christopher Sharp has ‘excellent‘ broad experience in obtaining preliminary injunctions and divisional patents. Catherine Drew often represents global pharmaceutical companies in patent disputes concerning exclusivity and medicinal products. Kristina Cornish joined the team from Kilburn & Strode LLP in January 2023, contributing her specialism in biotech and pharmaceutical patent issues.
Practice head(s):
Clare Tunstall; Joanne Ellis
Other key lawyers:
Gareth Morgan; Charlotte Weekes; Allistair Booth; Charles Waddell; Catherine Drew; Kristina Cornish; Christopher Sharp
Testimonials
‘Pinsent Masons is a very capable firm across a broad range of matters but they also excel in the detail too. They are also the kind of people you want to work with, bringing personality to work every day.’
‘This practice is unique because they have deep, demonstrable knowledge and insight in the actual detail of life science and healthcare.’
‘Gareth Morgan is a very accomplished and impressive partner.’
Key clients
4D Pharma PLC
Accord Healthcare Limited
Amo Pharma Limited
ANGLE plc
British Generic Manufacturers Association
C4X Discovery PLC
Calon Cardio-Technology
Conegate Limited and Premium Care Group
Cosmo Pharmaceuticals NV
DCC Healthcare
Dedicare AB
Elevation Advisors
embla ApS
Evgen PLC
Exemplar Healthcare
F2G Limited
Flynn Pharma Limited
Fresenius Kabi SwissBioSim GmbH
Genesis Biosciences Inc
HC-One
Her Majesty’s Government
Hikma
IBSA Institut Biochimique
Imcyse S.A.
Intas Pharmaceuticals
IP Group PLC
Karus Therapeutics Limited
Keys Group Holdings Limited
Work highlights
- Instructed by the Department of Health and Social Care and the Government Legal Department in relation to the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry.
- Acting for DeepMind and Google in relation to a class action relating to use of medical records to support Streams – a service used by the Royal Free London to detect acute kidney injury.
- Acting for Teva in relation to patent revocation proceedings pertaining to Gilenya (fingolimod).
Baker McKenzie
Baker McKenzie houses a team of ‘excellent lawyers‘ with extensive industry and academic experience. The practice is noted for its transactional strength, often handling separations, licensing matters, and collaboration agreements with hospitals. Hiroshi Sheraton leads the team alongside the ‘excellent‘ Jane Hobson; Hobson focuses on corporate and transactional matters, with an emphasis on private M&A, while Sheraton primarily handles global patent and trade mark disputes. The ‘truly exceptional‘ Jaspreet Takhar has vast expertise in the regulatory aspects of emerging digital healthcare solutions, and frequently assists clients with compliance in conjunction with medical research and data privacy issues. Phelim O’Doherty is noted for his knowledge of joint ventures and licensing arrangements between healthcare companies.
Practice head(s):
Hiroshi Sheraton; Jane Hobson
Other key lawyers:
Jaspreet Takhar; Phelim O’Doherty
Testimonials
‘Very diverse team with global reach which is well coordinated. They develop a good understanding of the business. The project management team are also very strong.’
‘Jane Hobson is an excellent lawyer.’
‘Phelim O’Doherty has a very good overview of international elements of a deal, and thoroughly understands the detail.’
Key clients
GSK
ICON plc
Johnson & Johnson
Lyra Health
Thriva Limited
Work highlights
- Advised GlaxoSmithKline on the strategic separation of HALEON from the new GSK pharmaceutical business.
- Advising Johnson & Johnson on the separation of its consumer healthcare division in anticipation of its listing.
- Advising Thriva on the implementation of a new service line for business partners.
Clifford Chance LLP
The ‘absolutely stellar‘ team at Clifford Chance LLP acts for a varied client list of medical device, healthcare, and biotech companies in matters concerning reimbursement, market access, and licensing. Practice co-head Stephen Reese handles both contentious and non-contentious IP issues, including the exploitation and enforcement of rights, and R&D agreements. Co-head Gareth Camp maintains a corporate focused practice, often assisting clients with public bids, joint ventures, and group restructurings. Noted by clients for his ‘formidable knowledge and skill set‘, Luke Tolaini primarily advises generics companies on excessive pricing investigations, in addition to appeals concerning CMA decisions, supported by ‘fantastic‘ senior associate Ben Jasper.
Practice head(s):
Stephen Reese; Gareth Camp
Other key lawyers:
Luke Tolaini; Ben Jasper
Testimonials
‘Clifford Chance’s Healthcare & Life Science’s team is absolutely stellar. It is second to none in terms of the depth of its knowledge and has the extraordinary advantage of being able to cover absolutely every aspect of a case for its clients, no matter what the issue that arises. Clifford Chance is a one-stop-shop like no other in London; and that is invaluable.’
‘Luke Tolaini is absolutely superb. He is a delight to work with and wears his formidable knowledge and skill set lightly and with elegance. Absolutely the sort of fantastic solicitor one wants on one’s side in a dispute.’
‘Ben Jasper is wonderful. He cuts to the chase, identifies the important points, fights hard and delivers for his client. He is also a delight to work with, being collaborative, supportive, informed and available. He really is fantastic.’
‘The litigation team are very experienced in defending these types of cases and work very well with specialist advisory lawyers.’
‘Luke Tolaini is a great lawyer with a great feel for what points really matter, how things will play out, and how to deal with very demanding high stakes cases.’
‘Ben Jasper is an up and coming star of the litigation team, meticulous, can always be relied upon to have gone the extra mile, and always a complete pleasure to deal with even in the midst of very demanding stressful cases.’
Key clients
Her Majesty’s Government
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Cinven
Pfizer
Gilead Sciences
Informa
NorthWest Healthcare Properties REIT
Ultrahuman Healthcare Private Limited
Oracle Corporation
MedAccess
Fujifilm Kyowa Kirin Biologics
Work highlights
- Advised Pfizer Inc. on its acquisition of ReViral Limited.
- Advising HMG as part of its collaboration with Moderna to procure the development, manufacturing and supply of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics to the UK population for the treatment of COVID-19 and other respiratory diseases (including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus).
- Advising Cinven on three separate high-profile appeals before the CAT against CMA Decisions for the alleged antitrust infringements of a former portfolio company active in generic pharmaceuticals, now named Advanz. The firm also advised on a fourth investigation in relation to an alleged market sharing arrangement for the supply of 50mg and 100mg nitrofurantoin capsules, which the CMA closed.
CMS
CMS houses an ‘exceptional‘ team, which handles a myriad of issues for clients, including clinical trials, financings, and care delivery within senior living and social care settings. Practice co-head Candice Blackwood‘s area of expertise is advising health operators and investors on development funding work and the management of senior living and healthcare assets. Co-head Sarah Hanson has a great deal of experience in acting for technology and pharmaceutical companies in transactional matters, while co-head Robert Stephen focuses on patent protection issues surrounding vaccines, antibody production, and microbiome technology. Shuna Mason is particularly proficient in advising clients on regulatory and product liability matters, often handling policy work for trade bodies. Rachel Cooper has broad regulatory expertise, often acting for healthcare professionals in disciplinary hearings and coroner’s inquest proceedings.
Practice head(s):
Candice Blackwood; Sarah Hanson; Robert Stephen
Other key lawyers:
Shuna Mason; Rachel Cooper; Elizabeth-Anne Larsen
Testimonials
‘Always responsive, extremely well informed, and pragmatic.’
‘The team is exceptional, they are commercial, sensible, responsive, and available.’
Key clients
Alliance Pharmaceuticals
Advanz Pharma
Beckley Psytech
Care UK
Cera Care
Eli Lilly
Essential Pharmaceuticals
General Pharmaceutical Council
GlaxoSmithKline
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Johnson & Johnson
Korian S.A
Medtronic
Moorfields Eye Hospital
Nuffield Health
Sanofi
Spire Healthcare
The Wellcome Trust
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Welltower Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Instadeep on its sale to BioNTech. The transaction is valued at approximately £362m.
- Advised Moorfields Eye Hospital on a new hospital to be built under the new hospitals programme in Kings Cross London. As well as acting on the sale of the existing Victorian Hospital and the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, creating the joint venture between MEH and UCL, the firm provided real estate, planning, development, and construction advice and corporate, tax, procurement, regulatory and risk management advice.
- Advising Alliance Pharma PLC on its appeal to the CAT, following the CMA’s enforcement decision in its investigation into the supply of Prochlorperazine, a medication used for treating nausea.
Cooley (UK) LLP
The team at Cooley (UK) LLP is known for its ‘deep industry knowledge‘ and ‘unparalleled experience‘ in matters concerning clinical trials and manufacturing issues, and acts for a number of notable clients, including Hummingbird, Athenex, and Biograil. Nicola Maguire jointly leads the practice with John Wilkinson; Maguire assists a number of large bioscience and pharmaceutical companies with M&A and equity funding, while Wilkinson advises medtech companies on research collaborations and the purchase of vaccines. Frances Stocks Allen has broad expertise in acting for both public and private companies on supply arrangements, co-promotional issues and collaboration agreements.
Practice head(s):
Nicola Maguire; John Wilkinson
Other key lawyers:
Frances Stocks Allen
Testimonials
‘Excellent team with a focused commercial mind and deep industry knowledge. One of the best in the area with unparalleled experience.’
Key clients
DJS Antibodies
Curve
Hummingbird
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Karo
Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (CEPI)
Orchard Therapeutics
Biograil
Bavarian Nordic
Zealand Pharma
Bicycle Therapeutics
Quell Therapeutics
Emergex Vaccines
23andMe
Ascend Gene and Cell Therapies
Athenex
Cidara
Work highlights
- Advised DJS Antibodies Ltd on its proposed licensing of its technology and subsequent acquisition for $255m.
- Advised Amryt Pharma on its agreement to be acquired by Chiesi Farmaceutici in a $1.48bn cash and contingent value right (CVR) transaction.
Covington & Burling LLP
The broad team at Covington & Burling LLP handles a variety of issues for a diverse client base, notably including commercial transactions, the navigation of public policy after Brexit, and judicial review proceedings before the CJEU. Grant Castle heads up the practice, and has broad knowledge spanning treatment pricing agreements, trade issues, and NICE appeals relating to NHS funding. On the digital health front, Sarah Cowlishaw assists biotech, diagnostic and medical device companies on adverse event reporting obligations and manufacturing controls, while James Gubbins maintains a corporate-focused practice, often dispensing advice on IPOs, M&A, and financings.
Practice head(s):
Grant Castle
Other key lawyers:
Sarah Cowlishaw; James Gubbins; Brian Kelly
Key clients
AMGEN
AbbVie
AstraZeneca
BioNTech SE
BenevolentAI
Bristol Myers Squibb
Boehringer Ingelheim Corporation
Eli Lilly
GlaxoSmithKline
Reneuron Group plc
Illumina, Inc.
Johnson & Johnson
Merck Sharp & Dohme
Oxford BioMedica plc
Oxford Immunotec Global plc
UCB, Inc.
Takeda
Silence therapeutics Plc
QuantuMDx Group Ltd
Viiv
Work highlights
- Represented ViiV in challenging the EMA’s decision before the EU General Court, arguing that it has acted unlawfully and also that it has misapplied the EMA’s guidance.
- Advised Forbion and Sofinnova Partners, as co-lead investors in a $70m Series H financing round into F2G Ltd.
Gowling WLG
Patrick Duxbury and Robert Breedon lead the practice at Gowling WLG, which is noted for its ‘deep experience‘ in licensing matters and pharmaceutical manufacturing issues. The team regularly assists large pharmaceutical companies such as BioNTech and AstraZeneca, and is known for representing care home and senior facility operators and funders. With his academic background in microbiology and genetics, Duxbury handles an array of transactional issues, including commercialisation deals and collaborations, while Breedon advises both public and private sector clients in the healthcare space on outsourcing contracts and commercial projects.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Duxbury; Robert Breedon
Testimonials
‘Small team with deep experience in life sciences licensing and collaboration deals.’
Key clients
BioNTech
Gyrus Captial
Neurim Pharmaceuticals
European Pharmaceutical Company
AstraZeneca
Eisai
Bial Portela
Katholike Universiteit Leuven
Dynavax
Argenx NV
BioInvent International AB
GlaxoSmithKline
Apposite Capital
Sosei Heptares
Amphista Therapeutics
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
UDG Healthcare Group plc
Circle Health
Department of Health and Social Care
Ford
Formation Capital, LLC
Fresenius Medical Care Renal Services Limited
Getinge Group
Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Synlab Group
Lakeside Healthcare
Montreux Healthcare Fixed Yield Fund
TT Electronics
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Sitekit Applications Limited
NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
Nucleic Acid Imaging Company
UK Clinical Phase Biotech Company
Oxford BioTherapeutics
Immedica Pharma AB
Sentinel Oncology
Work highlights
- Advised AstraZeneca on a strategic collaboration with diagnostic company, GRAIL, to develop and commercialise companion diagnostic assays for use with AstraZeneca’s therapies.
- Advised BioNTech on its collaboration with the UK Government to accelerate personalised mRNA immunotherapy clinic trails providing personalised cancer therapies for up to 10000 patients by 2030.
- Advised GSK on patent litigation proceedings brought by Pfizer in relation to RSV vaccines.
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP houses a ‘highly talented and dedicated‘ team which handles a broad range of issues including seed financings, patent protection, and merger control work. Alan Montgomery leads the team, often advising clients which occupy the biotech, generics and medtech spaces on commercial agreements and cross-border M&A issues. ‘Very thoughtful and high calibre‘ patent litigator Sebastian Moore is particularly adept at acting in SPC-related matters, having appeared before the CJEU, while IP specialist Sophie Rich regularly acts for pharmaceutical companies in both contentious and non-contentious matters. The ‘superb‘ Emily Bottle regularly appears before the European Patent Office, and is particularly knowledgeable in gene and cell therapies.
Practice head(s):
Alan Montgomery
Other key lawyers:
Sebastian Moore; Sophie Rich; Emily Bottle
Testimonials
‘Always at the top to the game, particularly in life sciences.’
‘HSF’s life sciences team contains many highly talented and dedicated people with specialist expertise in the field.’
‘Sebastian Moore is a very thoughtful and high calibre litigator, who always considers all the angles.’
‘Very friendly, cohesive and knowledgeable team.’
‘Sebastian Moore is superb. He will always put the client first. He considers the full picture and has a great deal of experience with global litigation, giving great strategic advice whilst always being on top of the details.’
‘Emily Bottle is also superb. Highly experienced, able to sniff out an issue quickly and cut to the chase. She is highly organised and a great team leader.’
‘Emily Bottle provides sound advice across a wide range of IP areas that are relevant to us and is the go-to person.’
Key clients
Gilead Sciences, Inc
AbbVie, Inc
Roche
Genus plc
Abcam plc
Biotage AB
Johnson Matthey plc
CSL Behring
Sanofi
Biogen
Work highlights
- Advised Biotage AB on its acquisition of Astrea Bioseparations, a chromatography solutions provider, from Gamma Biosciences.
- Acting for Biogen in a global dispute in relation to patent matters relating to TECFIDERA, a treatment for multiple sclerosis.
- Advised Gilead Sciences on UK proceedings relating to Gilead’s HIV integrase inhibitor, bictegravir. The firm also advised on the coordination of Gilead’s response to parallel proceedings brought by ViiV in a number of other European Patent Convention jurisdictions.
Linklaters LLP
The team at Linklaters LLP has broad expertise spanning trade mark infringement disputes, joint R&D agreements, and supply and logistics arrangements, often assisting financial sponsors, insurers and medical device companies. The group is also noted for its expertise in data protection, regulatory investigation, and product liability matters. Aisling Zarraga co-heads the practice, and has a great deal of expertise in handling both public and private M&A issues and joint ventures for international pharmaceutical companies, healthcare service providers and biotech corporates. Co-head Marly Didizian has broad knowledge surrounding carve outs, pharmaceutical supply chains, and advance purchase agreements involving vaccine manufacturers. Since publication, Katie Coltart has joined from Kirkland & Ellis International LLP.
Practice head(s):
Aisling Zarraga; Marly Didizian
Key clients
Gavi
Apax Partners
The Carlyle Group
Fresenius
PAI Partners
Hg Capital
Bayer
Nestlé
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
McKesson Corporation
Merck & Co., Inc.
Sanofi
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
ViiV
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc
Work highlights
- Advised ThermoFisher on its acquisition of The Binding Site Group, and related IP issues.
- Represented ViiV Healthcare (a joint venture involving GSK) in UK patent infringement proceedings against Gilead in relation to Gilead’s HIV treatment bictegravir.
- Advised Gavi on purchase agreements for Covid-19 vaccines with vaccine manufacturers.
Sidley Austin LLP
Sidley Austin LLP‘s team is noted for its ‘deep bench strength‘ and its experience in acting for companies developing gene therapy products and digital health tools. Praised by clients for her ‘confidence and ability‘, Maria Isabel Manley heads up the practice with her vast expertise in damages actions concerning generics, regularly appearing before the CJEU and the Committee of Orphan Medicinal Products. The ‘exceptional‘ Robert Darwin maintains a transactional practice, frequently assisting clients with strategic collaborations, private equity buyouts, and investment deals. Noted for his ‘in-depth and practical‘ expertise, senior managing associate Chris Boyle is adept at handling both contentious and non-contentious issues surrounding paediatric regulations and supplementary protection certificates, while managing associate Zina Chatzidimitriadou is noted for her broad knowledge of product life cycle management, with an emphasis on pricing and reimbursement issues.
Practice head(s):
Maria Isabel Manley
Other key lawyers:
Robert Darwin; Chris Boyle; Zina Chatzidimitriadou
Testimonials
‘Robert Darwin is an exceptional lawyer with a thorough understanding of his client’s commercial requirements. Tough and determined but realistic and deft at getting the deal done in the end.’
‘The team excels at dealing with novel regulatory challenges, they have holistic treatment of product life cycle issues including market access, pricing and reimbursement, while maximising IP and data protection rights. Deep understanding of digital, data and the convergence of drug and medical devices.’
‘Sidley boasts deep bench strength headed by Marie Isabel Manley, with associates Zina Chatzidimitriadou and Chris Boyle. Marie is a leading figure, and Zina and Chris have in-depth and practical subject matter expertise, enabling them to navigate pharma regulations and provide pragmatic solutions.’
‘A deep understanding of the regulatory systems at UK and EU levels, with broad experience in the way companies operate. The team has a very engaging approach in its interactions with other, non-legal, functions in the business and this makes it much easier for advice to be explained and accepted.’
‘Marie Isabel Manley exudes confidence and ability, and this comes across in a very persuasive way. I value her ability to focus in on the key questions and to always have a solution that provides a successful outcome for the company.’
‘Chris Boyle has a very reassuring presence, and is calm and reflective, and always appreciates the priority of the client. His advice is concise and always provided with the realities of the business environment in mind.’
‘The Sidley Life Sciences team is great to work with and has a wonderful network of colleagues across the globe who are always ready to support their clients in their needs. They are knowledgeable while always providing “plain English” and clear advice. They are also not afraid to take a view and position when providing advice.’
‘Zina Chatzidimitriadou provides practical, pragmatic, and commercially aware legal advice, always listening to the client. She is approachable and reactive which demonstrates fantastic customer care.’
Key clients
Arat Health, Inc.
Juniper Life Sciences
Perspectum Group Ltd.
Les Laboratoires Servier
Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe
Huma Therapeutics Limited
BeiGene
Aperion Capital Limited
Immunocore
Work highlights
- Representing Servier in three cases before the High Court and the Supreme Court. This concerns parallel proceedings brought by the health authorities in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland seeking damages for an alleged breach of competition rules in relation to Servier’s drug Perindopril.
- Advising Juniper Life Sciences on the negotiation of the licensing and acquisition of the Middle East, African, Asian, and Australasian rights to a number of pharmaceutical products.
- Represented Immunocore before the EMA’s Committee of Orphan Medicinal Products against its refusal to recommend Immunocore’s product for an orphan designation.
Simmons & Simmons
Simmons & Simmons houses a ‘highly skilled‘ team which handles a myriad of matters, including digital health market disruption, personal data, and product liability mandates. Practice head Michael Gavey has longstanding expertise in both transactional and contentious IP issues concerning dentistry and medical products, while Lydia Torne primarily focuses on IP transactions and compliance issues relating to digital health and consumer health products. Both praised as ‘excellent practitioners‘, managing associate Amy Crouch handles disputes between innovators and biosimilar producers involving formulation patents and dosing regimens, and patent litigator Scott Parker handles a broad range of multi-jurisdictional disputes for biotech and pharmaceutical clients.
Practice head(s):
Michael Gavey
Other key lawyers:
Lydia Torne; Amy Crouch; Elsa Glauert; Scott Parker; Priya Nagpal
Testimonials
‘Scott Parker and Amy Crouch are excellent practitioners who are very adept.’
‘Priya Nagpal is an exceptional IP litigator. Priya brings a wealth of experience and knowledge, enabling her to find elegant solutions to complex IP problems.’
‘Very strong industry knowledge.’
Key clients
Venture Life Group PLC
Boston Scientific Corporation
Samsung Bioepis
Boston Scientific Corporation
GlaxoSmithKline
3M Wound Care
Cure Parkinson’s
The Institute of Cancer Research
GSK
Work highlights
- Advised GSK, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Johnson & Johnson, Alnylam, Roche and Regeneron on a long-term collaboration agreement with Our Future Health, pursuant to which each company would become an industry member of the Our Future Health programme.
- Advised Samsung Bioepis regarding biosimilar patent litigation relating to Humira.
- Advised Boston Scientific on a claim brought by the former shareholders of a company acquired by Boston Scientific (Labcoat Ltd), and supported Boston Scientific’s litigation strategy in Europe in its dispute with Nevro.
Taylor Wessing LLP
The team at Taylor Wessing LLP houses a team which exhibits broad expertise spanning venture capital transactions within the biotech space, medical device certifications, and data privacy issues. Practice head Alison Dennis utilises her broad expertise in IP and contractual matters to advise medium to large medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturers on commercialisation issues. Ross McNaughton handles the biotech side of the practice, predominantly assisting clients with issues surrounding international expansion and capital raising. With longstanding experience in biologics and small-molecule therapeutics, Adrian Toutoungi is particularly adept at advising clients on collaboration agreements, while Colin McCall assists clients with licensing agreements and R&D projects. Tasmina Goraya primarily focuses on arbitrations and regulatory disputes, in addition to clinical trial agreements.
Practice head(s):
Alison Dennis
Other key lawyers:
Ross McNaughton; Adrian Toutoungi; Colin McCall; Tasmina Goraya
Key clients
Apollo Therapeutics
Shield Therapeutics
Pacira Biosciences
Bracco Imagining
Cambridge Cognition
IP Group
iRhythm Technologies
Azenta
Cambridge Epigenetix
Sight Sciences
Nuclera Nucleics Ltd
PLACID0
Theramex
Abbott
Pfizer
Fusion Antibodies
Work highlights
- Advised Shield Therapeutics plc on three simultaneous complex transactions including its transformational collaboration agreement with NASDAQ-listed global healthcare company Viatris Inc.
- Advised Apollo Therapeutics on its license agreement with Nasdaq listed Avalo Therapeutics under which Apollo was granted rights to Avalo’s anti-IL-18 monoclonal antibody product AVTX-007 (camoteskimab).
- Advised Nuclera Nucleics on its Series B financing which brings the total raised to $58m. Nuclera will use the additional investments to accelerate the commercial launch of its eProtein desktop bioprinter.
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter houses a ‘high-calibre‘ team which advises a varied client base, notably including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Janssen. Practice head Adela Williams has vast experience in providing regulatory advice in relation to clinical trials, marketing authorisations, and medical devices in both the UK and the EU, often acting in product liability disputes. Ian Dodds-Smith is noted for his ‘considered and thorough approach‘ and his expertise in group actions and regulatory disputes, and the ‘very knowledgeable’ Jacqueline Mulryne advises clients in the cosmetics, food, and medtech industries on borderline classification and clinical research work. Beatriz San Martin frequently appears before the CJEU and domestic courts in IP disputes in relation to emerging technology, and Ewan Townsend maintains a transactions focused practice, often acting for biotech and pharmaceutical companies.
Practice head(s):
Adela Williams
Other key lawyers:
Ian Dodds-Smith; Jacqueline Mulryne; Beatriz San Martin; Ewan Townsend; Libby Amos-Stone
Testimonials
‘The team has excellent pharmaceutical law knowledge, which is a rare specialism.’
‘Ian Dodds-Smith and Jackie Mulryne in particular are wonderful to work with because of their experienced, considered and thorough approach.’
‘Unique experience and expertise in acting for pharma clients.’
‘Ian Dodds-Smith knows the history of a byzantine regulatory regime.’
‘The team are highly responsive and always manage to deliver clear and succinct advice on complex regulatory matters. They are a high-calibre team. They have a depth and breadth of experience.’
‘Jackie Mulryne is very accessible and very knowledgeable.’
‘Libby Amos-Stone is highly responsive and always provides clearly presented advice that includes a practical spin on the legal issues being addressed.’
Key clients
Bayer
AstraZeneca
Bausch
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Grünenthal GmbH
Janssen
Kyowa Kirin
Norgine
Orion Inc
Pfizer
Sanofi
Takeda
DAC Beachcroft LLP
The broad team at DAC Beachcroft LLP is known for its expertise in the regulation of medical devices and pharmaceutical products, in addition to acting in public inquiries and product liability cases. The ‘very clever and focused‘ Alison McAdams leads the practice, and has a great deal of experience in advising on clinical trial claims. Charlotte Burnett primarily focuses on the requirements of both stakeholders and clients in the delivery of hospital and vaccine rollout contracts. Praised for her ‘very careful and strategic‘ approach, associate Olya Melnitchouk has deep knowledge of group action litigation and product liability claims.
Practice head(s):
Alison McAdams
Other key lawyers:
Charlotte Burnett; Olya Melnitchouk
Testimonials
‘DAC Beachcroft have a really good life sciences and regulatory spread.’
‘Alison McAdams is a very clever and focused partner.’
‘Olya Melnitchouk really thinks through a case and is very careful and strategic.’
Key clients
NHS England
NuVasive
Ipsen Pharma
Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust
Deltex Medical
Beamtree
Optegra UK Ltd
Circle formerly BMI Healthcare
Teladoc Health
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Gateshead NHS Foundation Trust
ValiRx plc
Reliance Industries
Work highlights
- Advising NuVasive on all aspects of its roll out of Pulse, a solution to integrate all the technologies required to enable better spine surgery into one single platform.
- Acting for Opterga UK in respect of multiple claims regarding surgical implantation of intraocular lenses.
Fieldfisher
With a ‘stellar reputation‘ among clients for its regulatory capabilities, the team at Fieldfisher assists clients with a myriad of issues, including the funding and development of biotech programmes, and the commercialisation of products. The ‘exceptionally talented and knowledgeable‘ Janita Good leads the team, handling a broad range of transactional matters, including co-operative research, structured licensing, and equity investment issues. Sarah Ellson leads the regulatory team, often advising medical manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies on patient support programmes and clinical trials. Cliodhna McDonough-Stevens has since left the team to work in-house.
Practice head(s):
Janita Good
Other key lawyers:
Sarah Ellson
Testimonials
‘Fieldfisher have developed a stellar reputation for their regulatory practice across life sciences and healthcare.’
‘Janita Good and her team are always helpful and very switched on.’
‘Janita Good is an exceptionally talented and knowledgeable life sciences solicitor. Her advice is often very creative, but pragmatic and to the point. I value her advice highly and her people skills, especially in difficult negotiations, are very good. I am very happy to recommend Janita to colleagues and friends in the sector.’
Key clients
Roche Products Limited
Fresenius Kabi
BAGI Group Limited
EB Research Partnership EBRB
Synairgen plc
Inspiration Healthcare plc
Syneos Health UK
Ultromics
InnovaDerma
LetterOne
Human Tissue Authority
NHS Resolution
Phoenix Healthcare
General Medical Council
Sinclair Pharma
Work highlights
- Advised BAGI Group Limited on an equity investment lead by funds managed by a leading Hong Kong group together with a patent co-ownership and development agreement with an institution in Hong Kong, which could enable a range of new products based on botanical drugs.
- Advised Roche Products Limited on novel routes to authorisation of treatments that turned out to be effective against the Covid-19 virus, and new data-sharing agreements with the NHS.
- Advised EB Research Partnership EBRB on equity investment into Mariposa Limited using an innovative model of funding to deploy charitable funds into rare disease research through equity investment.
Goodwin
Praised for its ‘constructive and problem-solving‘ approach to issues, the team at Goodwin advises a diverse client roster, which notably includes DJS Antibodie, Novo Holdings and Ducentis BioTherapeutics. Practice co-head David Mardle primarily assists emerging companies with M&A, and co-head Graham Defries advises a number of investors, and biotech and pharmaceutical companies on venture capital exits and investments, in addition to licensing transactions. Co-head Malcolm Bates has broad knowledge surrounding collaborations, outsourcings, and R&D project transactions. Morag Peberdy acts for corporates, having a great deal of expertise in the IP aspects of IPOs and venture capital investments, in addition to IP pipeline arrangements. Kenny Walker-Durrant was promoted to partner in October 2022, and focuses on advising emerging growth companies on corporate matters.
Practice head(s):
David Mardle; Graham Defries; Malcolm Bates
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Harrow; Tim Worden; Morag Peberdy; Kenny Walker-Durrant
Testimonials
‘Broad range of skills and areas they can help with.’
‘Approachable and client-friendly, partners stay involved.’
‘Constructive and problem-solving approach.’
Key clients
Refeyn Limited
MiroBio Ltd
Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc
William Blair
Oxford Science Enterprises PLC
Syncona Portfolio Limited
DJS Antibodies Limited
Ducentis BioTherapeutics Ltd
ReViral Limited
Biocon Biologics Ltd
Syndesi Therapeutics
Vivo Capital LLC
Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund GmbH
Novo Holdings A/S
Evotec SE
Engitix Limited
SynAffix B.V.
Stalicla SA
Grey Wolf Therapeutics Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Morgan Stanley and William Blair, which acted as joint bookrunners for Silence Therapeutics plc’s underwritten ADS offering for gross proceeds of approximately $56.5m.
- Advised Syndesi Therapeutics and its shareholders in relation to the sale of Syndesi’s entire issued share capital to AbbVie.
- Advised Biocon Biologics Ltd on the completed acquisition of substantially all of the global biosimilars business of Viatris Inc. for a total purchase price of $3.3bn.
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP
Kirkland & Ellis International LLP houses a ‘talented and experienced‘ team, which is noted for its strength in IP disputes, follow on damages cases, and M&A. Daniel Lim, ‘titan of IP litigation‘ Nicola Dagg, and Emma Flett jointly lead the practice. ‘Top-class litigator‘ Lim acts for a clients in disputes concerning medical devices and pharmaceutical products, often in relation to commercial launches and injunctions. Hailed by clients as ‘one of the outstanding patent litigators of current times‘, Dagg regularly defends patents against challenges from generics manufacturers. Litigator Jin Ooi has broad expertise in small molecule, DNA sequencing, and transgenic animal platform issues, displaying ‘laser sharp focus‘ when arbitrating trade secrets disputes in the medical devices space. Since publication, Katie Coltart has moved to Linklaters LLP.
Practice head(s):
Daniel Lim; Nicola Dagg; Emma Flett
Other key lawyers:
Jin Ooi; Steven Baldwin
Testimonials
‘Nicola Dagg is one of the outstanding patent litigators of current times, combining strategic insight with very robust and detailed litigation skills. Firm but very fair and keen to get to a sensible solution, she is trusted by many of the largest undertakings in the area. She also leads her teams in an energetic way – very much from the front.’
‘Jin Ooi is extremely impressive and has a laser sharp focus when its comes to patent litigation. All over the detail and an expert on strategy. Jin stands out in every aspect when it comes to patent related matters. He is experienced, with great judgement and deep understanding of the legal and commercial matters of each case. One of the most brilliant lawyers we have ever worked with.’
‘Talented and experienced lawyers with good judgement and creative problem solving. Their strategic approach and deep understanding of legal and commercial matters involved deliver a high quality of work that meet client’s expectations.’
‘Daniel Lim has the rare skill of being able to be fully across both the minute detail as well as the big picture strategy of the case. He has all the qualities of a top-class litigator. I would also like to highlight that each team member is highly responsive, competent and talented which reflects a strong team culture and is a joy to work with.’
‘Nicola Dagg is a force of nature, not simply a rainmaker, but a typhoon maker who always goes the extra mile. She is a titan of IP litigation and rightly so.’
‘Kirkland & Ellis have an excellent life sciences and healthcare practice. They excel at combining deep scientific and technical knowledge with tremendous cross-border dispute resolution skill and expertise to secure optimal outcomes.’
‘Nicola Dagg is an exceptional litigator. When handling a patent case, she will leave no stone unturned to bring a claim to its full potential.’
‘Steven Baldwin is relentless in pursuit of his clients’ interests.’
Key clients
Pfizer
Astellas
British American Tobacco
Alcon
Viatris
Abbott Laboratories
Meril Life Sciences
Siemens Healthineers
Advanced Bionics
Pharmathen
Work highlights
- Representing Astellas and Pfizer in relation to the protection of prostate cancer treatment Xtandi.
- Representing Warner-Lambert, Pfizer, and Viatris against the NHS in relation to a follow-on damages inquiry before the Patents Court, raising novel issues of foreseeability, causation and mitigation.
- Representing Alcon in global patent infringement litigation against Johnson & Johnson concerning surgical laser systems for cataract surgery.
Osborne Clarke LLP
Osborne Clarke LLP acts for a varied client roster, notably including BioNTech, Turbine, and Advent Life Sciences. Practice co-head Will James is a patent litigator who regularly acts for biotech, electronics, and medical device companies in disputes; while co-head Matthew Edwards maintains a corporate-focused practice, and advises companies and investors on M&A and venture capital investments. Marcus Vass primarily advises digital health companies on outsourcings and privacy matters. Peter Rudd-Clarke has broad experience in defending product liability claims and handling regulatory compliance issues. Having joined the team from Marks & Clerk in October 2022, Trevor Crosse has deep knowledge of SPC disputes and exclusivity rights.
Practice head(s):
Will James; Matthew Edwards; Marcus Vass; Richard Wilkinson
Other key lawyers:
Peter Rudd-Clarke; Trevor Crosse
Key clients
Santen
BioNTech
Turbine
Basecamp Research
King’s College London
UCL Technology Fund
Optellum
AviadoBio
Advent Life Sciences
Ada Digital Health
Doctor Care Anywhere
Elephant Health
Koa Health
Thriva
Science Creates Ventures
Work highlights
- Advised BioNTech on its acquisition of InstaDeep Ltd for up to £562m.
- Advising Amgen on its litigation strategy in respect of the competitive new clinical field of cholesterol-lowering antibodies for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
- Advised AviadoBio Ltd on its $80m Series A financing round.
Powell Gilbert LLP
Powell Gilbert LLP is an IP boutique, which houses a ‘truly outstanding‘ team, which handles revocation proceedings, appeals, and disputes concerning patent royalties. Practice head Penny Gilbert utilises her academic background in molecular biology and biochemistry to represent clients before the CJEU and the EFTA court. Tim Powell has vast expertise in the enforcement of patents and injunctions relating to gene sequencing and pre-natal testing. Bethan Hopewell has broad knowledge spanning contractual disputes, damages claims, and infringement proceedings.
Testimonials
‘Bethan Hopewell and Tim Powell’s team is truly outstanding in terms of both legal skill and acumen as well as technical capability.’
‘They bring a mix of prowess that is a dream combination for winning hard hitting European litigation in the life sciences.’
‘Extremely high quality.’
Key clients
Biogen
Edwards Lifesciences
Illumina
BioNTech
Cook Medical
Oxford University Innovation and the University of Oxford
MED-EL
Otsuka
NuCana
DSM
Work highlights
- Representing BioNTech in patent litigation relating to its SARS-CoV2 vaccine against Moderna and CureVac, which will go to trial in the first half of 2024.
- Representing Biogen in ongoing European cases relating to its Humira biosimilar and also acting in a UK patent dispute with Sandoz/Polpharma, who are developing a biosimilar to Biogen’s innovator product Tysabri (natalizumab), an antibody drug used to treat multiple sclerosis.
- Represented Otsuka in UK proceedings relating to its licence dispute with GW Pharma. Otsuka commenced proceedings in the UK court for determination of its entitlement to royalties based upon the relevant jointly owned patents.
Slaughter and May
The broad team at Slaughter and May handles a range of contentious and non-contentious issues, such as patent disputes, the commercialisation of patent portfolios, and mandates -relating to confidential information. Claire Jackson leads the team alongside Duncan Blaikie; Jackson has a great deal of expertise in corporate matters, often advising clients on demergers and joint ventures, while Blaikie primarily handles IP-related issues, including R&D, licensing and collaboration agreements.
Practice head(s):
Claire Jackson; Duncan Blaikie
Key clients
GlaxoSmithKline
Hikma
Thermo Fisher
Novo Nordisk
Bupa
GE Healthcare
Union Medical
Reckitt Benckiser
Immunocore
Oxford Nanopore
Lonza
CSL
Enara Bio
Artha Health Limited
International Finance Facility For Immunisation Company
Mylan
Illumina
Cantel Medical Corp
Varian Medical Systems
Oxford Sciences Enterprises
Bunzl
Afreximbank
Takeda
Virgin Active
Deepmind
GHO Capital
AbbVie
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics
Givaudan
Ossur
Alexion
Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia
St John Ambulance
ViiV Healthcare
Work highlights
- Advised GSK plc on the separation of its Consumer Healthcare business to form Haleon plc.
- Advised the African Union on all aspects of its program to procure Covid-19 vaccines, over and above the vaccines it is securing through the COVAX Investments Limited facility and other programmes including in respect of all IP issues connected with the procurement.
- Advised GHO Capital with respect to the acquisition of Sterling Pharma.
Stephenson Harwood
Stephenson Harwood houses an ‘excellent‘ team, which handles a variety of issues for clients concerning trade marks, biologics, and data protection. ‘Excellent‘ practice head Alexandra Pygall has broad expertise in advising clients on collaboration, licensing and partnering agreements, in addition to the IP elements of M&A. Dan Holland is particularly knowledgeable when it comes to manufacturing and supply agreements for vaccines, and has ‘extensive experience‘ in international outsourcing agreements.
Practice head(s):
Alexandra Pygall
Other key lawyers:
Dan Holland; Naomi Leach; Rob Jacob
Testimonials
‘The team forms a good rapport immediately which allows internal and external teams to work seamlessly. SH listens, responds and challenges accordingly. Excellent support.’
‘Develops a good rapport immediately. Ability to have honest responses to challenges. Respectful and engaging.’
‘The team has particular expertise in developing and negotiating service contracts within the biologics life sciences industry.’
‘Dan Holland has extensive experience both with US and UK companies in the biologics contract manufacturing sector.’
‘The entire group is outstanding. They are always extremely quick, up to speed and ready to build a tailor-made team according to the case at hand. We appreciate their excellent understanding of the industry.’
‘Rob Jacob and Alexandra Pygall are both excellent.’
‘Alexandra Pygall is great and has a combination of litigation and contracting experience.’
‘Naomi Leach – it’s helpful to have her tech and data privacy experience.’
Key clients
Acacia Pharma Group plc
AM-Pharma
Apposite Capital
Bicycle Therapeutics
Biomer
BXT Accelyon
Eisai Europe Ltd
e-therapeutics plc
Futura Medical Plc
GSK
Incyte Corporation
Johnson & Johnson Innovation
LifeArc
Oxford Biomedica plc
Shield Therapeutics Plc
BioNTech
GE HealthCare
Work highlights
- Advising Oxford Biomedica on its new three year Master Services & Development Agreement with AstraZeneca UK Ltd which would facilitate potential future manufacturing opportunities for the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
- Acting for Primer Design Limited and its French parent company, Novacyt S.A. in a £134m claim brought by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and PD’s £81m counterclaim to recover sums due from DHSC under unpaid invoices.
- Advised Bicycle Therapeutics on its recent strategic collaboration agreement with Novartis.
Carpmaels & Ransford LLP
Praised for exhibiting ‘deep industry knowledge‘, Carpmaels & Ransford LLP is noted for assisting clients with trade marks, data protection, and orphan exclusivities. David Wilson has a great deal of experience in handling patent disputes concerning license agreements, and the ‘very talented and extremely dedicated‘ Jennifer Antcliff regularly appears before the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court, and the CJEU in SPC cases. Jake Marshall primarily focuses on transactional IP matters, and Hugh Goodfellow is particularly adept at the filing and prosecution of SPCs, and oppositions. James Warner leads on the chemical and pharmaceutical side, frequently handling EPO opposition proceedings. Mark Chapman heads up the biotech team, and has vast experience in pre and post-grant proceedings before the EPO.
Practice head(s):
David Wilson; Jake Marshall; Hugh Goodfellow; James Warner; Mark Chapman; Roger Lush
Other key lawyers:
Daniel Wise; Camilla Balleny; Richard Newell; Jennifer Antcliff
Testimonials
‘Very good pharmaceutical patent practice, unsurprising given the client portfolio in the patent attorney side of the firm.’
‘C&R’s strength is its fusion of a solicitors’ practice with a patent attorneys’ practice, meaning that it can provide a one-stop shop for prosecution and litigation of patents.’
‘Jenny Antcliff is a very talented and extremely dedicated and diligent junior partner.’
‘Deep industry knowledge. Able to explain difficult concepts in an accessibly way. Strategic thinking and scenario planning.’
‘Carpmaels has a team of very talented patent attorneys and litigators that are both experienced in patent law and have high level of technical expertise, and that work in a very collaborative way.’
‘Camilla Balleny is very thoughtful and comprehensive in her identification and analysis of legal issues, and she is very good about keeping the client informed and involving the client in strategic decision making.’
Key clients
Johnson & Johnson group
Bristol Myers Squibb
FibroGen, Inc.
Janssen-Cilag Limited
Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Janssen Oncology
Takeda
Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Gilead
Stichting Hubrecht Organoid Technology
Incyte
Biogen Inc.
Align Technology
Novartis
Vertex
Jazz Pharmaceuticals
CSL
LifeScan, Inc.
Ethicon Inc. & Ethicon LLC
McNeil AB
Acorda Therapeutics
Biosense Webster
Abbott Laboratories
Raytheon Technologies Corporation
LEO Pharma
Afiniti, Ltd.
Auris Health
Quantum-Si
Amgen
Work highlights
- Acted for FibroGen in FibroGen Inc. v Akebia Therapeutics Inc. and Others, in which the Court of Appeal found that FibroGen’s patents were valid on the ground of sufficiency.
- Acting for Janssen Pharmaceutica in SPC and dosage regimen patent defence relating to blockbuster product XEPLION.
- Advising FabricNano on a patent licensing and master services agreement to safeguard the foundation of its technology and providing the contractual framework for commercialising that technology.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper‘s practice represents a number of notable clients, including Cancer Research UK, Fresenius Medical Care, and QMD. Richard Taylor leads the team, and has vast expertise in advising SMEs and public bodies on both transactional and contentious IP matters involving supply chains, data, and medical devices. Dylan Kennett has broad experience in domestic and international M&A, and private equity transactions within the cannabis sector.
Practice head(s):
Richard Taylor
Other key lawyers:
Dylan Kennett
Testimonials
‘They cover all angles, they are across all the new tech and the new developments as much as they are au fait with the well-trodden paths of how to do the big deals. We are indebted to them.’
‘Easy to work with, pragmatic, global support and global network that can give us advice in the jurisdictions we need.’
Key clients
Intercept Pharma
Philip Morris International
Medtronic
Pfizer Inc
Fresenius Medical Care
Danaher
Incyte Corporation
Resmed Inc
QMD (Q Medical Devices)
Anthony Nolan
Dechra Pharmaceutical plc
Argenx BV
Avanos
Sanofi
Takeda
Syneos Health
Cancer Research UK
Dexcom
BMS
SmileDirectClub
Work highlights
- Advised longstanding FTSE 100 client Dechra Pharmaceuticals PLC on its £184m equity fundraising to supports its M&A strategy, which included a cash acquisition of US-based pet health company Piedmont Animal Health Inc.
- Represented Philip Morris International during its contested UK public takeover of Vectura Group plc, the recommended public offer of the oral nicotine manufacturer Swedish Match AB (and associated $6bn bond issuance) with an approximate combined transaction value of over $17bn.
- Represented Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. on its disposal of nine of its foreign subsidiaries ($450m) and its rights regarding Intercept’s international operations, including a license to commercialise Ocaliva (obeticholic acid) outside of the US, to Advanz Pharma.
Hill Dickinson LLP
The team at Hill Dickinson LLP is often praised by clients for finding ‘innovative solutions through collaboration‘ when advising on projects between the public and private healthcare sectors. Practice co-head Jamie Foster assists a variety of clients, including NHS organisations and biotech start-ups on collaboration agreements and regulatory issues. Co-head Michael Corcoran is adept at handling IPOs and reverse takeovers for medical cannabis and alternative protein companies.
Practice head(s):
Jamie Foster; Michael Corcoran
Other key lawyers:
James Lawford Davies
Testimonials
‘The team is unique in that they provide innovative solutions through collaboration.’
‘They completely immerse themselves in the project and you get a feeling of shared objectives for the overall delivery.’
Key clients
Psych Capital Plc
NorthEdge
Hydrogen Future Industries Plc
Palatine Private Equity
ITS Technology Group
Parity Medical
RJAH Orthopoedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
NHS Business Services Authority
Touchpoint Medical
Dr Schar UK
Genflow Biosciences
Agronomics
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Rinicare
Unity Insight
The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
Babylon Health
Yooma Wellness Inc
PAM Occupational Health Solutions Ltd
Hilltop Leaf
Fishawack Health
Curaleaf
Medicines Discovery Catapult Ltd
Centre for Process Innovation
ADDVantage Technologies
Assisted Reproduction & Gynaecology Ctr
Juvenescence Ltd
The Fertility Partnership Ltd
California Croyobank
Insilico Medicines, Inc
Agronomics Ltd
iOx Therapeutics Ltd
JD Healthcare
Lyphe Group
CME Medical Ltd
OBG Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Genus Plc
Create Health Ltd
SalvaRsx Group Plc
Sinclair Pharma Plc
Port Erin Biopharma Investments
SmartMed Global
Napa Therapeutics Ltd
Sativa Investments Plc
FastForward Innovations Ltd
Thermo Electron (Management) Services Ltd
Sativa Group Plc
Work highlights
- Advising Psych Capital plc on the completion of a UK listing of a company operating in the nascent medical psychedelic sector.
- Advising a widower on a high-profile landmark legal case in the High Court regarding surrogacy law.
- Advising Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust on the implementation and modular build of a community diagnostic centre with Alliance Medical Limited.
Latham & Watkins
Led by Robbie McLaren, the team at Latham & Watkins is noted for its ‘great sector knowledge‘ and strength in handling the full spectrum of corporate matters, including IPOs, licensing transactions, and financing issues. McLaren primarily handles cross-border M&A, in addition to venture and growth capital investments. Senior associate Oliver Mobasser primarily focuses on assisting biotech, medtech, and pharmaceutical companies with strategic transactions and divestments.
Practice head(s):
Robbie McLaren
Other key lawyers:
Oliver Mobasser
Testimonials
‘Great sector knowledge. Very responsive. Creative thinking and well resourced teams.’
Key clients
Abcam
Acino Pharma
Amgen
Astellas Pharma
Atai
Baxter
BenevolentAI
BC Partners
Collplant
CVC Capital Partners
Eleusis
Exscientia
GlaxoSmithKline
KKR
Ligand Pharmaceuticals
Meira GTx
Mereo BioPharma
Nordic Capital
Norgine
Novo Holdings
Oasmia
Osler Diagnostics
Permira
Pharmanovia
Pharmaseeds
Pharmathen
ProPharma Group
Silverlake Partners
Sobi
Soundbite
Synthon
Theramex
Zogenix
McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP
The ‘highly collaborative‘ team at McDermott Will & Emery UK LLP has broad expertise in medtech and remote medicine issues, often acting for technology, biotech and pharmaceutical clients. Practice head Sharon Lamb maintains a strong transaction-focused practice, advising on M&A and joint venture arrangements for digital health and life sciences companies. ‘Truly stand-out‘ practitioner Hamid Yunis has longstanding expertise in public-private partnerships and corporate financing issues within the healthcare space. Associate David Gibson is particularly adept at handling matters concerning procurements, outsourcings and private patient services. The ‘exceptional‘ Gary Howes has vast knowledge spanning commercial contracts and patent licensing agreements.
Practice head(s):
Sharon Lamb
Other key lawyers:
Hamid Yunis; David Gibson; Gary Howes
Testimonials
They are highly collaborative, serving as a trusted counsel for our key stakeholders alike.’
‘The team’s strengths and key capabilities are the breadth and depth of their knowledge and experience. We consider MWE to be our core partner and are proud to work with them as a firm.’
‘Hamid Yunis is truly stand-out.’
‘Excellent ability to understand licenses. Good US practice means understands the bigger picture for dealing with UK companies.’
‘Gary Howes is exceptional.’
Key clients
Fortius Clinic
Zura Bio Limited
BehaVR, Inc.
Auctus
PharmaLex Group
Summit Partners
Elite Body Sculpture
Cleveland Clinic London
Africa Cancer Control Partners, LLC.
Community Health and Eyecare Limited
Work highlights
- Advised Fortius Clinic on its transaction to acquire Schoen Clinic London from Schoen Clinic Group, a German hospital group.
- Advising Elite Body Sculpture on its non-US expansion plans in the UK, Canada and the UAE. The firm advising on strategic, healthcare regulatory, corporate, tax, commercial, privacy, employment, and real estate matters.
- Advised Zura Bio Limited on its business combination with JATT Acquisition Corp in a deSPAC transaction.
Mills & Reeve LLP
The team at Mills & Reeve LLP advises a varied client base of medical research charities, government bodies and fast-growing biotech and pharmaceutical companies, and the practice has ample experience in advising on tax, real estate, and IP matters. James Fry heads up the practice, often assisting clients with a broad range of contractual commercial issues. Fry also has broad expertise spanning research and technology collaborations, in addition to advertising and product classification work.
Practice head(s):
James Fry
Key clients
GSK
Illumina
CMR Surgical
Neurocrine Biosciences
F-star Therapeutics
Sapphiros
NRG Therapeutics
PhoreMost
Redx Pharma
Calypso Biotech
CMR Surgical
Sanger Institute
Wren Therapeutics
Transition Bio
MD Orthopaedics
Haleon
Kadans
Sphere Fluidics
Work highlights
- Advising GSK on the divestment of Haleon plc and the cloning and renegotiation of commercial contracts (a mix of technology contracts, MSAs etc.).
- Advised F-star on its licence and collaboration agreement with Takeda. The agreement, which grants licences to Takeda of F-star’s proprietary platform IP relating to the generation of bi-specific antibodies, will facilitate research towards the development of a next generation immuno-oncology bispecific antibody.
- Represented MDO in the opposition of an application for a conflicting trade mark by a company associated with a former distributor.
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Noted by clients for its ‘great pedigree‘, the team at Mishcon de Reya LLP has broad knowledge spanning digital health, crop science, and veterinary medicine. Joining the practice with his team through the firm’s merger with Taylor Vinters, Patrick Farrant co-heads the practice alongside Campbell Forsyth. Farrant has deep expertise in the negotiation of biotech IP deals and licences, while Forsyth handles a broad range of patent disputes before the High Court. Hailed by clients as a ‘statesman at the top of his game‘, David Rose is particularly apt at advising on the protection and enforcement of IP rights, FRAND terms, and the protection of SPCs. Praised for his ‘blue sky thinking‘, counsel Justin Lambert has vast expertise in matters concerning the freedom to operate, and often acts in infringement disputes.
Practice head(s):
Patrick Farrant; Campbell Forsyth
Other key lawyers:
David Rose; Justin Lambert; James Holland
Testimonials
‘Depth and breadth of thought is key to the Mishcon de Reya team. They make use of knowledge and experience at all levels, and their advice and work is much richer and more robust as a result. They know their cases inside out.’
‘Justin Lambert is an experienced litigator. He is easy to work with and is excellent at blue sky thinking. He will come up with ideas that no-one else has considered. He has a good science background.’
‘A solid team with a great pedigree!’
‘David Rose continues to impress, he is a statesman at the top of his game.’
‘James Holland is an increasingly confident and competent senior associate. He takes on the management of larger litigation teams, with excellent results as his knowledge develops in sync and his advice becomes sharper.’
Key clients
Dr Reddy Laboratories
Zentiva
United Bioscience Corp
Lupin
Nucleome Therapeutics
RQ Bio
DIOSynVax
RxCelerate
Endomag
RSC
Quell Therapeutics
Purespring
Mestag Therapeutics
Microbiotica
Centauri Therapeutics
Sanofi
Work highlights
- Acting for Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Limited in a follow-on cross-undertaking damages claim against Warner-Lambert in relation to its invalid pregabalin second medical use patent.
- Acting separately for Zentiva Pharma UK Limited and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories (UK) Limited in a multi-party pharmaceutical dispute regarding a patent for a dosage regimen relating to fingolimod.
- Advising RQ Bio on its $157m licence with AstraZeneca to help progress the treatment and prevention of viruses through antibody technologies.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius UK LLP‘s team is noted for advising biotech companies on seed investments, venture capital deals, and obtaining product approvals. Omar Shah has vast expertise in acting for clients in cartel investigations and challenges to European Commission decisions, while Allison Soilihi handles a variety of matters, including private equity transactions and joint ventures. Frances Murphy leads the competition team, often acting for large pharmaceutical companies in challenges to dawn raid search warrants and allegations of market exclusion. The ‘exceptional‘ Paul Ranson has broad experience spanning the biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device sectors, often advising clients on pricing, reimbursement, and outsourcing issues.
Practice head(s):
Omar Shah
Other key lawyers:
Paul Ranson; Frances Murphy
Testimonials
‘Collaborative, helpful, competent, and professional service. Always delivered on time, however complex the issues.’
‘Paul Ranson is an exceptional lawyer. His breadth of knowledge and experience in the life sciences area is truly staggering. As an individual, he is professional, highly competent and incredibly diligent with any task, big or small.’
Key clients
StoneCalibre
Takeda
Founders and investors in Frankie Health
Mercury Pharma
Amdipharm
Focus Pharma
AstraZeneca UK
AMCo Pharma
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Perrigo
Work highlights
- Advised StoneCalibre on its acquisition of Agar Scientific from an investment fund and various management sellers.
- Represented Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. in a series of cross-border transactions with Oak Hill Bio Ltd., a newly formed clinical-stage rare-disease therapeutics company.
- Advised the founders and VC investors of Frankie Health on the sale of Frankie Health to Unmind.
Ropes & Gray
The ‘exceptional‘ practice at Ropes & Gray LLP assists clients with a broad range of issues, including risk and crisis management, research and development strategies, and product life cycle management. The team acts for a number of notable clients, including Merck KGaA, Orphalan, and Allergan. With ‘unparalleled standing and credibility‘, practice head Lincoln Tsang handles a myriad of issues, from internal investigations and public policy matters, to product approvals and clinical trials. Tsang also has a great deal of experience in interactions with the European Medicines Agency.
Practice head(s):
Lincoln Tsang
Testimonials
‘Excellent expertise in regulatory law. I think the pharma practice is exceptional.’
‘Lincoln Tsang enjoys unparalleled standing and credibility in the life sciences sector based on his extensive experience both as a regulator and long-standing outside counsel to numerous bio-pharmaceutical and med tech companies.’
‘Lincoln Tsang is particularly experienced in market access and approval of medicines for rare diseases.’
Key clients
Bain Capital
NeoGenomics
Avista Capital Partners
Blackstone Group
Novavax
Pfizer
PTC Therapeutics
Takeda Pharmaceuticals International
Merck KGaA
Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.
Chroma Medicine, Inc.
ConforMIS, Inc.
bluebird
Orphalan (previously Gmp-Orphan)
Horizon Therapeutics
BioMarin
Intrabio
Novavax
Pfizer
PTC Therapeutics
Nasus Pharma
Mirum Pharmaceuticals
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.
Spruce Biosciences
Gyroscope Biotherapeutics
Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals
Kyowa Kirin Co.
Amicus Therapeutics
Allergan
Actimed Therapeutics
Work highlights
- Advised GIC on its acquisition of a 40% interest in The Oxford Science Park from Magdalen College, and on the strategic joint venture between GIC and Magdalen College.
- Advised Envision Pharma Group on its acquisition of OKRA.ai.
- Advised Northpond Ventures on its further investment in the Series B shares of Refeyn.
RPC
The broad practice at RPC assists clients with a broad array of issues, including inquests, risk management work, and insurance coverage matters. Practice head Dorothy Flower primarily acts for suppliers and manufacturers in claims concerning medical devices and pharmaceutical product liability; she also acts in numerous group actions, in addition to commercial and injury claims arising in the context of clinical trials.
Practice head(s):
Dorothy Flower
Key clients
Sonablate
Allied World Assurance Company
Work highlights
- Representing Sonablate before the National Institute for Healthcare and Excellence.
- Assisting Allied World Assurance Company with the review and analysis of its clinical trial policy wording.
Squire Patton Boggs
Praised by clients for its ‘unique understanding‘, the team at Squire Patton Boggs assists a diverse client base of pharmaceutical companies and medical device suppliers with market access issues. Mark Yeo maintains a corporate-focused practice, often assisting clients with venture capital and public equity transactions. Noted for his focus on the financial services sector, Jon Lent advises borrowers and family offices on the acquisition and development of care homes, and capital expenditure programmes. Adrian Spooner has vast expertise in acting for clients in matters concerning pharmacovigilance, promotions, and clinical trials.
Practice head(s):
Andrew Wilkinson; Diarmuid Ryan; Mark Yeo; Jon Lent
Other key lawyers:
Adrian Spooner
Testimonials
‘The Squire Patton Boggs team has a unique understanding of the practical implementation of current and likely future pharmaceutical legislation. This comes from the the capability of its team and their strong connections to the wider life sciences community and stakeholders.’
‘Working with Adrian Spooner has been very positive. He has provided guidance which has been practical to implement and delivered more certainty for business planning and risk mitigation.’
Key clients
HC-One Limited
Stevens & Bolton LLP
The ‘very professional‘ team at Stevens & Bolton LLP assists both originators and generics, digital health providers, and trade bodies with logistics arrangements, compliance with MHRA requirements, and know-how licensing. ‘Excellent‘ practice head Charlotte Tillet has ample expertise in licensing, collaboration and research agreements within the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Michael Frisby has a great deal of knowledge surrounding risk management issues and international arbitrations, and Gustaf Duhs primarily handles competition related matters, providing ‘clear and on point‘ advice on investigations and judicial reviews concerning importation policies.
Practice head(s):
Charlotte Tillett
Other key lawyers:
Michael Frisby; Gustaf Duhs
Testimonials
‘Very professional team that always seeks to identify main problems of the client and suggest the most practical solution.’
‘One of the biggest strengths of the team is very down to earth and easy communication. Gustaf Duhs is definitely the go-to person. You always feel comfortable to refer any question to Gustaf and could be certain that the advice will be very friendly, clear and on point.’
‘They are full service in the Life Sciences sector. Very knowledgeable team.’
‘Charlotte Tillet is excellent. Very bright.’
Key clients
Accord Healthcare
Blatchford Ltd
British Generics Manufacturers Association
Glenmark Pharmaceutical Europe Ltd
Insud Pharma
Lonza Biologics plc
Philips Healthcare
Satsuma Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
SecurMed UK
The Institute of Cancer Research