With an 'unsurpassed level of excellence', the team at Quinz is hailed by clients as the 'finest life sciences and healthcare practice in Belgium', dispensing advice to international consortiums and biotech companies on both domestic and international projects. Practice co-head Olivier Van Obberghen stands out for his 'visionary passion' for strategic transactions, including supply chain and spin-off projects, in addition to pharma compliance work. Co-head Pieter Wyckmans is noted for his 'unequalled' regulatory knowledge surrounding clinical development, pricing and reimbursement, and market access issues. Michiel D'herde is particularly adept at advising on international research collaborations, while Marion Lapage is known for handling a broad range of issues arising throughout product life cycles, such as logistics services, licensings, and R&D outsourcing projects.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Quinz is our go-to firm for life sciences matters. The team is able to handle complex cases in a pragmatic way. Their advice is always spot-on, and they always put great effort in understanding the context in which we operate. Every member of the team exudes that ambition to always offer added value in every service. ’

  • ‘Pieter Wyckmans and Olivier Van Obberghen bring a breath of fresh air to the legal profession. Their down-to-earth mentality, the passion they put into their work and firm and their mutual respect are simply exceptional. It is always a pleasure to work with them. Amber Cockx and Pauline Meskens are definitely associates to watch.’

  • ‘Quinz’s life sciences department clearly has the finest life sciences and healthcare practice in Belgium. Their support has always been flawless, on point and tailored to my needs. The breadth, depth and cohesion of the Quinz life sciences team is impressive, as well as the dedication for the life sciences sector that each individual team member clearly radiates.’

  • ‘Olivier Van Obberghen and Pieter Wyckmans - Their symbiotic and complementary passion for the life sciences sector has become a brand on its own. Pieter has an unequalled knowledge of the Belgian pricing and reimbursement landscape and is a brilliant and creative negotiator. Olivier is definitely the go-to person for healthcare compliance in Belgium and is a gifted and inspirational speaker on this subject.’

  • ‘It is striking to see how genuine companionship and dedication for the life sciences sector of Olivier Van Obberghen and Pieter Wyckmans has elevated their team to an unsurpassed level of excellence in Belgium. Pieter exudes a visionary passion for biotech and digital health and is a gifted negotiator. Olivier truly excels in understanding the pharma regulatory and compliance landscape, and his recommendations are always spot-on and pragmatic. Senior associates Marion Lapage and Michiel d'Herde are definitely individuals to watch. ’

  • ‘Excellent life sciences transactional practice, including complex supply chain agreements. Quinz provides very focused and efficient support and works well with in-house clients.’

  • ‘Quinz is undoubtedly the go-to firm in Belgium for life sciences and healthcare. They have the best and the largest team in the market. I was flabbergasted by the level of excellence and pragmatism of the team. What I like most is that you immediately feel that the life sciences department comes as a team - you can just feel their passion for the sector and how much they enjoy working together on complex matters.’

  • ‘Olivier Van Obberghen is truly the star in the sector. His knowledge of the regulatory landscape is simply stunning, and he understands the needs of biotech players like no other. He is one of the most gifted negotiators I know: charming but tough, charismatic but humble, and unyielding when it comes to getting the best possible outcome in very difficult situations.'

Key clients

  • Johnson & Johnson
  • UCB Pharma
  • Takeda
  • Galapagos
  • Telix Pharmaceuticals
  • Vertex
  • Bayer
  • ExeVir
  • Abscint
  • Priothera
  • IPOPI
  • Sciensano
  • Precirix
  • Incyte
  • Gates Ventures
  • SunshineSmile (PlusDental)
  • ATB Therapeutics
  • Novo Nordisk
  • Merck KGaA
  • Biogazelle
  • Hyloris
  • Febelco
  • BlueBirdBio
  • Grünenthal Pharma GmbH &Co. KG
  • ISA Pharmaceuticals
  • Federal Knowledge Center
  • BVI (PhysIOL)
  • Recordati
  • ObsEva
  • Avroxa
  • Pharma.be
  • CleanBiologics
  • Roche
  • Eli Lilly
  • Novartis
  • SOBI
  • Syndesi Therapeutics
  • Seuss+
  • Clinops
  • TwoBridge Pharma
  • EISAI Pharma
  • Materialise
  • Vaccinopolis
  • Cell Matters
  • Ardena
  • Amyl Therapeutics
  • Pharvaris
  • Optimapharm
  • Croma-Pharma GmbH
  • Dokteronline
  • Kenvue
  • Galderma
  • MedTech Europe
  • NanoBay
  • NCardia
  • Owkin
  • E-health Ventures
  • Gimv
  • European Vaccine Initiative
  • TB Alliance
  • Astrivax
  • Terumo
  • Sarepta
  • Vifor Pharma

Work highlights

  • Advised Astrivax and its lead investors on setting up a large Belgian biotech seed financing round in recent history (€30m) and securing the rights on KU Leuven’s vaccine technology. The firm advises Astrivax on all regulatory challenges to progress the lead candidate into clinical stage.
  • Assisted ISA Therapeutics with the valorisation of its IP portfolio, including the out-licensing arrangement with Regeneron. The firm supports the entirety of ISA’s clinical trials in Europe.
  • Assisting Novo Nordisk with the setting-up of an EU-funded consortium under the IHI Project, iCARE4CVD (with a budget of €22m), with the aim to build predictive models, algorithms and tools able to reliably predict complications of cardiovascular disease.

Lawyers

Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Olivier Van Obberghen
Olivier Van Obberghen
Quinz

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Olivier Van Obberghen, Pieter Wyckmans

Other key lawyers

Michiel D’herde, Marion Lapage, Amber Cockx, Pauline Meskens