Stephenson Harwood is notable for its commercial contracts work in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors, balancing ‘commercial awareness with legal expertise’. The team is overseen by Dan Holland, who is commended for his 'strategic and commercial advice', and counts life sciences companies as key clients; in this sector, Bobbie Bickerton is key to the team's work on product distribution agreements, while Kate Ackland is experienced in advising on outsourced manufacturing and supply agreements. Clients in the hospitality industry turn to Naomi Leach for advice on matters such as hotel management agreements.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘The team as a whole are knowledgeable, responsive, and a pleasure to work with. They balance commercial awareness with legal expertise and act like an extension of our in-house team. They also have tremendous reach, with branches and associated companies in many regions of the world which gives us real confidence.’
  • ‘Dan Holland is outstanding. He provides strategic and commercial advice that is tailored to our business. He sees the bigger picture and always has solutions for tricky situations.'

  • 'A special mention for Kate Ackland. She particularly stands out for her attention to detail and ability to deliver pragmatic legal advice in tight time frames.’

Key clients

  • Oxford Biomedica
  • Inspired Finco Holdings Limited
  • Tier1 Bio, Inc.
  • City Sightseeing Limited

Work highlights

  • Advising Oxford Biomedica on the intricacies of critical supply arrangements, specifically addressing the demanding requirements for viral vectors crucial to the delivery of gene therapy products.
  • Advising Inspired Finco Holdings Limited on the negotiation of various agreements with business-critical suppliers.
  • Advising Tier 1 Bio, Inc on the negotiation of a clinical development and manufacturing services agreement with Lonza, one of the largest contract development and manufacturing organisations in the world.

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.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Dan Holland

Other key lawyers

Kate Ackland, Naomi Leach, Bobbie Bickerton