The team at Cooley (UK) LLP is jointly overseen by John Wilkinson, known for his prowess in handling large-scale alliances and joint ventures, and Nicola Maguire, who handles a range of IP and transactional issues such as high-profile collaborations and strategic investments. Transactional work is a mainstay of the practice with series investments and debt and equity financings notable areas of activity. Colm Murphy is geared to assist life sciences clients with their IP strategy, while Frances Stocks Allen excels in handling the IP aspects of major life sciences deals. Joe Sandys further extends the unit’s transactional expertise and frequently advises on licensing and M&A matters.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘I have worked with several different law firms over the years and what makes Cooley stand out is the way that pragmatism and flexibility is combined with a high degree of expertise that allows rapid project engagement and understanding of what we need as a client, as well as the ability to focus on the key issues. ’
‘The Cooley team is very friendly, informal and easy to collaborate with. There is high attention to detail and high quality in the work.'
- 'We are particularly impressed with the work of Joe Sandys. He combines those qualities displayed by the team in general with the ability to quickly analyse, draw on his deep knowledge, direct us appropriately and deliver quality.’
‘The Cooley practice is unique due to its distinctive combination of specialized expertise, client-focused service, and a commitment to innovation. ’
‘The Cooley team members, in particular associates Joe Sandys and Michael Fernando, have many years of experience with a great collaborative spirit. They are very informed on market trends and are always willing to explore innovative solutions to complicated problems. ’
‘Cooley has a strong London presence but also has an extensive presence in the USA and Asia.’
‘Simon Amies is highly experienced in advising boards and management on life sciences/healthcare matters, listed company, commercial and corporate matters. Simon is my "go-to" legal adviser for life sciences/healthcare. ’
‘Excellent in-depth experience of licensing work in the industry.’
Key clients
- Allergy Therapeutics plc
- Athenex
- Amryt Pharma
- Ascend
- AstronauTx
- Bavarian Nordic
- Bicycle Therapeutics
- Broken String Biosciences
- CEPI
- Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations’ (CEPI)
Work highlights
Advised Quell Therapeutics, a leading T-regulatory (Treg) cell therapy biotech company based in London, on its exclusive collaboration with AstraZeneca.
Advised Bicycle on a noteworthy follow-on offering. After closing lucrative collaboration deals with Novartis and Bayer, Bicycle executed a US$230 million follow on of ADS and non-voting ordinary shares.
Advised AstronauTx, a biotech company aiming to develop novel treatments for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, on its US$117 million collaboration agreement with Saniona in Alzheimer’s disease.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Nicola Maguire; John Wilkinson
Other key lawyers
Colm Murphy; Frances Stocks Allen; Joe Sandys; Simon Amies; Michael Fernando