CMS is praised for its ‘international capabilities and ’broad range of expertise’ which encompasses commercial, regulatory, patent litigation and corporate work. Patent expert Robert Stephen leads the practice alongside Sarah Hanson and investment and development transactions specialist Candice Blackwood. Hanson excels in commercial, IP and outsourcing transactions. Shuna Mason is frequently sought out by medical device manufacturers for assistance with product liability mandates, while Brian Sher is a key contact for competition matters in the healthcare space. Glasgow-based Carina Healy ‘s commercial and IP expertise has made her a key contact for academic and research institutions on their research, licensing and commercial needs, and Healy’s Glasgow colleague David Dennis excels in clinical trial and collaboration agreements. Fionnuala Rice further augments the group’s patent litigation strength.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘CMS has international capabilities and a broad range of expertise which can be drawn on when required without the costs of some of the global firms’.
‘Carina Healy is our relationship partner. She provides high levels of service as well as having excellent in depth knowledge of pharma industry issues. She also provides pragmatic cost effective advice on her main area of engagement, commercial contracts.’
‘CMS is one of the strongest city firms in this sector. They have real and deep rooted expertise in regulatory Issues and in litigation involving medical devices. They deliver a Rolls-Royce service to some of the world’s most successful life sciences companies. Shuna Mason is superb.'
‘Shuna Mason leads from the front. Hugely experienced and indefatigable, she uses her excellent judgment to guide her clients through the pitfalls of both regulation and litigation. She has recent experience of both coroners inquests, high value product liability civil claims and group litigation. I have worked with her for many years - and can attest that she is one of the leading practitioners in this field.'
- 'Elizabeth-Anne Larsen is a rising star. Tireless. On top of the detail. Possessing superb judgment. She is an excellent litigator - fighting hard for her clients in various different forums. She works brilliantly with Shuna Mason and has been given great responsibility as she is trusted to manage a number of important client relationships.'
‘Excellence and professionalism runs throughout the organisation. ’
‘Dr Robert Stephen and Sarah Klaczynska both spent significant amounts of time as in-house patent attorneys prior to CMS. This experience and their insights into the pharmaceutical industry’s best practices really come to the fore when advising their clients on how best to protect their patent estates. ’
Key clients
- Akebia Therapeutics
- Alliance Pharma
- Amber Therapeutics
- Astellas Pharma
- Awakn Life Sciences ( Via / Amitis Partners)
- Beckley Psytech
- E-Therapeutics
- ESMS Global
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Johnson & Johnson
- Marie Curie
- Orb Innovations
- Sanofi
- Sareum Holdings
- Skin Analytics
- The Wellcome Trust
- Thermo Fisher Scientific
- University College London
- Varian Medical Systems
- Zoe Global
Work highlights
- Advised Alliance Pharma PLC, a leading international healthcare business, on its appeal to the CAT, heard over a split 5 week trial in June to August 2023, following the CMA's enforcement decision in its investigation into the supply of Prochlorperazine, a medication used for treating nausea.
- Advised Beckley Psytech on its Series C fundraising round led by Atai Life Sciences. This investment and collaboration aims to accelerate the development of Beckley Psytech’s two clinical-stage, patent-protected, short-duration psychedelic candidates, BPL-003 and ELE-101, by adding them to Atai’s mental health innovation platform.
- Advising Akebia Therapeutics in an ongoing patent dispute with Fibrogen concerning their product Vadadustat® and the alleged infringement of Fibrogen patent claims for a broad class of compounds, defined by structure and function, to be used for treating specified types of anaemia.
Lawyers
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Robert Stephen, Sarah Hanson, Candice Blackwood