The core pillars of the life sciences and healthcare offering at A&O Shearman are transactional work, IP litigation and regulatory advice. Additional areas of strength include antitrust, employment and investigations. Practice co-head Jim Ford has developed a market reputation for advising on matters at the cutting edge such as the use of AI and machine learning in the drug development process. Fellow co-head Matthew Appleton excels in transactional mandates encompassing cross-border brand divestitures, strategic collaborations, acquisitions, and sales. Marjan Noor excels in life sciences patent litigation and frequently handles both enforcement and defence on behalf of patent holders. Rafi Allos‘ contentious expertise incorporates litigation against generics. Cross-border transactional work involving the development and exploitation of IP is a mainstay of Megan McMellon’s practice.
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Allen & Overy has global reach and resources to apply to issues.’
‘Jim Ford has a strong knowledge of commercial agreements in the pharma industry and a pragmatic approach to problem solving.’
Key clients
- Exscientia
- Haleon
Work highlights
- Retained by Exscientia to advise on its strategic AI-drug discovery collaborations including advising on its USD674 million AI drug discovery collaboration with Merck KGaA
- Advising Bayer on the enforcement and defence of its patents across Europe protecting Xarelto®, its highest-selling product.