Noted for its strength in life sciences IP work, MLL Legal regularly acts for major pharma companies, medical device clients, and universities. Nicola Benz leads the team alongside the ‘excellent’ Simon Holzer, who is recognised for his deep knowledge of IP litigation within the pharma industry, and is noted for his experience in regulatory work. European patent attorney Ulrike Ciesla is known for her vast expertise in both contentious and non-contentious pharma patent work. Louisa Galbraith routinely appears before the Swiss Federal Administrative Court in cases concerning pricing orders from the Federal Office of Public Health, and appeals against Swissmedic decisions.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Our collaboration with MLL Legal on life sciences patent matters has been nothing short of exceptional. Their deep expertise in IP law, combined with a proactive and solutions-driven approach, makes them a trusted partner in navigating complex patent matters. We highly value their professionalism, precision, and commitment to achieving successful outcomes.’

  • ‘I highly recommend Kilian Schärli for his outstanding expertise and meticulous attention to detail in handling patent matters within the life sciences sector.’

  • ‘MLL is a great law firm providing solid advice in a timely manner, especially for smaller pharma companies in the healthcare sector.’

  • ‘Simon Holzer is an excellent lawyer with a broad overview, very nice to work with and extremely dedicated to his clients even in busy moments.’

Key clients

  • Alpex Pharma SA
  • AstraZeneca AB
  • AstraZeneca AG
  • Authena
  • Axapharm AG
  • Bayer Pharma AG
  • Bayer Intellectual Property AG
  • Bayer Consumer Care AG
  • Bayer (Schweiz AG)
  • Baxter Ltd
  • Becton Dickinson Company
  • Bioeq AG
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG
  • Carestream
  • Cellprotect Holding AG
  • cereneo Schweiz AG and cereneo International AG
  • Eli Lilly
  • Eurospine, The Spine Society of Europe
  • Exact Sciences International Sàrl
  • Gilead Sciences, Inc.
  • H. Lundbeck A/S
  • Lundbeck Schweiz AG
  • IFPMA
  • Implantec Schweiz GmbH
  • Innoplexus
  • Intuitive Surgical
  • Kantonsspital St. Gallen
  • Lipomed AG
  • Lusaria AG
  • MaKe WeBo AB
  • Modum
  • Mundipharma Medical Company
  • Mundipharma AG
  • Neosim
  • Psychiatrische Dienste Aargau AG
  • RDP Pharma AG
  • Scoutbee
  • Shockwave Medical
  • Spital Männedorf AG
  • Swiss Medtech
  • Swiss Rockets
  • ViiV Healthcare
  • Visiomed Laboratories

Work highlights

  • Represented Bristol Myers-Squibb in legal proceedings for the defence of BMS' pharmaceutical product Eliquis®.
  • Represented the pharmaceutical company Bayer in a dispute against the Zentiva Group and the Federal Office of Public Health concerning the Bayer's cancer drug Nexavar®.
  • Advising IFPMA on all of its contractual requirements, including sponsorships, grant contracts, research collaborations, IT service providers and employment matters.

Lawyers

Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Louisa Galbraith
MLL Legal

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Nicola Benz, Simon Holzer

Other key lawyers

Ulrike Ciesla, Louisa Galbraith, Kilian Schärli