Life Sciences: London

THE FIRM This firm is known for its product liability expertise, and regularly acts for companies in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors. It has recently been defending two major medical device manufacturers against allegations of defective products, and advising a leading pharmaceutical manufacturer on potential claims.

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Kelleher heads up the product liability group and is highly regarded by interviewees. His practice includes defending manufacturers in product liability cases, advising high-profile clients on potential claims and acting in arbitrations.

THE FIRM This firm's offices throughout the world enable it to offer a multinational approach to matters. It receives particular commendation for its corporate work, and for its growing IP and patent litigation practice. It recently advised Cambridge Laboratories, Millennium Pharmaceuticals and Sandoz on regulatory, data exclusivity and patent expiry issues; it is also advising Takeda on Takeda Cambridge, and represented BTG in its public takeover offer for Protherics.

Sources Say: "An efficient and client-oriented team."

KEY INDIVIDUALS IP litigation specialist Nicola Dagg is "truly exceptional and always responsive to our needs." Her practice is mainly focused on the technology and life sciences industries. Colleen Keck heads the transactional IP and commercial agreements department, and has "a really good understanding of our business," say clients. 

THE FIRM This team acts for a mixture of technology-based companies and universities, and regularly handles both international and domestic matters. Although headquartered in Oxford, its lawyers regularly act from London. Recently, the team has been advising Cell Medica on some corporate matters and a number of contracts involving tissue engineering; other clients include Piramed, Biovex, Pronota and UCL.

Sources Say: "The quality of service is excellent and provided at a reasonable price."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Founding partner Mark Anderson impresses with his ability to "focus on the key issues and give clear and succinct advice." He provides "first-rate commercial input as well as first-rate legal input."

THE FIRM This team has recognised strength in product liability issues and is supreme in regulatory work, according to interviewees. With offices in London, Brussels and throughout the USA, it uses this geographical spread to provide a full range of life sciences expertise on matters involving multiple jurisdictions. It has recently been advising the Association of British Pharmaceutical Industries on the proposed new pricing regulation scheme, and assisting Allergan with the prevention of counterfeit Botox products being brought into the EU.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Head of practice Ian Dodds-Smith holds is "a superstar of the regulatory area where he has been a leading figure for many, many years." In addition to regulatory work, Dodds-Smith has vast experience of defending product liability cases, including those with multiple claimants and those that require UK and European co-ordination. Alison Brown is a product liability litigator and regulatory compliance expert who has impressive experience handling individual claims and group actions on behalf of her defendant clients. Lincoln Tsang is a registered pharmacist and was a senior official at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for nearly 13 years. One client commented: "He is one of the most impressive lawyers that I have met in this area – he has thorough knowledge of the European regulatory landscape."

THE FIRM This firm is particularly noted for its corporate and product liability work within the life sciences sector. It recently acted for Protherics on its £218 million acquisition by BTG, and advised Piramal Healthcare Group on its EUR8 million purchase of the worldwide marketed blood plasma product Haemaccel and on its USD40 million acquisition of Minrad International. In product liability work, it regularly defends claims on behalf of manufacturers, suppliers and service providers, in addition to advising pharmaceutical clients on administrative challenges against regulatory decisions. For example, it recently acted for Shire on the ground-breaking judicial review of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidance in place for anti-cholinesterase inhibitors.

Sources Say: "Excellent at managing complex transactions."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Andrew Edge specialises in M&A and corporate finance, particularly within the healthcare and biotech industries. Clients are impressed with his strong negotiation skills. Arundel McDougall has an excellent reputation for his product liability work, while Mark Lubbock heads the firm's technology group and offers expertise in commercial and transactional IP matters within the life sciences sector; clients enjoy working with him, and remark on his unfailingly sound judgement. Clients note that Dominic Batchelor is "always on point and sees the bigger commercial picture well."  

THE FIRM This team offers incredibly strong IP and patent litigation expertise, and can also handle regulatory and commercial matters. Clients appreciate the firm's global reach and in-depth patent knowledge. The team recently advised Eurofins Laboratories on a number of acquisitions, including its purchase of Food Analytical Laboratories, and successfully defended Edwards Lifesciences against Corevalve in relation to a transcatheter heart valve patent; Baxter also remains a regular client of the firm.

Sources Say: "It is responsive to client needs, thinks strategically and provides invaluable assistance to companies doing business in multiple jurisdictions." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Trevor Cook is regarded as "the doyen of the area" thanks to his years of experience. He handles a combination of IP, regulatory and litigation matters for biotech and pharmaceutical clients throughout Europe and the USA. Clients praise Morag Macdonald as "a strategic thinker who gives advice that takes the big picture into account." She is another IP specialist, with additional expertise in cross-border litigation, and is currently defending a patent before the European Patent Office (EPO) on behalf of Neuralstem. Gerald Kamstra is highly experienced in EPO opposition proceedings, regularly acting for clients in patent litigations. Sally Shorthose benefits from a background of working in-house for a number of leading pharmaceutical companies prior to joining Bird & Bird, while Robert Williams enters the tables this year following strong client and peer feedback on his litigation and IP practice; his recent work has included undertaking patent litigation for clients such as Pfizer and Synthon.

THE FIRM This team offers expertise in IP and patents, regulatory and competition and corporate and commercial matters. Interviewees identify its pan-European capabilities as a major plus point. Key matters over the past year include acting for Nomura in its work on the Albireo spin-out from AstraZeneca, and representing Almirall in patent litigation against Boehringer Ingelheim; it also acts regularly for such big-ticket clients as sanofi-aventis, Takeda and GE Healthcare.

Sources Say: "The team has its finger on the pulse of life sciences issues, and brings a lot of relevant knowledge to bear." "A good advert for the smaller, specialised firm."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Maria Isabel Manley is "innovative in her approach to European regulatory law and not afraid to try a creative approach to protect our rights when necessary." She advises clients throughout the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. Edward Nodder co-heads the pharmaceutical team and has an impressive IP and patent litigation practice, which often involves co-ordinating cross-border litigation. Clients appreciate that "he can always be relied upon to give excellent advice." Pat Treacy is recognised for her substantial experience of EU and UK competition law within the life sciences industry, while Mark Hawes concentrates on corporate work and is "very strong technically – he's good at tackling detailed new questions in grey areas."

THE FIRM This team's life sciences capability covers IP, corporate and commercial and regulatory matters, and clients are impressed with its high-quality service. International clients appreciate the UK team's diligence in keeping them abreast of UK regulations and developments. The team recently represented Eli Lilly in its significant trade mark infringement action relating to parallel trade repackaging issues, and acted for Antisoma in its £26.8 million acquisition of Xanthus Pharmaceuticals; other high-profile clients include Pfizer, Takeda and Wellcome Trust.

Sources Say: "I never have to wonder whether I need to get another opinion."

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Marks focuses on European and competition law, advising an array of pharmaceutical and medical device companies. Clients appreciate his "quick and clear understanding of our needs." Nick Beckett heads up both the IP and life sciences groups, and has particular expertise in patent litigation and parallel trade matters across the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and hi-tech industries. Sarah Hanson is a favourite with clients for corporate and commercial work.

THE FIRM Sources agree that this is definitely a top firm for product liability and regulatory and compliance work within the life sciences sector. Recent noteworthy work includes advising Meriel on regulatory issues relating to the foot and mouth outbreak of 2007, and providing regulatory advice involving supplementary protection certificate issues to Shire. It has also been acting for a number of clients in regards to the European Commission's recent pharmaceutical sector enquiry.

Sources Say: "It has broad global coverage and the ability to communicate quickly with its global partners to work as a team on our behalf." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Anne Ware has decades of experience advising on product liability issues and contractual and personal injury-related matters. She has particular expertise in mass tort claims and regularly works on cases with multinational aspects. Richard Kingham "has astounding insight into the regulatory aspects of the life sciences industry."His practice focuses on the food and drug industries, and he has acted for leading pharmaceutical companies throughout the UK, USA and Europe. Grant Castle provides life sciences regulatory advice and has a particular focus on pharmaceutical and medical device products, as well as data protection issues.

THE FIRM This team is acting for insurer Gerling regarding the TeGenero monoclonal antibody in the wake of of the Northwick Park trial that resulted in extreme side effects; it is also advising GlaxoSmithKline on the MMR litigation, and acting for National Blood Authority and NHS trusts on the highly significant hepatitis C litigation. In addition to its product liability work, the team continues to expand its regulatory capabilities, and has been advising clients on MHRA and NICE-related matters.

Sources Say: "Top of the tree for product liability work."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Department head Simon Pearl wins praise for "the way he manages large litigation and makes teams function well is hugely impressive." Alison Louise McAdams has defended in numerous multiparty actions, including the hepatitis C and HIV blood products litigation mentioned above. Associate Michael Goldberg is "pragmatic, responsive and sensible, with a lot of experience in the area."

THE FIRM This firm offers a core team of life science specialists, who handle a range of commercial, corporate, regulatory and litigation matters. The group recently advised Biotica Technology on its collaboration and licence agreement with GlaxoSmithKline, and also acted for MedCell Bioscience on a merger with NovaThera, valued at around £20 million; other high-profile clients include Takeda, SkyePharma and Antisoma.

Sources Say: "We have no hesitation in unreservedly recommending this firm – it provides legal counsel of the highest standard and has always been supportive and found cost-effective ways of getting the work done."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Paul Ranson is "the driving light within the firm." Clients cite his extensive experience and his "diligence and thoughtfulness about what we want to achieve." Clients appreciate that Gary Howes always protects their interests: "He knows how to be strategic and argue his point without racking up hours of time on insignificant details." Interviewees agree that the arrival of Charles Waddell will considerably strengthen the department. He focuses mainly on advising biotech clients on corporate finance matters, such as equity raisings and M&A. David Smith is another corporate lawyer with a life sciences specialism, who is recommended by clients for his decades of experience and high-calibre work.

THE FIRM This firm offers a team of patent litigation and commercial transaction specialists, and acts for clients in a range of pharmaceutical and biotech-related matters. It specialises particularly in the co-ordination and management of pan-European litigation, as demonstrated by its recent patent defence work for Daiichi Sankyo. The team also advises long-standing client the Medical Research Council on numerous IP matters, such as issues relating to patent infringements, and recently acted for Quintiles Transnational on its acquisition of a UK target.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Joint head of department Sophie Rich is "undoubtedly an excellent lawyer." She has impressive experience of acting on highly significant IP actions, advising big-ticket clients such as AstraZeneca and Hoffmann-La Roche. David Wilson has a well-regarded patent litigation practice, which has a particular focus on multi-jurisdictional disputes in the centre. Solicitor advocate Mark Shillito acts on the full range of contentious and non-contentious IP matters. He is currently representing Eisai in patent litigation concerning its two main European pharmaceutical products.

THE FIRM In addition to IP and patent litigation, this team's expertise covers product liability and regulatory advice. It advises clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries, as well as banks and private equity houses looking to invest in the area. Key matters on the IP side over the past year have included representing Centocor in its biotech patent dispute with Bayer, while in product liability work the team has been defending Baxter against around 250 claims by haemophiliacs alleging to have become infected with HIV or hepatitis C as a result of contaminated blood supplies.

Sources Say: "Has the depth of experience that healthcare companies need."

KEY INDIVIDUALS John Meltzer heads the firm's product liability group and spends a significant percentage of his time on life science-related matters. He is "a very bright and seasoned professional who is incredibly tactical and client service-oriented." Robert Anderson is "a serious player" in patent litigation and general IP advisory work. He has recently been advising Ferring in multiple patent infringement disputes with numerous generic companies globally. Nicholas Macfarlane's work for pharmaceutical clients includes issues such as parallel imports and medicinal product promotion, as well as more traditional IP matters. Stephen Bennett is "a tenacious yet sensible litigator who manages to do the best for his client whilst maintaining a reasonable and proportionate approach in the eyes of the court." He focuses particularly on patent disputes between innovator and generic pharmaceutical organisations.

THE FIRM Interviewees agree that this firm offers strong regulatory capability within the life sciences industry. It has acted in a number of leading cases of late, such as its successful defence of Angiotech Pharmaceuticals' drug-eluting stent patent against revocation proceedings brought by Conor Medsystems. The team also successfully achieved a patent revocation for Eli Lilly in Eli Lilly and Company v Human Genome Sciences.

Sources Say: "A real force in patent litigation." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Mark Hodgson is held in high regard by interviewees and has an excellent reputation for his life sciences IP practice, which covers regulatory, parallel importation and licensing matters. Richard Willoughby focuses on multi-jurisdictional patent and design litigation. Marjan Noor successfully defended Eli Lilly's olanzapine patent against a revocation claim brought by Dr Reddy’s Laboratories.

THE FIRM This firm offers multi-jurisdictional and cross-practice life sciences expertise, covering corporate, IP, finance and tax, amongst other areas. In addition to its London office, it operates throughout Europe, the USA and countries such as Brazil, Japan and India. Recent work has included defending Janssen Pharmaceutica in the UK and France against a revocation action brought by Actavis, and defending Merck against a patent revocation claim also brought by Actavis; other big-ticket clients include AstraZeneca, Shire and sanofi-aventis.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Nigel Jones is joint head of the healthcare group and has an IP practice heavily focused on healthcare, pharmaceutical and biotech clients. According to clients, fellow IP lawyer Ian Karet is "a really good guy to work with – he tailors his advice to what we want very well."

THE FIRM This firm acts for a range of international and UK clients, and its London office is able to tap into a global network of offices. It recently acted for PharmaKodex on its acquisition by Orexo, and is advising Vernalis on a £24 million placing and open offer.

Sources Say: "It's very focused and does a huge amount of work in the sector."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Paul Claydon heads the London corporate group and advises pharmaceutical and biotech clients on corporate issues. James Gubbins has "an excellent understanding of life sciences and healthcare matters," and extensive experience of advising on IPOs and other securities matters, as well as private equity transactions and M&A. Managing partner Julian Thurston focuses entirely on life sciences transactions.

THE FIRM This team is particularly recommended for its IP and patent litigation expertise. It recently represented ScinoPharm Taiwan in a patent revocation action against Eli Lilly; other big-name clients include Nomura Code Securities, Daiichi Sankyo and Minster Pharmaceuticals.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jonathan Ball heads up the contentious IP practice.

THE FIRM Recent notable work for this team has included defending Kinetic Concepts against a UK patent revocation action brought by Mölnlycke Health Care, and acting for the company in an infringement action against Smith & Nephew. Other significant clients include Vectura Group, MVM Life Sciences Fund and Pliva Pharma.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Clients praise Michael Burdon's knowledge of the sector. Stephen Reese has recently become head of the life sciences group. Clients greatly appreciate his thoughtful and well-considered approach.

THE FIRM Clients appreciate this IP boutique's depth in life sciences. The firm is currently acting for Napp in a multi-jurisdictional patent dispute with Sandoz and ratiopharm, and defending a BLyS gene patent for Human Genome Sciences against Eli Lilly.

Sources Say: "These lawyers plan ahead to make sure that everything comes together."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Penny Gilbert is "a strategic thinker who ensures that we are always ahead of our adversaries." Her clients also benefit from her substantial experience of acting for biopharmaceuticals throughout the UK and in multi-jurisdictional cases. Tim Powell has particular expertise in handling significant cross-border litigation, while Zoë Butler advises on the full range of matters relating to IP rights in the sector and regularly appears before the EPO and in the UK courts.

THE FIRM This team is particularly recommended for its commercial and corporate work in the life sciences arena, and also offers expertise in product liability matters. Recent work includes acting for Cellzome in its strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline, and representing Cowen Healthcare Royalty Partners in its USD52.5 million purchase of Cetrotide's royalty stream from Aeterna Zenaris. In product liability, the team is currently defending a number of UK and US-based companies against claims alleging that a medication for Parkinson's disease has caused the claimants to develop pathological gambling addictions. Other notable clients of the firm include Wellcome Trust, Addex Pharmaceuticals and Norgine.

Sources Say: "The firm has a strong client focus and highly responsive lawyers."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Head of the life sciences department, John Wilkinson enjoys an excellent reputation and is widely respected for his extensive commercial, IP and regulatory experience. Clients say that "he is able to provide valuable strategic advice." Nicola Maguire is another major name for corporate and commercial work. Over the past year, she has advised Proteome Sciences on its licence to Thermo Fischer, and acted for Sussex Research and others in Alpharma's purchase of HemoCorm. Product liability specialist Paul Llewellyn "provides clear and timely advice."

THE FIRM This boutique now acts solely for clients in the life sciences industry, and is particularly recommended for the IP and patent litigation work that it undertakes for generic manufacturer clients. It is defending Norton Healthcare against the SFO's prosecution relating to an alleged conspiracy to defraud the NHS, and has also been acting for Teva in its high-profile revocation proceedings against Lundbeck relating to an antidepressant product.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Head of the IP group, Clare Tunstall is "a highly skilled specialist" with an impressive track record of success in patent actions.

THE FIRM Interviewees recommend Simmons & Simmons for its strong life sciences practice and cross-disciplinary expertise, which covers the breadth of commercial, corporate, IP and patent litigation and regulatory work. Clients highlight the firm's network of offices throughout Europe, the Middle East and Asia as a valuable asset. The team has recently been advising three leading global pharmaceutical companies on the EC pharmaceutical sector inquiry, and is also assisting GlaxoSmithKline in establishing a research and development centre in Shanghai. In patent litigation, it has been acting for Lundbeck on its appeal relating to the escitalopram case and continues to advise sanofi-aventis on a range of contentious and commercial matters.

Sources Say: "We appreciate its approachability, depth and project management capabilities." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Tony Woodgate is managing partner of the EU and competition group and has been involved in numerous investigations and actions in the life sciences sector throughout the UK and Europe. Rowan Freeland is "a really smart operator who has been around long enough to know everything." He is an IP lawyer with particular expertise in multi-jurisdictional patent litigation. Mark Curtis is highly regarded for his M&A and transactional work within the life sciences sector, while Kevin Mooney is "a lawyer that everybody rates." His IP practice is particularly focused on patent litigation within the pharmaceutical sector. Richard Binns receives accolades for his commercial IP work and has recently been advising numerous pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies on partnering arrangements and technology licensing.  

THE FIRM This team offers particular expertise in regulatory, licensing and IP and patent litigation matters, and is a particular favourite with generic manufacturers. It has been involved in a number of significant cases over the past year, such as acting for Sandoz in its patent dispute with Napp Pharmaceutical Holdings and advising ratiopharm on its multi-jurisdictional medicinal patch patent dispute with Alza and Janssen-Cilag. The team has maintained a healthy regulatory practice, which recently advised Tiefenbacher, ratiopharm and Actavis on a judicial review relating to Lundbeck’s escitalopram product. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS "Very well known and venerable," Stephen Kon is head of the EU and competition group. He offers expertise in competition aspects of regulatory work within the life sciences industry. David Rose is praised for his impressive IP practice covering the range of patent, trade mark and copyright matters, which he combines with commendable life sciences expertise. Chris Thornham is recommended for his work on IP disputes both throughout Europe and on a global basis.

THE FIRM This team is recognised for its involvement in commercial and corporate matters. It has been advising GlaxoSmithKline on a number of big-ticket acquisitions. Other key clients include sanofi-aventis, Shire and GE Healthcare Life Sciences.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Nilufer von Bismarck is "a very calming influence who always provides commercially driven, precise and concise legal advice to the desired timelines." She co-heads the firm's pharmaceuticals, biotech and healthcare practice.

THE FIRM This team regularly handles IP, transactional and regulatory matters, recently acting for Myriad Genetics on its USD100 million sale of Flurizan's European commercialisation rights to Lundbeck, and assisting NovaThera with its £30 million merger with MedCell Bioscience. The group has also acted in a significant number of patent litigation matters over the past year, such as its successful representation of Abbott Laboratories in a patent revocation dispute brought against Evysio.

Sources Say: "The team is collegial, knowledgeable and commercial without being cavalier."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Simon Walker has a highly regarded corporate practice with a particular focus on the life sciences and technology sectors. Clients appreciate his ability to understand the issues important to them. Simon Cohen is another respected member of the team, who focuses on patent litigation, licensing and pharmaceutical regulatory matters. Solicitor advocate James Marshall is admired by interviewees for his IP litigation practice.

Clients are impressed with this team's speed, diligence and thorough knowledge of the life sciences sector. It recently acted for Astex Therapeutics on its USD500 million drug discovery alliance with Janssen Pharmaceutical, and has been defending a Swiss biopharmaceutical client against a £10 million claim brought by a medical device manufacturer. The group continues to be highly active in patent litigation work, notably representing a leading European pharmaceutical company in a multi-jurisdictional patent litigation matter. 

Sources Say: "Places a high value on both continuity and service." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Patrick Duxbury heads the life sciences team, and has a practice that covers the full range of transactional IP issues within the life sciences industry. Clients comment that "he is extremely knowledgeable and easy to work with, giving pragmatic advice as it is needed."