> Experience > Sectors and focus areas > Withers tech > Life sciences and healthcare
Life sciences and healthcare
Our experienced team of life sciences lawyers spanning the UK, Europe, US and Asia, advise a variety of clients, from leading academic institutions, established pharmaceutical and medical device companies, start-ups and tech accelerators to renowned charities.
We’ve helped companies, specifically at inception or the early stages, bring innovative drugs, therapies and devices to market. Our team includes lawyers with scientific backgrounds, regulatory and diverse industry experience, which gives us a unique perspective of the opportunities and issues faced by our clients in the life sciences sector.As trusted advisors to our clients, we often work as general counsel thereby extending the capabilities of their teams, as well as providing intellectual property and regulatory strategy and other legal services, including effective business structuring and capital raising advice, managing intellectual property and commercial arrangements, employment and tax.
Our dedicated life sciences team has extensive experience advising entrepreneurs, investors, and technology companies, operating in a range of sectors, including biotech, med-tech, food tech and health-tech (including digital health).
From inception to exit, we are familiar with the life cycle of life sciences companies and the demands on scaling your business. From structuring and fundraising for early stage companies to M&A and IPO for later stage companies.
We provide advice on a range of strategic regulatory matters, including:
- preclinical, clinical trials and post approval pharmacovigilance across multiple jurisdictions
- Interaction with regulatory authorities in the US and Europe
- advertising and promotional activities
- product recall and liability
- industry codes of conduct and compliance
- regulatory compliance regarding advertising and promotional activities
- petitions regarding matters before regulatory authorities
We understand the importance of protecting, enforcing and monetising your IP, and help with:
- IP strategy
- protecting IP developed by your employees, consultants and other third party service providers
- IP portfolio management and brand strategies to maximise the value of your IP across jurisdictions
- dispute resolution of IP infringement
- practitioners with advanced degrees in molecular biology and medicinal chemistry
- execution in IP prosecution in worldwide portfolios
- protection of bio-tech pharmaceutical and medical device technologies
We understand how critical it is for your business to have a strong development pipeline and commercialise your intellectual property. We help you:
- put in place valuable R&D, option and pipeline agreements to develop IP
- negotiate in-licensing and out-licensing agreements for early or late-stage products
- effectively bring your products to market through various outsourcing agreements for product manufacture, supply and distribution
For organizations whose business is simply growing beyond their existing legal capacity or which do not yet have budget for full time in-house lawyer, we offer general counsel support, whether at project specific fees and/or on a fixed monthly budget to meet your needs.
Our renowned charities team advises some of the leading charities in healthcare and research. We advise charities on governance and structuring issues where research is funded through charitable grants, social and financial investments. The team also advises organisations receiving charitable funding or investment.
Our team has a successful record of transferring technology and launching spin-out companies from notable universities, research institutions and tech accelerators. Our experience includes advising on investment and shareholder rights, and drafting and negotiating licensing documents and technology transfer agreements, including technology access through pipeline agreements, options and rights of first refusal.
Clients
Track record
The Global Rethinkers
People. Purpose. Progress
The most powerful forces for change come from rethinking. Without challenging the status quo we can't hope for change in business, in our communities or society at large.
We're getting behind some of the founders and innovators who are changing our world.
Check out our hub to find out more.
Key contacts
Thomas Meyers
Partner | Boston
Zachary D. Hyde
Partner | Boston
Christopher Cowles
Partner | Boston
Susanna Stanfield
Partner | Cambridge
Richard Penfold
Partner | London
Richard B. Emmons
Partner | Boston
John Serio
Partner | Boston
Jonathan Kok
Partner | Singapore
James Shaw
Partner | London
Partnerships
Insight
Join the club
We have lots more news and information that you'll find informative and useful. Let us know what you're interested in and we'll keep you up to date on the issues that matter to you.
Boston office
Our Boston team focuses on life sciences work, including regulatory and intellectual property issues. The team also represents clients investing in the life sciences industry, as well as clients commercializing life sciences and pharmaceutical innovations.
+1 617 613 9700
get in touch
View office
Cambridge office
Our Cambridge, UK office is a key location for our work with the life sciences ecosystem in the area and throughout the UK, with several of our life sciences professionals based in or working in the city.
+44 1223 675 060
Get in touch
View office
Singapore office
Our Singapore team has strong expertise in the life sciences and healthcare sector. We advise on regulatory, commercialisation, finance, tax and intellectual property issues. We represent clients investing in the life sciences and healthcare industries, particularly investment funds, family offices and private companies.
+65 6535 6844
Get in touch
view officeGet in touch
Our website will give you a flavour of the advice we provide - if you would like to talk to us for more information, please contact our client services team who will be happy to assist.