Firms To Watch: Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences

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Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences in Belgium

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird‘s Belgian team leverages the firm's international outreach to offer a market-leading healthcare and life sciences offering. The team’s multidisciplinary expertise runs the gamut of life sciences-related issues, advising leading biopharmaceutical companies and regional, national, and European associations on both contentious and non-contentious issues. Core focus areas include high-value pharmaceutical patent litigation, digital health, and novel technologies including biobanking, gene therapy, and biosimilars. Practice head Marc Martens has deep expertise in the regulatory aspects of medicinal devices and advanced therapies. Jean-Christophe Troussel and Paul Hermant focus on cross-border IP and transactional matters, respectively, and Nicolas Carbonnelle advises on medical biotechnology and medicinal products.

Practice head(s):

Marc Martens


Other key lawyers:

Jean-Christophe Troussel; Paul Hermant; Nicolas Carbonnelle


Key clients

Eurogentec


Terumo Europe


Precision Medicine Group


Polpharma, Hexal (Sandoz), Almirall


Teva Pharmaceuticals


AtriCure


Novartis


Ontex


PDC*Line Pharma SA


Floridienne S.A.


Recipharm AB


Op2Lysis SAS


Ottobock


Eargo Inc


CooperVision


Myocene


FHP BV, Creafund NV, Hyloris Pharmaceutical S.A, Purna Pharmaceuticals


Rayner


Essencia (bio.be)


Novadip, MaSTherCell SA (Catalent), EMBL, Vital Strategies, UCB


European Commission: SMART-BEAR project


Work highlights


  • Assisted Floridienne S.A. in the acquisition of Biotrac NV (i.e. an indirect acquisition of shares in Florinvest NV) and the related sale of two portfolio companies of its Life Sciences division engaged in the production of vanilla (i.e. SOPRAL (Madagascar) and KAMAPIM (Papua New Guinea)).
  • Guided Rayner through its investment in HASA OPTIX Belgium, a Brussels-based medical device company that creates and produces high-quality recyclable surgical ophthalmic instruments.
  • Joined 26 organisations in a European Commission funded (€20 million) project that draws on big data to improve the health and wellbeing of European citizens. Together with the consortium, the firm’s expert lawyers carry out legal research and analysis while monitoring to ensure the project complies with the requirements of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and privacy.

Covington & Burling LLP

Covington & Burling LLP stands out for its multijurisdictional capabilities, advising major blue-chip pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies on all things life sciences. Jointly led by Peter Bogaert and Bart Van Vooren, the team combines regulatory, transactional, policy, and IP expertise to advise on an impressive range of contentious and non-contentious mandates. Experienced regulatory specialist Bogaert has deep knowledge of EU law and regularly represents clients before national and European courts. Experienced EU litigator and Nagoya Protocol expert Van Vooren advises on EU and global regulatory compliance with an emphasis on environmental and biodiversity laws concerning the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetics industries.

Practice head(s):

Peter Bogaert; Bart Van Vooren


Key clients

AbbVie


AstraZeneca


BioNTech SE


Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS)


GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)


Eli Lilly


The European Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE)


Johnson & Johnson Group


MedTech Europe


Royal Canin


Aloe Vera of Europe


Roche


International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA)


Takeda Pharmaceutical Company


Work highlights


  • Representing Sanofi in multiple proceedings before the EU General Court regarding complex regulatory questions around the use and protection of clinical trial data, and “New Active Substance” status.

Crowell & Moring

Crowell & Moring‘s pharmaceuticals and life sciences practice is highly regarded for its cross-border capabilities, particularly concerning patent disputes and licensing work. The ‘highly skilled and reliable‘ team advises on the full spectrum of domestic and international IP legal services, as well as regulatory and legislative advice. Renowned patent litigator and co-managing partner Kristof Roox leads the team. He is assisted by senior counsel Jurgen Figys, who benefits from a background in biomedical science, and associate Matteo Mariano, whose practice covers contentious and non-contentious IP work. Jan-Diederik Lindemans is another name to note.

Practice head(s):

Kristof Roox


Other key lawyers:

Jurgen Figys; Matteo Mariano; Jan-Diederik Lindemans


Testimonials

‘Crowell’s team is a true international team with highly skilled and reliable members’

‘Kristof Roox and Jan-Diederik Lindemans are both extremely innovative and responsive’

 

Key clients

Uhasselt


Alcon


Apotex/Aurobindo


Fresenius Medical Care


Synthon


Medicines for Europe


Novartis


Sandoz


Stada


Viatris (formerly Mylan)


Zentiva


Honeywell


Vondts Advocaten


Work highlights


  • Representing Novartis in various parallel import cases and Sandoz and other pharmaceutical clients in patent and SPC (Supplementary Protection Certificate) disputes affecting the launch of (biosimilar) medicines.
  • Assisting the University of Hasselt (UHasselt) and their TECH Transfer Office with the drafting and negotiating of different types of IP valorisation agreements essentially in the biomedical field and in contract negotiations in the context of the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (CTAs, quality agreements, etc.)
  • Assisting Fresenius Medical Care in an infringement proceeding against Nipro.

HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER

HOYNG ROKH MONEGIER has an impressive client roster featuring a wealth of pharmaceutical and life sciences giants and has a core emphasis on handling national and EU-level patent litigation. Practice head Liesbeth Weynants combines patent litigation experience with deep regulatory and industry expertise, advising clients on pharmaco- and materiovigilance, competition, and parallel import matters. Managing partner Benoît Strowel is an experienced patent litigator with a strong track record of advising major biopharmaceutical players. Other key names include Steven Cattoor, whose deep knowledge of the domestic market receives acclaim, and the ‘diligentTim Robrechts, who was promoted to counsel in January 2022.

Practice head(s):

Liesbeth Weynants


Other key lawyers:

Steven Cattoor; Benoit Strowel; Tim Robrechts


Testimonials

‘HRM Belgium is one of the top practices in the Belgian healthcare and life sciences practice. The size and breadth of the team is excellent and the range of cases the firm gets involved is astonishing. The firm is great value for money and has a diverse set of lawyers. The lawyers are also great to work with which is important when you are spending a lot of time together on large complex cases. Another unique attribute about HRM is that they can staff lawyers cross-border for larger projects which can be very helpful when certain lawyers are under pressure from different cases.’

‘Steven Cattoor is great partner with a huge amount of experience and in-depth knowledge of the Belgian market. He gets stuck into the details and gets involved in the day-to-day matters. He is approachable and great to work with. Tim Robrechts is a recently promoted counsel at HRM. He is diligent a and safe and reliable pair of hands.’ 

Key clients

Advanced Accelerator Applications (AAA)


Biocodex


Biogen


Ceva Santé Animale


Novartis


Sanofi


Takeda


Teva Pharmaceutical industries Ltd.


Vertex


Quinz

Quinz‘s full-service life sciences and technology practice advises an impressive range of multinational market-leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies on all things regulatory, compliance, and transactional. The team also assists public research institutions, private equity firms, and multinational consortiums with domestic and cross-border transactions, contractual frameworks, and financing. Co-heads of practice Olivier Van Obberghen and Pieter Wyckmans both have in-house experience from the pharmaceutical industry and are praised for their ‘undeniable and vigorous passion for the life sciences sector‘. Associate Marion Lapage specialises in the life sciences product lifecycle and fellow associate Michiel D'herde focuses on pharma regulatory matters and compliance.

Practice head(s):

Olivier Van Obberghen; Pieter Wyckmans


Other key lawyers:

Michiel D’herde; Marion Lapage; Cody Demuytere; Charlotte De Cort; Klaas Thibaut


Testimonials

‘A combination of a strong IP knowledge, legal background with – importantly- also good knowledge on the biotech content is very rare to find, yet Quinz has specialised themselves in that part with Pieter Wyckmans as partner.’

‘Pieter Wyckmans stands out of the crowd by his ability to distil extremely complex matters in a way that is understandable for lay people. Also putting the finger on the important points, use a negotiation technique that is very effective and at the same time with so much respect, is a recipe for a successful transaction. Also close follow-up after the deal is guaranteed, which is so important to the execution part of deals. Pieter has been a key contributor to a very successful seed round and was respected by all around the table, rightfully.’

‘Very good knowledge of our medical device sector, hands-on approach, great value for money. Olivier Van Obberghen: excellent balance between legal skills and business acumen, with a very helpful in-house background which makes him one of our best choices when it comes to addressing unusual, complex problems. I never hesitate to put him in touch with my business partners.’

‘Quinz is in my view the only Belgian life sciences boutique that excels in all relevant areas of expertise required to serve life sciences clients (regulatory, pricing and reimbursement, compliance, transactional matters, competition law). The fact that most lawyers within their team have in-house experience, is definitely also one of their greatest assets. They are extremely pragmatic and client-friendly, their level of responsiveness is flawless and they always understand the specific needs of their clients.’

‘I mainly work with Pieter Wyckmans and Olivier Van Obberghen. Olivier and Pieter are truly compatible lawyers and both share an undeniable and vigorous passion for the life sciences sector. Pieter is a poised, bright and pragmatic lawyer who has an eye for perfection and always manages to come up with creative solutions. Olivier is a zealous, sharp and no-nonsense lawyer who is clearly driven by a need to create added-value for the client and to ensure that client’s commercial interests are at all times preserved. He is also a very pleasant person to work with.’

‘Pieter Wyckmans (excellent proactive relationship partner) and Michiel D’herde (main executor) provide good quality, prompt project management and pragmatic legal solutions becoming part of the extended functional team. What impresses me every time I work with Quinz is that each individual is experienced and very good to work with, but put them together as a team and they simply excel.’

‘Klaas Thibaut is partner and specialises in corporate law. His sense of urgency is spot on and ability to distil the essentials during a hectic process is impressive. He definitely adds value to our projects and transactions and is very committed to the process. He is simply a great lawyer to work with.’

‘Pieter Wyckmans has an impressive understanding of the life sciences industry and the complexities therein. It is amazing how quickly Pieter grasps complex topics and manages to translate these into contracts. Besides that Pieter is a great negotiator and truly valuable to have by your side in discussions. He has a hands-on approach and is very pragmatic. The associates Cody Demuytere and Charlotte De Cort are also definitely worth mentioning for their professional, pragmatic and efficient way of working.’

Key clients

Johnson & Johnson


UCB Pharma


Takeda


Galapagos


Telix Pharmaceuticals


Vertex


Arvelle


Bayer


ExeVir


Abscint


Priothera


IPOPI


Sciensano


Precirix


Incyte


Gates Ventures


SunshineSmile (PlusDental)


ATB Therapeutics


Novo Nordisk


Merck KGaA


Biogazelle


Hyloris


Febelco


BlueBirdBio


Grünenthal Pharma GmbH &Co. KG


ISA Pharmaceuticals


Federal Knowledge Center


BVI (PhysIOL)


Recordati


ObsEva


Avroxa


Pharma.be


CleanBiologics


Roche


Eli Lilly


Modis


Novartis


Oxyrane


SOBI


Syndesi Therapeutics


Synox


Seuss+


Clinops


TwoBridge Pharma


EISAI Pharma


Materialise


Aimovig


Vaccinopolis


Cell Matters


Ardena


Cellevolve Bio


Amyl Therapeutics


Pharvaris


Optimapharm


Sciensano


Croma-Pharma GmbH


Dokteronline


Work highlights


  • Acted as lead counsel to venture capital firms and joint lead investors V-Bio Ventures and Fund+, in setting up the largest Belgian biotech seed financing round in recent history (€30 million) in AstriVax, a new spin-off of KU Leuven focussed on DNA vaccine technology.
  • Assisting Vaccinopolis in various legal (transactional, regulatory, compliance and GDPR) matters.
  • Advised Grünenthal on the existence and potential impact of specific pharma/healthcare regulatory requirements under Belgian law in relation to the implementation of an allocation management system (providing for the unilateral allocation of certain quantities of product to the different national markets and/or to different wholesalers within those markets).

Van Bael & Bellis

Van Bael & Bellis‘ market-leading life sciences practice has a strong full-service practice with deep national and EU regulatory and industrial expertise across the sector. Its impressive client roster includes major pharmaceutical heavyweights, pan-European associations, and national governments. Jointly led by pharma law expert Catherine Longeval and patent licensing and competition specialist Peter L’Ecluse, the team especially excels at representing public and private clients in high-profile litigation before various judicial and administrative bodies and industry boards. Michael Clancy represents clients before national competition authorities and in patent litigation before the courts.

 

Practice head(s):

Catherine Longeval; Peter L’Ecluse


Other key lawyers:

Michael Clancy


Testimonials

‘The practice has a thorough in-depth-knowledge of European drug law and was able to understand and handle our objective exactly as expected even though the case was a very complicated issue not only concerning drug law but also patent law.’

The team of Van Bael & Bellis is very responsive, flexible, and communicates fast and precisely, even in a setting where three parties had to be involved. The timelines were kept even under severe time constraints.’

‘Both engaged colleagues from VB&B were able to comprehend our complicated request immediately and provided excellent legal advice in the form of an expert statement. Catherine Longeval especially handled our case very well.’

‘High-quality professional advice with a focus on detail is always provided. Kindness and prompt communication of the team even on stretched deadlines. High quality of legal newsletters and continuous monitoring of the advancements of the pharma law jurisprudence with a view to inform the pharma law community in a respectful and professional way.’

‘Catherine Longeval is a very experienced pharma law expert and distinguished speaker in international legal congresses, with solid legal knowledge and versatile business understanding, as well as continuous oversight of the pharma law and compliance advancements during the last decades. As partner, she leads the projects in a customer-centered and legally advanced way, while she gives the space to emerging talent to thrive.’

‘Catherine Longeval’s experience in working with many international clients in demanding projects and litigation cases during the last few years gives added value to her team’s legal opinions and overall contribution to the projects of the Law Firm. Her ability to inspire and guide the associates with a view to keep a high standard of work in the final outputs combined with her gentle and elegant personality is remarkable, and it makes her a top coach and mentor for the new generation of legal professionals.’

Key clients

AbbVie


Amgen


AstraZeneca


Baxter


Bayer


Belgian Federal Government


CSL Behring


Eisai


Eli Lilly


Gedeon Richter


Gilead


GlaxoSmithKline


Horus Pharma


Intercept


Mylan


Novo Nordisk


pharma.be


Schwabe Pharma


Takeda


UCB


Vertex


Zoetis


Work highlights


  • Representing a young girl suffering from a serious and rare disease in litigation against the producer of a medicinal product (Biomarin) that is not (yet) reimbursed in Belgium.
  • Advising Zoetis, the largest global animal health company, on a range of regulatory matters, including: (1) distribution and GDP, (2) sponsorship of HCPs, and (3) interactions with veterinary clinics, among others.

Allen & Overy LLP

Allen & Overy LLP‘s Belgian practice has a full-service life sciences offering, advising leading industry players on multijurisdictional regulatory, transactional, and contentious matters. Its impressive client roster includes blue-chip pharmaceutical and biotech companies as well as industry trade groups and associations. Geert Glas and Filip Van Elsen jointly lead the practice from the Brussels and Antwerp offices, respectively. Glas, described as ‘a well-seasoned professional with acumen‘, advises Belgian biotech companies on regulatory and contentious issues, while van Elsen is noted for his experience of digital medicine and telehealth. Senior associate Tine Carmeliet advises on regulatory frameworks and data protection.

Practice head(s):

Geert Glas; Filip Van Elsen


Other key lawyers:

Tine Carmeliet


Testimonials

‘The multidisciplinary team brings in experts from various jurisdictions and is highly focused on the end-result for the requestor.’

‘Geert Glas is a well-seasoned professional with acumen, not only in his client’s needs but also to lead a team of professionals.’

Work highlights


  • Representing various pharmaceutical companies on strategic patent litigation proceedings.
  • Advised the KU Leuven on its BELpREG project, a dynamic data registration system to gather data from female patients and healthcare professionals with respect to the use of pharmaceuticals during pregnancy and lactation using high-quality observational research and real-world data.

ALTIUS

ALTIUS‘ life sciences and healthcare team has a strong multidisciplinary offering, acting for a diverse portfolio of clients from the public and private sectors. Clients include global pharmaceutical, agriscience, and biotech companies as well as governmental entities. Led by expert patent law litigator Christophe Ronse and agri-food and regulatory specialist Philippe de Jong, the firm is known for its deep expertise across a broad range of industry sectors. IP litigation is a focus area for the firm and ‘outstanding litigatorKirian Claeyé is also active in this space. Bregt Raus is another key individual.

Practice head(s):

Christophe Ronse; Philippe de Jong


Other key lawyers:

Kirian Claeyé; Bregt Raus


Testimonials

‘Go-to firm for life sciences. With its strong focus on life sciences, the different specialists (such as public procurement, IP, and compliance) will always provide advice tailored to the sector. Kirian Claeyé has thorough knowledge and provides very clear and useful advice, also on uncharted topics.’

‘The firm combines legal sharpness with deep industry sector awareness. They provide clear and pragmatic advice. Philippe de Jong is responsive, has deep sector knowledge, and is quick to pick things up.’

‘The adjectives that – I believe – best describe the law firm are reliability, efficiency, high level expertise, professionalism, and dedication.’

‘I had the chance to cooperate closely with Mr. Philippe De Jong and Mr. Bregt Raus and the qualities I value the most in them are the ability to provide advice on different subjects, maintaining the same high standard and their dedication to attention to detail. Although I am a meticulous person, I completely trust their feedback on a particular issue and I feel that I can entirely rely on it.’

‘The advice you get is timely, complete and easy to understand. They give practical examples to make sure the advice is clear. Their knowledge is high, but they have the skill to explain it clearly.’

‘A team with a wide range of knowledge and a wide network both nationally and internationally.’

‘Collaborated with both Philippe de Jong and Bregt Raus, two individuals that have deep and up-to-date knowledge about the subject of European DOP rules and legislation and very quickly understood the potential impact on our business based on our products and industry processes. Furthermore, they’re very communicative, and keep the agreed timelines and budgets.’

‘Altius is excellent in patent litigation, especially with regards to pharma cases; very responsive and on the point. Kirian Claeye is an outstanding litigator.’

Key clients

Flemish Government


Organon Pharma


Mitsui Agriscience International


Applied Medical


Novartis Pharma


ImmunoPrecise Antibodies (IPA)


Bayer Healthcare


Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)


Hipra Benelux


Work highlights


  • Advising global health care company Organon Pharma on various regulatory issues relating to its medicinal products for human use in Belgium, including parallel import, new legislation regarding continuous supply of medicinal products, data privacy, sponsorship agreements, corporate affairs, etc.
  • Advising Applied Medical, a US based global leader and manufacturer of enteral feeding devices and surgical products, on the legal requirements and restrictions for medical devices for human use when used for veterinary purposes.
  • Representing Novartis in its ongoing fight to prevent the untimely market access of generic versions of its medicament Gilenya® for the treatment of MS.

Jones Day

Drawing on the firm’s considerable international network, Jones Day ‘s life sciences and healthcare practice advises on the full spectrum of healthcare and life sciences-related issues with an emphasis on cross-border transactional and commercial work. Recent work includes assisting with high-profile cross-border investments and acquisitions. Clients include pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, and medical devices manufacturers, and the firm has a particularly strong offering in the digital health area. Cristiana Spontoni helms the practice, which includes regulatory expert Ursula Schliessner.

Practice head(s):

Cristiana Spontoni


Other key lawyers:

Ursula Schliessner


Testimonials

‘Cristiana is a key leader in the field and is very knowledgeable’

‘Cristiana is our go-to person. The Jones Day team is very professional and has a thorough understanding of the relevant regulations. They provide answers with clear recommendations and regulatory references in a timely manner.’

‘Ursula has a wide knowledge and understanding of the Regulations. She has an answer for all our questions and the ability to refer us to other consultants if needed (for different areas).’

‘The team is quite personable and a pleasure to work with. Not only do they have great in-depth knowledge in their particular focus areas, they have offices around the globe, where they are able to consult with others who are specialised in other areas of the law and geographies to provide comprehensive coverage for all of your needs.’

‘Preslava Dilkova is a pleasure to work with and will work diligently to ensure your company’s interests are met, keeping in mind your needs when new opportunities may present themselves.’

‘Excellent knowledge on law and regulation and very good understanding of the market, always very high quality.’

‘Christiana Spontoni is one of the best in Europe in this sector and has immense knowledge and experience and a very high level of strategic thinking.’

Key clients

AbbVie Inc.


Arsenal Capital


BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.


Institut Pasteur


International PNH Interest Group (IPIG)


iSTAR Medical


MedTech Europe


Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma


SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH


Work highlights


  • Representing BioMarin (NASDAQ: BMRN), a world leader in developing and commercialising innovative biopharmaceuticals for rare diseases driven by genetic causes, in a wide array of regulatory, legal, and litigation matters.
  • Advised CellCarta (a portfolio company of Arsenal Capital Partners) on the acquisition of Biogazelle NV, a Belgian company and leader in genomic testing solutions.
  • Advised Misonix, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSON) in its USD 518 million acquisition by Bioventus Inc. (NASDAQ: BVS).

Loyens & Loeff

Loyens & Loeff has significantly bolstered its healthcare and life sciences practice in recent years and the firm now has a full-service offering that covers an array of life sciences and healthcare-related matters. Working in cooperation with its offices across the Benelux region, the multidisciplinary team is well placed to advise major pharmaceutical companies and associations on cross-border transactional and contentious issues. IP and data protection litigator Stephanie De Smedt heads the team in collaboration with public procurement expert Valentijn De Boe. Other key individuals include Hakim Boularbah and senior associate Clémence Van Muylder.

Practice head(s):

Valentijn De Boe; Stéphanie De Smedt


Other key lawyers:

Clémence Van Muylder; Hakim Boularbah


Testimonials

‘The L&L practice is a unique blend of flexibility and knowledge. They understand how to work with US-based lawyers and guide them through foreign legal systems and processes. They had patience with business colleagues’ questions and made the business and legal teams feel comfortable with our legal strategy in record time.’

‘The entire team from partners to associates were always available when late-night issues arose and constantly produce outstanding and timely work products. It was a team where everyone had a voice and all contributed to shaping strategy and work product. There is no better team to litigate with in Belgium.’

‘Hakim Boularbah: A strategic thinker that sees the whole field. He appreciates the business goals and develops legal strategies to match those goals. Hakim was always available for our last minute questions and provided us with real feedback on the strengths and weakness of our positions. He put together strong legal briefs and delivered winning oral arguments. Our team trusted Hakim in record time and felt comfortable litigating in the Belgium system.’

‘Hakim has also built a very strong team of associates that speak up and contribute.’

‘Clémence Van Muylder: Dug into our case in record time and knew the facts cold. She made herself available at all hours and was crucial to drafting the briefing and delivered a strong oral argument.’

‘Stéphanie De Smedt: Asked great questions to help develop our strategy. She worked hand and hand with Hakim in putting together our strategy and provided timely advice as we learned the Belgium legal system. Was extremely flexible in responding to last-minute requests.’

‘The Loyens Loeff health regulatory team in Belgium is very professional and dedicated to the client. They are quite experienced in their field, responsive and able to provide timely, pragmatic and business oriented advice.’

‘The team are very approachable and hugely knowledgeable, willing and able to assist with all the key issues for the industry.’

Key clients

AstraZeneca


Melisana NV


Galapagos


Multipharma


B.Braun


AZ Sin-Elisabeth Zottegem


Omnivision


Micro Transponder Inc.


Arseus Medical


Metagenics


Work highlights


  • Assisted AstraZeneca in its Covid-19 vaccine dispute against the European Commission and the EU Member States.
  • Assisted Kiniciti, LLC. as local counsel in the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Belgian company Ncardia Holding, a leader in contract research, development and manufacture of stem cell-based solutions for drug discovery and cell therapy.
  • Assisted Galapagos in obtaining a tax ruling in Belgium confirming their entitlement to the innovation income deduction for their (embedded) royalties (to be) obtained in the context of the sales of the Jyseleca products.

NautaDutilh

Jointly led by Florence Verhoestraete and Philippe Remels, NautaDutilh‘s life sciences practice handles the full spectrum of healthcare and life sciences work, with an emphasis on cross-border transactional matters and intellectual property. The team advises major domestic and international pharmaceutical and biotech companies on IPOs, financing, and acquisitions. Remels leads on transactions and has extensive experience in private equity, public and private M&A, and healthcare-related corporate law. The practice also has a strong IP litigation arm led by Verhoestraete, who is a highly experienced patent, trademark, and unfair competition litigator with a focus on the life sciences and food sectors.

Practice head(s):

Florence Verhoestraete; Philippe Remels


Testimonials

‘The Nauta team seems to have a great experience in the field of IP litigations especially for healthcare and life sciences.’

‘The approach taken by the Nauta team is very creative, but at the same time based on a thorough search about the laws, precedents and recent tendency of the relevant courts.’

Also, the Nauta team has many specialists related to IP litigation, e.g., specialists of relevant technologies or specialists of damage calculations.

‘The Nauta team provides a wonderful service to clients.’

‘What is unique for the team is that, although Ms. Verhoestraete and Mr. de Haan are both experienced, top-class IP litigators, they form a team and collaborate as equal partners rather than senior-junior attorneys. They complement each other in formulating strategies, arguments or recommendations in a variety of difficult aspects of litigations. Also, their view is based on vast and deep experience in IP litigations and they can bridge legal analysis and commercial interests for clients in a creative manner.’

Key clients

Abacus Medicine


Asit Biotech


Azalea Vision


Bausch Health companies Inc.


Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc


Johnson & Johnson


Mediq


Morrow


Nyxoah


Onward Medical


VIB (Flemish Institute for Biotechnology)


Vico Therapeutics International


Work highlights


  • Advised Eagle Pharmaceuticals on the acquisition of Acacia Pharma Group plc (EUR 94.7 million in cash and Eagle Pharmaceuticals stock).
  • Assisting Onward Medical with its IPO on Euronext Brussels and Euronext Amsterdam (approx. EUR 86 million).
  • Advised the underwriters in the $ 700 million capital raise of argenx, alongside US counsel Cooley.

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons stands out for its emphasis in all things tech, offering a healthcare and life sciences practice with a focus on digital health technologies, medical devices, and e-health. Working closely with life sciences manufacturers, distributors, and industry associations, the team advises on health tech regulations, multijurisdictional matters, and public procurement. The firm also represents major pharmaceutical companies in compliance, patent, and competition disputes. Experienced litigator and arbitrator Olivier Mignolet and medtech, digital healthcare, and compliance specialist Annabelle Bruyndonckx jointly head the practice. Vladimit Murovec left the firm in 2022.

Practice head(s):

Olivier Mignolet; Annabelle Bruyndonckx


Testimonials

‘Friendly team with strong knowledge and expertise in the field of healthcare compliance.’

‘Annabelle Bruyndonckx has great knowledge of healthcare compliance and is very patient and reassuring to work with.’

‘Particular focus on healthcare and life sciences’

Key clients

beMedTech asbl/vzw


GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals SA/NV


Stibbe

Situated within the firm’s larger IP department, the life sciences and healthcare team at Stibbe stands out for its strong track record in both contentious and non-contentious patent, copyright, and trademark matters. The team also advises public and private sector heavyweights, both domestic and international, on healthcare-related regulatory and transactional matters. Experienced IP expert Ignace Vernimme regularly represents clients before regulatory authorities and courts and Philippe Campolini acts for local and international life sciences and medical devices industry clients. Associates Gwennaëlle Kusters and Louis Bidaine are also noted for their IP work.

Other key lawyers:

Gwennaëlle Kusters; Louis Bidaine


Testimonials

‘Availability, multidisciplinarity and effective teamwork’

‘Philippe Campolini and Louis Bidaine are able to synthesise complex facts in such a way as to make them understandable for a judge who would have to deal with a case and to identify and highlight the essential and striking elements that will serve their argument. They also take care to explore all possible strategies without rushing headlong in order to select the actions that will have the best chance of yielding positive results.’

Work highlights


  • Assisting Mylan in proceedings before the Court of justice of the EU against the European Commission in relation to an exemption granted to one of its competitors on the market exclusivity of its product Tobi Podhaler as an orphan medicinal product.
  • Representing ORA in ongoing proceedings against Precrix.
  • Successfully assisted Out& Out in obtaining a descriptive seizure order, which allowed Out&Out to have an independent expert search for evidence of infringement at the competitor’s headquarters.

Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL

The healthcare and life sciences practice at Baker McKenzie CVBA/SCRL has a strong transactional offering. Strengthened by the firm’s international network, the team is particularly well placed to advise domestic and international clients on cross-border M&A, multinational procurements, and market access issues for national and international clients in the medtech, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries. Els Janssens assists life sciences clients and industry associations with policy and legislative matters. She co-leads the team with Roel Meers, a specialist in biotech and health tech corporate finance. Elisabeth Dehareng and Dominique Maes are other names to note.

Practice head(s):

Els Janssens; Roel Meers


Other key lawyers:

Elisabeth Dehareng; Dominique Maes


Testimonials

‘Knowledgeable and professional lawyers (partners and associates), always up to date and capable of proposing alternatives and finding solutions even if all prior options reach a dead end.’

‘5-star team, advising and defending the company while preparing efficient strategy and answering all questions.’

 

Key clients

Abbott


Abbvie


Agomab Therapeutics


Astellas


Becton Dickinson


Beigene


Biogen


Bristol Meyers Squibb


BVI Medical


Cochlear


CSL Behring


EFPIA


Embecta


Engrail Therapeutics


European Medicines Verification Organization EMVO


Ferring


Galapagos


Hyland


ICU Medical


Inari Medical


Johnson & Johnson


Karl Storz


Lifescan


MDxHealth SA


Merit Medical


Mithra Pharmaceuticals


MSD


Neurocrine Bioscience


Opentrons


Regeneron


Saniona


Sequana Medical NV


Siemens Healthcare


UCB


Vaccines Europe


ViewRay


Work highlights


  • Advised Galapagos, a Belgian-headquartered biotechnology company listed on Nasdaq and Euronext, on its acquisition of two companies, CellPoint and AboundBio.

CMS

CMS advises pharmaceutical heavyweights, industry associations, and public sector clients on regulatory, transactional, and public procurement matters. Public procurement is a key strength of the firm, and it regularly works with large domestic and European governing bodies on major multijurisdictional matters. Bruno Fonteyn and Virginie Dor jointly head the practice. Public health and social security law specialist Fonteyn represents clients before courts and regulatory authorities. Dor specialises in public procurement with an emphasis on EU-wide mandates.

Practice head(s):

Bruno Fonteyn; Virginie Dor


Key clients

Croix Rouge (Red Cross)


Medtech


Biogroup


French Groupe Lagarrigue


Synlab


Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc


Medi-Market


Hospital of Charleroi


Pierre Fabre


SIAMU (Fire and Emergency Medical Aid Service of the Brussels-Capital Region)


Febelco


Cophana (McKesson)


Work highlights


  • Assisting the Red Cross in its contractual relationships with many organisations in the healthcare sector.
  • Advising MedTech Europe on its procurement and competition-related questions.
  • Advised Biogroup, the French largest lab group, in connection with the acquisition of the Belgian clinical group companies Laboratoires Réunis, one of the leading players in medical lab testing in Wallonia.

Deloitte Legal

Deloitte Legal's life sciences and healthcare team offers a broad practice with an emphasis on transactional, financial, and corporate advice for clients in the public and private sectors. Data protection, data privacy, and IP rights are other core areas of expertise. The practice is jointly headed by Matthias Vierstraete, who advises clients on issues of intellectual property rights protection, and Christoph Michiels, who has a track record assisting biotech and medtech start-ups throughout the development process.

Practice head(s):

Christoph Michiels; Matthias Vierstraete


Testimonials

‘Deloitte’s team is composed of various legal profiles (fiscal, patent, business,…) which bring real added values. It is like a “legal hub” where different people can handle most of your questions.’

‘In-depth expertise in the required field, speed of work and respect for deadlines, clear billing with detailed services’

‘Listening to and respecting the clients, friendliness, continuous support for all types of requests’

Key clients

Nipro Medical Europe NV


Nipro Digital Technologies Europe NV


Zoetis Belgium NV


A-MANSIA BIOTECH SA


S-Biomedic NV


Indigo Diabetes NV


VIPUN Medical NV


SOFTHALE NV


QLEVR NV


INKEF Capital BV, Jeito Capital and Forbion


D-TEK NV


Syndesi Therapeutics NV


Inbiose NV


APITOPE INTERNATIONAL NV


Bioqube ventures


Dualyx NV


Work highlights


  • Advising Nipro on all things regulatory life sciences, M&A, as well as IP/IT and have been involved with the company’s MDR and Brexit transformation from the beginning.
  • Assisted the syndicate of new Series B investors, consisting of INKEF Capital, Jeito Capital and Forbion, in respect of the EUR 80 million Series B financing round in Precirix NV.
  • Assisted the selling shareholders and the company with the sale of Syndesi Therapeutics NV to AbbVie Central Finance B.V for a total purchase price which could amount up to 1 billion EUR.

Osborne Clarke

The healthcare and life sciences team at Osborne Clarke advises clients across the life sciences sector on matters of corporate and commercial law. In particular, cross-border M&A and VC transactions, employment law, and tax matters are areas of expertise for the team. The team is headed by Vladimir Murovec, who recently joined the firm from Simmons & Simmons. Hadrien Chef is noted for his corporate, financial and tax expertise. Other key individuals include David Haex, Marie Canivet, and Benjamin Docquir.

Practice head(s):

Vladimir Murovec


Other key lawyers:

Hadrien Chef; David Haex; Marie Canivet; Benjamin Docquir


Testimonials

‘What makes Osborne Clarke unique – unlike many international law firm – is the ability to combine different fields of expertise while keeping advice on a very practical and hands-on way considering the specificity of the client.’

‘The price/quality ratio is from my experience very valuable. As innovation, Osborne Clarke offered us a great package for the implantation of a stock options plan that was tailor-made for a scale-up company in the life sciences sector. We greatly appreciate this offer that fits exactly our needs.’

‘Hadrien Chef is a great lawyer, we have had very responsive, sympathetic and extremely qualitative interactions. Hadrien is able to provide directly very good insights and advice on a large range of corporate, financial and even tax law matters. It is quite unique to be able to answer rather complex questions on the spot and this is a very valuable experience for the client.’

Key clients

Bone Therapeutics


OncoDNA


Sunrise


Delphi Genetics


BePharBel Manufacturing


Acutus


Novo Nordisk


BioKuris


Medi-Market


Work highlights


  • Advising Bone Therapeutics on numerous matters including its €16 million loan financing from the European Investment Bank, its €3.3 million private placement, and recent discussions with a view to a potential merger with the French company Medsenic. Also advised on the sale of its cell therapy manufacturing subsidiary, Skeletal Cell Therapy Support to Catalent, and assisted them in various IP and regulatory issues.
  • Assisted Delphi Genetics, a Belgian CDMO company, on the sale of 100% of its shares through an auction process coordinated by the US-based investment bank Achelous Partners.
  • Representing the client (an Association dedicated to the design and development of gene therapy treatments for rare diseases) in litigation concerning the performance of a patent License Agreement.

Simont Braun

Simont Braun's healthcare and life sciences practice advises clients on contentious and non-contentious IP, contractual, and market access issues. The team is especially noted for its strong litigation practice, successfully representing the European Commission in its dispute with AstraZeneca before the Belgian Court of First Instance concerning the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines. Eric De Gryse, Rafael Jafferali, Steven Callens and Axel Maeterlinck jointly head the team.

Practice head(s):

Eric De Gryse; Rafaël Jafferali; Steven Callens; Axel Maeterlinck


Work highlights


  • Successfully represented the European Commission and the 27 Member States in landmark proceedings against AstraZeneca for its delay of delivery of millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccines to the EU.
  • Representing EG in a case against Laboratoires Servier concerning the launch of the OTC medicine DIOSMINE EG, which is compared to “DAFLON”.

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing‘s Belgian life sciences group has a strong IP offering, advising on a wide range of contentious and non-contentious IP and regulatory matters, including patent and SPC litigation. The team counts major multinational pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and medical device manufacturers among its clients. Parallel import, trademark litigation, and copyright infringement are other areas of focus. Patent litigation specialist Christian Dekoninck heads the practice.

Practice head(s):

Christian Dekoninck


Key clients

Viatris


Dana-Farber Cancer Institute


Pfizer


NIPRO


Johnson & Johnson


Teva


Work highlights


  • Representing Viatris (Mylan) before the General Court of the EU on a regulatory data protection matter relating to Biogen’s blockbuster product Tecfidera.
  • Representing the world class research institution Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (linked to Harvard Medical School) in SPC litigation against the Belgian State.
  • Representing NIPRO in patent litigation against Fresenius Medical Care relating to medical devices.