The Legal 500 > Europe, Middle East & Africa > France > Industry focus: Healthcare and life sciences

Healthcare is one of Altana's core industry sectors. The firm particularly stands out for its strong litigation expertise, notably handling two of the three currently ongoing judicial healthcare product liability class actions in France, and is able to act before various courts, including civil, administrative and criminal courts, and specialised healthcare regulators. The group also coordinates European cases. Other healthcare-related areas of expertise include regulatory and IP, especially patent law, where the firm offers high-level proficiency assisting leading pharmaceutical and cosmetics manufacturing companies. Recent work includes high-stake patent cases regarding drug molecule and cosmetic products. Finally, the team also has a busy corporate practice advising on clinics and biotech M&A transactions. Armand Aviges, Jean-Nicolas Soret and Frank Valentin are in charge.

Dechert LLP advises an extensive client base consisting of several of the world's leading pharmaceutical laboratories, as well as emerging biotech and medtech companies, a major medical device manufacturer and several private equity investors. The firm has particularly strong expertise in M&A and private equity transactions as well as in the negotiation of drug licensing agreements through Alain Decombe, François Hellot, Isabelle Marguet and Anne-Charlotte Rivière, who made partner in 2018. The practice can also rely on the extensive experience of competition partner Mélanie Thill-Tayara and regulatory expert Sophie Pelé, who both advise major industry players on strategic commercial, marketing and pricing issues. Finally, Marie Fillon provides IP and patent advice, while Jacques Sivignon handles litigation.

Dentons is the go-to-firm for M&A and private equity transactions in the healthcare sector. The firm assists leading industry players with the negotiation of venture investments and partnership agreements, but is also experienced in large-scale corporate transactions, such as Lactalis' acquisition of the infant nutrition business of South African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare. Corporate partners Jean-Marc Grosperrin, who also co-heads the firm's global and European practice, Anne-Laure Marcerou and Olivia Guéguen are the key contacts. The firm also offers strong complementary healthcare regulatory expertise and notably assists leading industry players with their dealings with French healthcare authorities. Senior counsel Pascale Poupelin is highly recommended and has extensive experience, especially in drug market access matters. She is also singled out for her rare ability to combine public and private law know-how. Julien Le Guyader is also recommended.

McDermott Will & Emery AARPI is an excellent choice for strategic M&A, venture and partnerships transactions in the healthcare sector. The firm advises a large client base, made up of established pharmaceutical groups, biotech companies and investors, and manages a high volume of transactions. Practice head Emmanuelle Trombe and Anthony Paronneau are the key contacts.

Simmons & Simmons is second to none in product liability law. The practice has an impressive track record of defending leading industry players facing high-stake drug and medical device liability proceedings, with recent work including the headline Levothyrox and Mediator cases. Co-head of practice Jacques-Antoine Robert is a star in this field. International head Alexandre Regniault, who also co-heads the Paris practice, advises on regulatory matters. Other key members include Ombline Ancelin, who assists leading healthcare companies with strategic antitrust and distribution issues, corporate partner Simonetta Giordano, and Sarah Bailey, who provides IP and data advice. Charlotte Damiano joined Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP in 2019.

At Viguié Schmidt & Associés, Etienne Gouesse is entirely dedicated to handling healthcare sector regulatory and litigation issues. Leading pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers turn to him for assistance with high-profile issues, including pricing, marketing, product liability and litigation matters. In recent work, the practice defended clients in product liability proceedings regarding landmark vaccines and drug products. The team also provides regulatory advice in connection with M&A transactions and handles public sector healthcare procurement disputes. Iñaki Saint-Esteben brings his competition law expertise to the table.

August Debouzy is recommended for its strong pharmaceutical and medical device patent expertise. The practice represents generic and biosimilar companies highly strategic disputes before French courts, the French patent office, the European Patent Office and EU courts. In a recent highlight case, the team notably acted for Teva in a high-stake litigation against MSA regarding a supplementary protection certificate for a cholesterol-lowering agent. The highly experienced François Pochart and Grégoire Desrousseaux as well as counsel Mathilde Rauline are the key contacts. In addition, Alexandra Cohen-Jonathan assists insurers of medical device manufacturers facing product liability proceedings. Data and IT issues are also dealt with.

Baker McKenzie's Julie Yeni heads the firm's seven-lawyer life sciences practice which advises leading French, European, US, Asian and other international pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. The team assists with sensitive regulatory and contract issues, including compliance work, licensing and research partnerships, advertising and e-healthcare projects. In recent work, the team advised on several innovative projects such as the development of new connected medical devices and assisting a leading laboratory with contract negotiations with start-ups. In addition to its stand-alone practice, the team also handles healthcare issues linked to M&A transactions. In this area, was notably involved in several large-scale transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions, for example Servier's acquisition of Shire's global oncology business. Finally, the practice also regularly joins forces with the litigation department, especially Jean-Dominique Touraille and Katia Boneva-Desmicht, to defend leading healthcare providers facing sensitive product liability disputes.

Bird & Bird has very solid pharmaceutical and medical device patent expertise. The firm was active in several key disputes, including a major biosimilar patent case and successfully acted for Actavis in first instance proceedings which led to the revocation of a diabetes treatment patent owned by Laboratoires Servier. Yves Bizollon and Anne-Charlotte Le Bihan are the key contacts. Corporate partner Emmanuelle Porte is another key member because of her strong expertise in assisting biotech and medtech companies as well as venture capital funds with private venture and M&A transactions.

Clifford Chance's recent highlights include defending Pfizer before French courts in several high-profile product liability cases regarding the company's various vaccines and drug products, including a major vaccine class action. Dispute resolution partner Thomas Baudesson is recommended, along with counsel Gaëlle Merlier whose expertise encompasses regulatory and product liability work. Olivier Gaillard brings further regulatory expertise to the team, while competition law expert David Tayar is active in several sensitive patent-related antitrust cases for a major pharmaceutical company.

De Gaulle Fleurance & Associés stands out for its strong e-healthcare expertise that brings together digital, data and healthcare regulatory know-how. The practice also provides assistance on contract licensing matters and public law healthcare procurement tenders. Medtech companies, software and platform providers, start-ups, as well as pharmaceutical laboratories and professional bodies are clients. Jean-Marie Job and Cécile Théard-Jallu both combine regulatory and IT expertise, while Blandine Fauran has particular knowledge of regulatory, competition, ethics and compliance issues.

Gide Loyrette Nouel A.A.R.P.I. has strong pharmaceutical and life sciences patent litigation know-how. The practice acts for leading French and international laboratories in biosimilar, SPC, generics and medical device patent disputes, often against other top industry players. Representing Sanofi, the group is in charge of the French aspects of a multi-jurisdictional patent infringement case against Mylan regarding a biosimilar insulin pen. Raphaëlle Dequiré-Portier, Grégoire Triet, Jean-Hyacinthe de Mitry and Dimitri Dimitrov, who was active for medical device manufacturers in product liability cases, are the main practitioners. Finally, the practice also fields a busy venture capital caseload advising biotech and medtech companies and investors during fundraising transactions. Arnaud Duhamel, Anne Tolila, Pierre Karpik and David-James Sebag are the specialists in that area.

Winston & Strawn LLP advises a large and diverse client base made up of healthcare providers, clinics, laboratories, professional organisations and associations, individuals and groups of healthcare practitioners, as well as investors and private equity funds. The practice stands out for its very strong combined corporate, regulatory, litigation and disciplinary proceedings expertise. It advises on M&A and private equity transactions, on the setting up of healthcare companies and industry networks, and regularly manages corporate and shareholder disputes. The practice acts as a strategic adviser to several key clients, notably new market entrants, whom it guides all the way through their growth and expansion process. Practice head Gilles Bigot is highly recommended, especially for dealing with challenging corporate, regulatory and litigation matters. Other key members include Anne-Carine Ropars-Furet, Julie Vern Cesano-Gouffrant and Mathilde Lefranc-Barthe.

BCTG Avocats' Hugues Villey-Desmeserets assists a long list of healthcare generics companies and also several brand name drug manufacturers, as well as cosmetics, medical device and food supplement manufacturing companies, with commercial and distribution issues. Villey-Desmeserets notably provides guidance to clients on the setting up of their commercial policies and the negotiation of commercial contracts. Other work includes the management of clients' relationships with the General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF).

Delsol Avocats' Jeanne Bossi Malafosse is particularly proficient in advising leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and professional bodies on data and e-healthcare issues. She is acting as data protection officer for several of her clients. The practice's second key member is Thomas Roche who has particular know-how in the field of regulatory and clinical research. He advises several leading industry players as well as smaller laboratories.

DLA Piper's life sciences head Sonia de Kondserovsky advises on corporate, M&A and licensing agreement matters, with recent examples including several transactions for key client Pierre Fabre. Karine Disdier-Mikus brings her trade mark expertise to the table, while Denise Lebeau-Marianna advises leading industry players on data privacy and GDPR issues.

Ginestié Magellan Paley-Vincent's practice head Catherine Paley-Vincent assists healthcare professionals with regulatory issues. She has extensive experience tackling complex bioethics and medical ethics issues and regularly defends clients facing disciplinary proceedings before professional regulatory bodies.

Hogan Lovells (Paris) LLP is adviser to several leading names in the industry. The practice has longstanding experience in high-profile product liability cases for leading pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. Christelle Coslin, who made partner in 2019, is notably involved in the defence of certification company TÜV Rheinland in the headline PIP breast implant product liability case. The practice strengthened its regulatory ability through the hiring of Charlotte Damiano from Simmons & Simmons in 2019. Mikael Salmela, who heads the practice, advises on strategic partnerships in the industry, while Stanislas Roux-Vaillard handles patent case for big names in the sector.

Intuity's Christophe Hénin has excellent regulatory and product liability expertise. Leading pharmaceutical laboratories are clients.

At Jones Day, Thomas Bouvet's strong patent expertise is retained by pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing companies to handle strategic patent cases. In addition, Renaud Bonnet offers extensive experience in advising investors, biotech and medtech companies on corporate venture transactions.

Lmt Avocats advises leading French and international pharmaceutical companies as well as smaller industry players on regulatory, corporate and digital law issues. The six-lawyer team is co-headed by Olivier Samyn and Antoine Lemétais.

Norton Rose Fulbright further strengthened its practice after hiring former Clifford Chance practitioner Marion Roquette-Pfister in 2018, who has strong industry-specific public law contract and regulatory expertise and assists major pharmaceutical companies with strategic files, including public procurement contracts. Also involved is competition law partner Marta Giner Asins.

Squire Patton Boggs defends pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers and their insurers in product liability cases. The team recently defended several clients facing judicial class action and mass litigation disputes in relation to their drug products. Surgery-related accident claims are another area of strength. Carole Sportes  and Valérie Ravit are in charge.

Taylor Wessing’s Evelyne Friedel advises a large client base composed of international pharmaceutical and medical devices companies, whom she assists with compliance, regulatory and distribution issues.