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

Clifford Chance’s healthcare and life sciences group handles regulatory advice, M&A transactions and patent infringement litigation. The team has experience in joint ventures, cross-licensing, technology development, co-operative commercial arrangements and collaborative alliances. The multi-disciplinary group also advises healthcare clients across numerous areas, including intellectual property rights, employment matters, tax, business compliance, competition and product liability. The practice is co-led by IP specialist Miquel Montañá, head of the firm’s Spanish tech practice Josep Montefusco and Guillermo Guardia, who is experienced in private equity and joint ventures within the healthcare sector. Highlights included representing Roche in patent infringement proceedings regarding a biosimilar.

Gómez-Acebo & Pombo focuses on the research and development side of the healthcare sector, as well as acting for clients in the botanical and animal health sectors. Its full-service healthcare and life sciences offering regularly advises on product development and licensing, M&A transactions, regulatory and compliance work, competition matters and litigation. Other key areas of work include assisting with market entry, EU trade regulation, advertising, judicial and administrative review proceedings, and sanctioning procedures. Eduardo Castillo, who focuses on unfair competition and patent and pharmaceutical sector litigation, and Irene Fernández Puyol, who heads the regulatory side of the practice and is an expert on public procurement, lead the team.

The team at Uría Menéndez handles both transactional and regulatory matters in the healthcare and life sciences sectors, and has particular expertise in compliance issues, such as internal investigations and setting up structures and policies. Members of the team are regularly seconded to clients in the sector. Teresa Paz-Ares, whose practice focuses on commercial and M&A law, heads the team. Also notable is José Massaguer, who specialises in intellectual property and innovation in healthcare. Recent highlight matters include advising on the potential implementation of a free price policy for pharmaceutical products in Spain, as opposed to the current government-fixed prices.

Baker McKenzie’s multi-disciplinary healthcare practice is noted for its ‘worldwide scope’. Particular strengths include advising on pricing and reimbursement issues and multi-jurisdictional best practice. The team can draw on support from the firm’s tax, competition, employment and IP litigation practices. Regulatory expert Montserrat Llopart and commercial contracting and restructuring specialist Cecilia Pastor head the practice. Ester Navas is also noted for her ‘flexibility’ and ‘expertise’. The firm is representing Chiesi, Isdin and Celgene before the Spanish Supreme Court in a matter relating to price referencing.

Key areas of focus for Bird & Bird include biotech, digital health, matters in the Unified Patent Court, and supplementary protection certificates and waivers. The full-service group also offers advice on intellectual property, regulatory, product liability, commercial and corporate matters. The ‘strategic’ Raquel Ballesteros, who is advising on projects in e-health, m-health and telemedicine, heads the team with IP specialist Manuel Lobato and Lourdes Ayala, who has extensive experience in M&A and private equity. Highlights included advising United BioSource on regulatory requirements relating to clinical trials and observational studies.

The team at Eversheds Sutherland Nicea provides an ‘excellent service’ in the healthcare and life sciences sector. The practice covers patent litigation relating to pharmaceuticals and biochemicals, product liability matters, regulatory issues, commercial agreements, and business strategy and public affairs advice. Francisco J. (Kiko) Carrión García de Parada, who focuses on patents and product liability, leads the team. Legal director and manager of the firm’s pharma in-house support unit Marta Gonzalez Diaz is also recommended.

Boutique law firm Faus & Moliner handles matters including clinical trials, marketing authorisation procedures, public financing, distribution and supply, pharmacovigilance and product withdrawal. The practice has experience in representing pharmaceutical companies in court proceedings against public authorities. Jordi Faus, a specialist in community and pharmaceutical law, leads the team with Xavier Moliner, who focuses on product liability, public procurement and data protection.

Boutique firm Fieldfisher JAUSAS specialises in the healthcare and life sciences sector, and has a particular focus on regulatory and compliance issues. The practice also deals with matters relating to medical advertising and promotion and market access. Practice head Héctor Jausàs has wide-ranging expertise in the sector, having advised companies in the pharmaceutical, medical devices and cosmetics industries on pricing and reimbursement, competition and EU law, and product liability. Senior associate Gemma Colomer has extensive experience in regulatory and compliance law and as a litigator.

J&A Garrigues SLP has a multi-disciplinary practice in the healthcare sector, covering intellectual property, public procurement, M&A and competition law matters. The team advises on pricing and reimbursement, advertising, quality control and commercial contracts including joint ventures. Intellectual property specialist Carolina Pina and José Fernández-Rañada, who has extensive experience in company sale and purchase transactions, co-head the practice. Recent highlights include advising the Centene Corporation on its acquisition of the majority stake in the company in charge of the University Hospital of Torrejón.

The full-service healthcare and life sciences practice at DLA Piper provides advice on regulatory, contractual and commercial, intellectual property and data protection matters. The team can draw on the firm’s global life sciences practice, which has a particular focus on the US and UK. Diego Ramos leads the practice with Paula González de Castejón, who specialises in intellectual property.

The practice at Hogan Lovells International LLP is ‘excellent for multinational clients’, and offers advice on product liability, litigation, regulatory and transactional matters to clients including manufacturers, laboratories, distributors and insurance companies in the healthcare sector. The team is led by the ‘truly remarkable’ insurance-focused Joaquín Ruiz Echauri; Santiago Garrido, who also heads the office’s regulatory practice; intellectual property specialist Ana Castedo; M&A and joint ventures expert Alex Dolmans; and product liability and tort litigation expert Carolina Revenga.

The healthcare and life sciences team at Pérez-Llorca acts for regulatory bodies such as the General Board of Official Pharmaceutical Colleges, research laboratories in the medical sector, biotechnology companies and specialist investment funds. Key areas of work include advising on regulatory, procedural, intellectual property and commercial issues. Juan Manuel Rodríguez Cárcamo, who has extensive experience in regulatory matters with a focus on the pharmaceutical sector, leads the team.

Ramón y Cajal Abogados advises on the financing of medicines, payment of pharmacists through local government institutions, advertising of medical products, cosmetic products and food supplements, and the direct supply of medicines to hospitals. Jose Ignacio Vega, who focuses on matters relating to the government and the public sector, and information technology and privacy specialist Norman Heckh head the practice. Recent matters include advising Spain's Personal Healthcare Association (ANEFP) on the advertising and pricing of non-prescription medical products.