McCann FitzGerald LLP has a broad-based healthcare and life sciences practice covering IP and regulatory issues to product liability, licensing, M&A, spin-offs and strategic alliances. It has a particularly strong reputation in product liability cases, having acted for clients in many of the biggest cases over the last 20 years. It has also landed instructions in most of the large patent disputes in the area and has a solid record in medical malpractice and clinical negligence cases. Roddy Bourke is highly-reputed for product liability cases and mass tort claims. Fiona O’Beirne has vast experience in patent disputes in the medical device, pharmaceutical and bio-pharmaceutical sectors, with Shane O’Brien also prominent in this area. David Lydon has an extensive background in life sciences M&A.
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Profile
Work Department
International Disputes, Intellectual Property, Alternative Dispute Resolution
Position
Fiona has practised for over 25 years in the area commercial litigation and dispute resolution. She advises international and domestic clients on patent litigation and other intellectual property disputes. Her practice also includes large scale commercial litigation, with a focus on complex international, regulatory and banking disputes.
Career
Qualified in 1991
Education
Graduate of University College Dublin BCL
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Paul Lavery is an excellent lawyer in this area and we find him to be very innovative and solution focused at all times.’
‘I have had the pleasure of working with Fiona O'Beirne and Shane O'Brien. They are very responsive and have ample experience at least in the field of life sciences patent litigation. They have provided us with template drafts of evidence we need to obtain in very short order.'
- 'I have valued the ability to have calls with them at short notice and obtain clear advice during the call. This helps limit costs for the client. ’
Key clients
- Pfizer
- Bristol Meyers Squibb
- VHI
- Biogen MA Inc and Biogen International
- Alkermes Pharma Ireland and Alkermes
- Mainstay Medical Holdings
- Life Healthcare Group Proprietary
- Genuity Science (Ireland)
- Hayfin Capital Management
- Sterimed Infection Control
Work highlights
Acted for Bristol-Myers Squibb Holdings Ireland in the defence of a Commercial Court patent/ SPC revocation action brought by Norton (Waterford).
Successfully represented Biogen in defending Commercial Court patent revocation and infringement proceedings against Neuraxpharm.
Represented Pfizer in Commercial Court (Intellectual Property and Technology Division) patent proceedings commenced in May 2023 by ModernaTX relating to Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine.