Well regarded for its ‘full-service life sciences practice’, Bird & Bird LLP advises global pharma, biotech and medical devices clients on high-value, multijurisdictional patent litigation, on both the innovator and generic sides. The team’s capabilities extend to corporate and commercial transactions as well as regulatory matters, including data protection and exclusivity, clinical trials, marketing authorisations, and advertising. The team is co-led by Mark Hilton, who specialises in life sciences patent litigation, and Brussels-based regulatory expert Marc Martens. Sally Shorthose focuses on the protection and exploitation of IP rights in transactions, while James Baillieu is experienced in M&A and VC fundraising. Morag Macdonald and Nicole Jadeja further strengthen the team with their experience in IP advisory and litigation. Robert Williams is no longer at the firm.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘An excellent full-service life sciences practice.’
‘Nicole Jadeja and Michael Finn are truly excellent - always available, thorough knowledge of the life sciences sectors, and very pleasant to work with.’
‘Sally Shorthose and Sophie Vo are the main people I have worked with. I've valued their responsiveness, ability to keep to deadlines, and practical advice.’
'Offers holistic support. They are always happy to pick up the phone to provide a second opinion and consider the broader commercial and/or policy considerations related to their advice. They take their time to deeply understand our company context and approach, before providing advice.'
Key clients
- CureVac
- Dexcom
- Sinocare Inc.
- The Broad Institute
- Edwards Lifesciences
- Celltrion
- Merck KGaA
- Teva
- CSL Group
- Gilead
Work highlights
Acting for Dexcom in multijurisdictional patent litigation proceedings against Abbott in relation to Dexcom’s Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices.
Advised lead investor Forbion on the £35 million Series A financing in LoQus23 Therapeutics to advance its small molecule somatic expansion inhibition therapy for Huntington’s disease.
Defended UAB VVB and the grant of a marketing authorisation for its product Tobramycin VVB, which was challenged by Novartis and Mylan at the European Courts for infringement of market exclusivity.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Sally Shorthose
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
James Baillieu
Practice head
Mark Hilton; Marc Martens
Other key lawyers
Sally Shorthose; James Baillieu; Morag Macdonald; Nicole Jadeja; Sophie Vo; Michael Finn