The practice group at Clifford Chance is well positioned to assist major pharma and biotech players with IP, regulatory matters and corporate transactions in the life science sphere. The team has particular expertise in patent litigation and preliminary injunction applications. Leadership of the department is split between Miquel Montañá, Josep Montefusco, Guillermo Guardia and Carme Briera. Montañá specialises in dispute resolution, IP and competition law; Montefusco handles IP litigation, competition law and advertising mandates; Guardia majors on M&A, private equity and joint ventures. Briera, for her part, assists with public law matters in the telecoms and healthcare spaces. Also noted is litigation specialist Adrián Crespo.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Sector knowledge
Client satisfaction: NPS ®
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Miquel Montana is the go-to person for complex pharma patent litigation in Spain. He can handle the most complex disputes without losing any details out of sight. Also, a great trial advocate and a really curious mind, both for legal as well as technically challenging cases, an absolute recommendation!
- Exceptionally deep and broad bench team for complex pharma patent litigation. One of the very best in the country. They can handle the most complex disputes without losing any details out of sight.
- ‘Miquel Montañá has an incredible knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and its players, from both a patent and business perspective. He is my primary choice for very important matters in Spain.'
- 'Exceptionally deep and broad bench team for complex pharma patent litigation. One of the very best in the country. They can handle the most complex disputes without losing any details out of sight.'
- 'Miquel Montañá is the go-to person for complex pharma patent litigation in Spain. Also a great trial advocate with a curious mind, both for legal as well as technically challenging cases, an absolute recommendation!'
Key clients
- Edwards Lifesciences
- Astellas Pharma Inc
- Medivation Prostate Therapeutics LLC
- Brystol Myers & Squibb
- Exact Sciences
- Pfizer
- Bayer
- Millenium Pharmaceuticals
- Drylock
- Novartis
- Eli Lilly
- Daiichi Sankyo
- Teva
- Esteve
- Fresenius
- AlfaSigma
- Laboratoires Servier
- Bial Portela
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Lundbeck
Work highlights
Represented Edwards Lifesciences in patent infringement and invalidity proceedings against Meril Life Sciences, an Indian competitor.
Representing Astellas and Medivation in patent revocation proceedings brought by Synthon B.V.
Represented Bristol Myers & Squibb in the Spanish front of the EU-wide litigation involving a request for invalidation of the patent protecting apixaban (Eliquis®), the top-selling anticoagulant drug in the world.
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Practice head
Miquel Montañá; Josep Montefusco; Guillermo Guardia; Carme Briera
Other key lawyers
Adrián Crespo