In the latest installment of our “Go-To Law Firms” series, we look at some of the top law firms in the healthcare and life sciences field.
1. To Advise Life Science Startups: McDermott Will & Emery
One of the top healthcare law firms in the country, McDermott is a go-to for clients throughout the healthcare and life sciences sector. But the firm seems to have a soft spot particularly for those looking to transform the industry in some way. Innovation and collaboration are key words for McDermott, which has established a program specifically to help promising life sciences startups get off the ground. Through LEAP (Life Sciences Entrepreneurs Acceleration Program), McDermott works with select young companies during the earliest stages of corporate development, offering access to its deep bench of legal talent through discounted or deferred fee arrangements.
2. To Navigate the Evolving AI Landscape: Arnold & Porter
The advent of artificial intelligence has created new opportunities for technological innovation but remains fraught with ethical, regulatory, and privacy concerns. Nowhere is this more evident than in the healthcare and life sciences field, where AI may be used to streamline administrative tasks, power digital health apps, and even diagnose diseases. To guide you safely through this ever-changing landscape, you need lawyers not only knowledgeable about the life sciences industry but also wise to the strategies, risks, and implications of AI technology. Along with more than 200 life sciences attorneys, Arnold & Porter has a multidisciplinary team devoted specifically to artificial intelligence, bringing together the firm’s expertise in the regulatory, policy, litigation, and transactional realms.
3. To Patent Your New Device: Covington & Burling
Once you’ve developed your innovative new technology, you need to protect it. Covington & Burling, which is home to one of the largest and most respected life sciences practices in the country, can counsel you on your overall IP strategy, draft and prosecute your patent application, deal with licensing and joint research agreements, and advise on any challenges to the application. And should you need to go to trial, Covington has more than 130 patent litigation attorneys ready to go to bat and can represent you in disputes before judges, juries, arbitrators, as well as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
4. When Your Startup Is Ready For Liftoff: Cooley
One of the brightest stars in Silicon Valley’s legal firmament, Cooley has been working with emerging companies and their investors for more than 70 years. The firm is a leader in helping innovative startups get off the ground, counseling on financing, intellectual property issues, licensing, and commercialization agreements. Cooley has even just launched a new interactive site called IPO GO to provide companies with access to resources, tips, and the documents needed to help them prepare to go public through an initial public offering.
5. If You Want to Make a Licensing Deal: Ropes & Gray
Maybe the best way to get your new medical device onto the market is to license your cutting-edge technology to a bigger, established company. For comprehensive transactional counsel, turn to Ropes & Gray. The firm has not only one of the oldest dedicated healthcare practices but also one of the largest licensing practices in the world. The life sciences licensing team represents public and private companies in structuring all kinds of commercial agreements, including collaborative and licensing agreements, marketing and distribution deals, joint ventures, and technology transfer arrangements. No matter how complex the transaction, the attorneys at Ropes & Gray can help you structure and secure the best deal.
6. For Privacy and Data Security Issues: Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
Keeping up with technological advances and privacy and information security laws is essential for organizations in the healthcare field. With a client roster that includes more than 1,000 life sciences businesses and a special focus on healthcare technology, privacy & data security, Morgan Lewis has the experience and expertise you can count on. Whether it’s advising on data security policies, ensuring compliance with HIPAA, responding to a security breach, or handling a government audit, Morgan Lewis attorneys have you covered.
7. For Advice on Your Digital Health App: Foley & Lardner
While telemedicine existed before the outbreak of COVID-19, the pandemic-driven limitations on in-person interactions ushered in a new era for digital health and virtual care. As the benefits of telehealth became more widely apparent, its use has continued to grow. For experts in this dynamic area, turn to the folks at Foley & Lardner. The firm has a telemedicine and digital health team that works with established organizations and new companies using technological advances to reach more patients and enhance care. The firm provides the full spectrum of services to some 400 companies in the telemedicine industry, and can counsel on operational issues as well as ensure compliance with the industry’s ever-changing laws and regulations.
8. To Get FDA Approval For Your New Drug: Hogan Lovells
To operate successfully in the highly regulated world of healthcare and life sciences, compliance is key. Hogan Lovells has an extensive team of healthcare and life sciences lawyers, many of whom have worked in the industry or are former government officials with an insider’s perspective on agencies’ work. The firm has helped clients win approval for their products from the FDA for nearly 50 years. But its reach extends beyond U.S. borders, and the firm can coordinate regulatory approvals on a global scale as well as advise on post-approval compliance and enforcement actions. With their knowledge of the industry, the laws, and the regulatory process, Hogan Lovells lawyers can help you get your product to market.
9. To Complete a Multibillion-Dollar Merger: Latham & Watkins
When it comes to mergers and acquisitions advice, you can hardly do better than Latham & Watkins. One of the busiest and biggest dealmakers, the firm has become a regular at the top of the M&A league tables. Latham’s clients include a wide range of life sciences and healthcare companies in every stage of development, from start-ups to mature enterprises. With their deep knowledge of the regulatory landscape, antitrust issues, capital markets, and industry trends, Latham attorneys have the experience and expertise to help structure the biggest and most complex healthcare and life sciences transactions.
10. To Handle Workplace Challenges: Epstein Becker Green
Well known for its management-side labor and employment work, Epstein Becker also has a recognized healthcare practice. The firm has united these two branches of talent into a special team, the HEAL® strategic industry group, to guide healthcare and life sciences clients in the complexities of the employer-employee relationship and workforce management. Whether it’s structuring executive compensation, ensuring OSHA compliance, or battling a wage and hour lawsuit, the lawyers at Epstein Becker have you covered.
11. To Defend a Product Liability Case: King & Spalding
When the drug or medical device you manufacture becomes the subject of litigation, King & Spalding may be your best defender. With more than 300 lawyers and professionals focused on life sciences, the firm has deep knowledge of the industry as well as extensive experience representing pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers in class actions and multidistrict litigation, where they have served as lead counsel, trial counsel, and national coordinating counsel. From initial assessment through discovery, trial, and appeal, the attorneys at King & Spalding will be by your side.
12. For Big Talent in a Boutique Package: Hooper, Lundy & Bookman
If you want a dedicated team of attorneys whose sole professional goal is to take care of their healthcare clients, look no further than Hooper, Lundy & Bookman. The largest firm in the United States dedicated exclusively to healthcare law, HLB has more than 60 professionals and nearly 40 years of experience. The firm represents a range of clients, from hospitals and nursing homes to digital health providers and medical device manufacturers, and their expertise also runs the gamut. HLB attorneys can counsel on data protection and patient privacy issues, deal with healthcare fraud and abuse investigations, handle Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, and advise on transactions.