Life Sciences: Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals, Biotechnology, and Medical Devices
The use of advanced and emerging technologies to develop solutions that enhance human health and combat disease has spawned the global, multi-billion dollar life sciences industry. Rapid expansion of the industry has spurred both government and private efforts to encourage research, reward innovation, fund supporting infrastructure, and protect the public. These elements correlate to form a complex legal environment in which business success relies on the focused experience of trusted advisors.
Given the intense patent activity in this sector, the competitive patent landscape must be closely assessed at the time of in-licensing, product acquisition, out-licensing, assignment, funding rounds, and throughout product development. Seyfarth Shaw provides effective patent procurement, counseling and litigation services to a broad range of life sciences and biotechnology clients. Our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients develop effective patent portfolios, gauge patent positions and navigate the myriad intellectual property obstacles facing life science and medical device companies. Our patent attorneys are knowledgeable in university licensing as well as free-to-market and ANDA Paragraph IV opinion work. Our technological experience includes diagnostics, drug delivery, drug discovery tools, small molecules, biologics, nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, implantable devices, laboratory instrumentation and analytical tools.
Our corporate attorneys represent life sciences, pharmaceutical, and medical product clients in areas such as start-up financing, private placements, public offerings, acquisitions and mergers with public and private companies. We also draft and review licensing and distribution agreements, product sales, manufacturing agreements, wholesaler agreements, group purchasing agreements and distribution agreements for both generic and branded manufactures, distributors, and wholesalers. Our attorneys help life science companies evaluate, develop and implement comprehensive, effective fraud and abuse compliance programs that will increase the likelihood of preventing, detecting and correcting unlawful and unethical behavior at an early stage in order to minimize the risks of financial loss and criminal prosecution resulting from regulatory and qui tam enforcement actions.
Our employee benefits and labor and employment attorneys provide counseling with regard to welfare and retirement plans, profit-sharing, deferred compensation and other executive compensation plans, employment policies and procedures, and labor negotiations. Our team of attorneys focusing on wage and hour litigation has seen a marked increase in activity due to the recent classification issues affecting the pharmaceutical industry in particular in that area.
Differentiating us from other firms practicing in the life sciences and biotechnology industries are the technical backgrounds of our attorneys. With advanced degrees and graduate work in related fields such as engineering and pharmacy, among others, our attorneys are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between scientific advance and the legal landscape. While our experience with start-up companies ensures that we focus on cost-effective development of a competitively significant intellectual property position, we also have a business focus on early stage and middle-market companies, allowing us to be particularly cost-effective.