Life Sciences & Healthcare Disputes

Our Life Sciences disputes and investigations specialists advise clients across the breadth of the sector, including pharmaceutical, medical device and biotech companies. 

We offer: 

• Quality and depth of resources. With more than 900 dispute resolution specialists, we have the expertise and capacity to handle the most complex disputes. 
• Global reach with local insight. We think and act internationally while delivering local results.
• Proven high-stakes advisers. Clients trust us with their most sensitive, difficult and business-critical cases.
• Sector specialists. We work with industry experts to provide you with commercial legal solutions to your industry-specific issues.

Highlights of our recent experience:

• The Association of British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) in relation to its role as an interested party in appeal to the Court of Appeal of a judicial review brought by Bayer and Novartis against NHS Darlington CCG and Others regarding the use of unlicensed products when a licenced product was available.
• Teva Europe in relation to an application at the European General Court for annulment of the Commission Decision refusing a marketing authorisation for Teva’s generic cabazitaxel product due to regulatory exclusivity said to exist for the reference product.
• Sandoz in relation to patent infringement proceedings, a regulatory challenge against its pharmaceutical product marketing authorisation, and its claim on the cross-undertaking in damages against Napp Pharmaceuticals, significantly larger than any that have preceded it.
• Various clients in relation to group litigation orders or threatened group litigation orders arising out of product liability claims.
• Takeda in relation to a £500m+ shareholder dispute arising out of an acquisition of a global pharmaceutical company.
• A global healthcare company in relation to the defence of a claim by a distributor for breach of a pharmaceutical exclusive distributorship agreement and for a mandatory injunction requiring the client to continue to supply.
• A multi-national pharmaceutical company in relation to internal investigations and responding to the regulator on whistleblowers‘ allegations.
• A drug wholesaler in relation to a dispute regarding an exclusive distribution agreement between a Canadian pharmaceutical wholesale supplier and an Indian drug manufacturer whose product had consistently failed to meet regulatory standards and testing requirements.
• A UK-based institution in relation to legal and commercial matters relating to its Covid-19 vaccine development programme.

Legal directories feedback:

• "The team has strong skills in technology and life sciences." - Legal 500, 2024
   
• "CMS is a great firm doing commercial transactions in the life sciences space." - Chambers, 2024
   
• "The firm is good on the early stage and IP side of life sciences. They are very present on financing work." - Chambers, 2024
   
• "CMS has highly skilled lawyers. Where they have the most value is that they have an extensive international office base which makes them able to handle multi-jurisdictional matters efficiently." - Chambers, 2024