Life Sciences & Healthcare Disputes
Key contacts
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
Legal experts for Life Sciences & Healthcare Disputes





Explore more
Local market knowledge. Global outlook
We provide future-facing legal advice to help your organisation thrive. Combining local market knowledge and a global perspective, and with lawyers in locations worldwide, your organisation benefits from the expertise it needs, even across borders.
About CMS