equIP Life Sciences: from lab bench to business

Working with, and investing in, growing companies in the life sciences sector excites us here at CMS.

Working with academics and entrepreneurs on cutting edge ideas, fostering growth and innovation, and helping to support the stars of the future gets us out of bed in the morning.

For early stage or pre-revenue businesses, legal advice may be pushed to the bottom of the priority list, not least due to the issue of cost. However, for a business to grow successfully, especially in a complex and heavily regulated sector, having the right foundations is imperative.

Who are we?

• A full service law firm with a strong focus in the life sciences sector, working across biotech, pharmaceuticals, devices & diagnostics, digital health and healthcare.
• Working with a broad range of clients both within the UK and internationally, in the public, private and charitable sectors. Our clients range from university spin-outs to multinationals, investors and research organisations.
• European patent attorney practice fully integrated with a full service IP solicitor team working across all aspects of the life sciences sector and providing a unique IP ‘one-stop shop’.
• Well networked in the industry through clients, industry partners and active memberships in bodies such as the ABHI, ABPI, BIA, BIVDA, the BPF, EUCOMED / MedTech Europe and Healthcare UK.

The life sciences roadmap and typical legal considerations

Our fixed fee menu

IP healthcheck 

IP is the central value proposition of your business. Our healthcheck service, delivered by our market-leading IP team, helps protect and maximise this value for the life span of your company.

Fundraising

Access to capital is an essential part of your growth story, and we will use our experience and network of investors to help get the funding you need. 

Share schemes

Share options provide a cost-effective means for you to recruit and reward employees as an alternative to significant salaries. We can help you implement mutually beneficial share-based reward structures.

Patent application drafting

Our patent attorneys are experienced in handling the full range of life sciences technologies and we are active in all of the cutting edge life sciences spaces. We offer a fixed fee patent application drafting service to give you certainty on costs.

Employment

Keeping your talent happy is essential. equIP gives you access to our fixed fee employment law services to help you protect your company’s interests in a simple and cost efficient manner.

equIP Life Sciences offers a dedicated programme to support start-ups across biotech, pharmaceuticals, devices & diagnostics, digital health and healthcare in the form of:

	Sector-focused legal advice at special discounted rates A 50% discount on our standard hourly rates (on the first £40,000 of fees incurred each year).
	Introductions to relevant industry players Whether it be like-minded entrepreneurs or investors, we know who you should be talking to.
	Fixed fee services This includes an IP healthcheck, patent application drafting and advice on fundraising, share schemes, employment and website T&Cs.
	Added value Access to exclusive events, workshops and a regular member newsletter.

Apply to become part of equIP

To find out more or apply to equIP Life Sciences, please complete the form in the link below.