Industries: Life Sciences

Corporate Transactions

In a survey of Fortune 250 general counsel, McGuireWoods LLP ranked No. 9 among the 421 law firms named as the primary outside counsel engaged for litigation, corporate transactions, labor and employment, IP, and corporate governance. Our clients benefit from our attorneys' experience as primary outside counsel, as well as former general counsel for a number of Fortune 250 companies. McGuireWoods serves as counsel to a range of industry participants including pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies, contract research organizations (CRO), contract manufacturing companies, colleges and universities, and venture capital and private equity firms. We have experience in virtually every type of transaction involving life sciences companies, including facilitating complex mergers, acquisitions and financings.

Representative Services

• Mergers, acquisitions, asset purchases & joint ventures
• Intellectual property licensing
• Negotiating contract manufacturing agreements
• Structuring outsourced models of drug, device & biotechnology product development, manufacturing & marketing
• Arranging joint ventures for
  • Co-development agreements
  • Co-marketing arrangements
  • Product manufacturing & supply agreements
  • Quality agreements
  • CRO agreements
• Technology transfer & intellectual property licensing
• Venture capital & debt financing

When advising clients on transactional matters, McGuireWoods provides the full breadth of state, federal and international regulatory experience. Our lawyers routinely work with FDA regulators to obtain the approval of new drugs, devices and biotechnology products. The nature of operating in a highly regulated industry requires our team to interact frequently with the governmental agencies that oversee the development, manufacture and sale of life sciences products. Our transactional work often involves coordinating teams of business and legal professionals across borders and regulatory regimes. When necessary, we work closely with our international offices and local counsel to ensure that clients receive the right advice at the right time.

The field of corporate governance and governmental investigations is rapidly evolving. With former state attorneys general among our partners, we offer experienced up-to-the-minute guidance on securities regulation and enforcement matters, as well as government investigations. Our duties regularly include responding to government subpoenas, complaints, investigations, inquiries and audits. In addition, we assist clients with combating product diversion and gray market practices.

Through our subsidiary McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, we also help guide communications with the press and the public.