Industries: Life Sciences

General Corporate

In a survey of Fortune 250 general counsel, McGuireWoods ranked No. 9 among the 421 law firms named as primary outside counsel engaged for litigation, corporate transactions, labor and employment, intellectual property, 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, from early stage to publicly held companies, 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 and acquisitions, financings, licensing, joint venture and strategic partnering arrangements such as co-development, co-marketing and outsourced manufacturing-related agreements. We counsel and advise on entity formation; review, recommend and negotiate financing options; and provide corresponding tax advice. We have negotiated corporate and limited liability buy/sell agreements, stock option or other equity plans and agreements, and employment agreements. In addition, we have drafted original confidentiality and non-compete agreements. As business counselors, we regularly attend board meetings to provide legal counsel to boards.

When advising clients on transactional matters, we provide the full breadth of state, federal and international regulatory experience. We 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.