Life Sciences is a significant, strategic growth area for the firm.

We operate extensively within the Scottish, UK, and international life sciences community, advising clients across the full range of their business activities including R&D and licence arrangements, funding and investment agreements, commercial and IP disputes, product liability issues and employment.

We’re also one of only two legal firms to be members of the Scottish Life Sciences Association.

We regularly advise research institutions, public bodies and management teams as they nurture early stage and growing companies on corporate, intellectual property and technology related transactions, guiding them through funding rounds and commercial arrangements which can often be complex and challenging.

Our Tier 1 ranked teams in Product Liability and Intellectual Property act for many of the multinational giants of the pharmaceutical industry, clearing a path through complex regulatory challenges and managing their disputes. We have been involved in all the large group product liability litigation which has taken place in Scotland over the last decade, which means we are ideally placed to advise on any class actions claims (also known as group claims in Scotland).

Our Intellectual Property litigators have recently advised a global pharmaceutical company through a number of critical patent disputes and our construction and engineering teams act for life science companies in developing new production facilities.

Medical Devices, Med Tech and Diagnostics

Healthcare systems continue to evolve with the rapid development of technology and the growing convergence between technology and life sciences.  Especially in the face of growing market pressure to reduce costs and increase efficiencies (for example in relation to drug discovery and development) and the threats posed by new virus strains, rapid population ageing or antibiotic resistance, technology is becoming increasingly transformative and is central in making health provision as accessible and efficient as possible.

To support this transition our highly experienced team brings together the Corporate and M&A, Technology, Intellectual Property, Commercial and Regulatory expertise that is so vital to this sector - coupled to a clear, experience-based understanding of how these topics interlink for healthcare focused clients.

We have a stand-out track record in high value and complex medical device cases, making us the “go to” Scottish firm in this area. Our contribution to current major global cases for Smith & Nephew and Medtronic place us in a unique position in the Scottish market.

Key Contacts

Fiona Nicolson

Fiona Nicolson

Consultant

Intellectual Property

fiona.nicolson@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)131 473 6179

Get in touch
Paul Scullion

Paul Scullion

Partner

Corporate and M&A

paul.scullion@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)141 273 6703

Get in touch
Joanna Fulton

Joanna Fulton

Partner

Product Liability

joanna.fulton@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)131 473 6305

Get in touch
Colin Miller

Colin Miller

Consultant

Competition

colin.miller@burnesspaull.com +44 (0)141 273 6828

Get in touch

Related Services

Intellectual Property

Safeguarding the intellectual property of iconic brands globally.

Class Actions

Class actions are a serious risk for any consumer-facing business.

Product Liability

Advising UK and global corporates on product quality and safety issues.

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