Life sciences law
Life sciences work, by its very nature, includes a number of different but interrelated areas of law. These include: matters relating to intellectual property (particularly patents); product liability issues; and aspects of regulatory, corporate, commercial and competition law.
Given the range of expertise involved, it would be unusual for any one lawyer to be able to advise on all these types of issues, so life sciences matters often involve interaction between the various specialist teams you might have in a firm.
While a client would not need to use just one firm to assist it in every type of life sciences matters that might arise, there is certainly a push from clients towards a full-service solution. This is because, in the current financial climate, clients are often looking to consolidate their legal providers to gain cost and time savings, and also generate a deep knowledge of their business within their legal providers.
A life science law solicitor's job
As each type of work undertaken in the life sciences sector is so different, there is no ‘typical job’ as such. A litigious matter may start slowly and grow gradually, or it may involve a sudden burst of activity as people prepare to file a series of emergency applications over a weekend. Accordingly, teams can vary from one individual lawyer to much larger teams in a significant product liability case. Advisory work, for example providing regulatory advice or advising a client in relation to a dawn raid from the competition authorities, is rather different and tends to involve smaller teams.
Quite often, and particularly given the nature of the life sciences sector, not only may a matter involve people from across different teams within a firm, but it will also involve a multinational element. This could take the form of overt references to, and involvement in, these other parts of the world, or it may just be that the case you are working on needs to be strategically coordinated with the arguments and commercial factors affecting other jurisdictions.
There is a huge range of clients within the life sciences sector. At one end of the scale are the large innovator pharmaceutical companies and generic manufacturers, while at the other are individuals who may have been injured by products that they allege were defective. Firms tend to focus on particular types of clients and few will act across the full spectrum.
Is life sciences law recession-proof?
The life sciences sector is fairly resilient to economic ups and downs and, while general financial cycles will have some effect on the willingness of a business to spend money on nice-to-have advice, it will still need to defend product liability claims; contest allegations of patent infringement; and liaise with the regulators and competition authorities. There is also an increasing awareness in the value that high-quality, innovative advice can have for life sciences clients, and the very real and direct impact this can have on their bottom line. These factors mean that there is a fairly steady workload within the sector. While you might have the occasional weekend or busy night in the office before a hearing or other time-critical matter, this is not the norm.
What skills do you need on the job as a life sciences law solicitor?
- Strong legal analysis skills.
- Ability to understand technical information.
- Interest in science and technology.
- Ability to put advice in the client’s commercial context.
What does a trainee solicitor's job in life sciences law involve?
Trainees can expect to be given a wide range of tasks and responsibilities. These might include: meetings with experts, clients or counsel; conducting legal research; or preparing paperwork for hearings.
Types of law practised
- Commercial.
- Competition.
- Corporate.
- Intellectual property.
- Product liability.
- Regulatory.
About the author
CHARLIE WINCKWORTH is a senior associate in the intellectual property, media and technology practice at HOGAN LOVELLS. He graduated from Durham University with a degree in natural sciences.
