Life Sciences

Financings, Mergers, and Strategic Transactions

• Represented DeltaTrainer in its $3.3-million Series Seed financing led by TenOneTen Ventures, with participation from Alpha Edison, Maven, and other investors.
• Represented CoPilot Systems in its $5.8-million Series A financing led by Hyde Park Venture Partners, with participation from multiple venture investors.
• Represented SimonMed Imaging in a strategic partnership and investment from American Securities.
• Represented a pharmaceutical company in the acquisition of another pharmaceutical company with marketed drugs, including complex royalty structures and international licensing and distribution agreements.

Intellectual Property and Innovation

• Provided strategic IP counseling and patent prosecution for companies developing CRISPR gene editing, cell therapy, antibody platforms, and diagnostic technologies, supporting product pipelines from early research through commercialization.
• Supported patent strategy and due diligence for transactions including Denali Therapeutics’ IPO and licensing transactions with Takeda and Sanofi.
• Advised on IP strategy and due diligence for investments by Taiwania Capital in digital health and medical technology companies.
• Secured patents supporting FDA-approved therapies and clinical-stage product candidates, including treatments for depression, glaucoma, and antiviral applications.

Licensing, Collaboration, and Commercial Agreements

• Represented a U.S. life sciences company in licensing intellectual property from an Israeli university and structuring cross-border licensing arrangements.
• Negotiated licensing and collaboration agreements between life sciences companies and global pharmaceutical partners, including research, development, and commercialization arrangements.
• Structured a clinical trial platform for a nonprofit research organization and hospital system, including multi-party licensing, material transfer, and research agreements.
• Negotiated complex commercial supply agreements for late-stage life sciences companies supporting commercialization of lead product candidates.

Litigation and Intellectual Property Disputes

• Represented Amneal Pharmaceuticals in multiple Hatch-Waxman litigations, securing victories including findings of non-infringement and invalidity of asserted patents.
• Represented Allergan in pharmaceutical patent litigation, securing a complete victory invalidating asserted patents at the Federal Circuit.
• Represented Evofem Biosciences in patent litigation resulting in the withdrawal of a generic challenger.
• Represented clients in PTAB and Federal Circuit proceedings invalidating patent claims and enabling commercialization of generic drug products.

Facilities, Operations, and Growth

• Represented more than 175 life sciences companies in leasing and development of laboratory, manufacturing, and R&D facilities across the United States.
• Represented a publicly traded biotechnology company in a 535,000-square-foot build-to-suit headquarters and R&D facility, one of the largest life sciences leases in San Diego by value.
• Represented a biotechnology company in the refinancing of its corporate office, laboratory, and production facility.
• Represented a biotechnology company in the sale-leaseback of its headquarters campus in Carlsbad, California.

Workforce and Data Privacy

• Advised life sciences companies on employment agreements, equity compensation, and workforce management as they scale operations.
• Defended employers in wage and hour class actions, discrimination claims, and employment-related disputes in California courts and administrative agencies.
• Assisted companies in developing data privacy and cybersecurity programs, including compliance with CCPA, CPRA, GDPR, and healthcare-related privacy frameworks.
• Represented clients in data breach and privacy litigation, including class actions involving sensitive personal and health-related data.

When should a life sciences company engage legal counsel?

Ideally, early in the company’s formation and before key decisions around intellectual property, financing, or partnerships are finalized. Early involvement helps ensure that IP is properly protected, corporate structure supports future investment, and agreements are aligned with long-term commercialization goals.

What types of legal services does a life sciences company typically need?

Life sciences companies often require coordinated support across multiple areas, including corporate, intellectual property, licensing, regulatory compliance, employment, and litigation. As companies grow, these needs become more interconnected, particularly when entering strategic partnerships, scaling operations, or preparing for financing or exit.

How do you support growth-stage life sciences companies?

We focus on companies that are moving beyond early formation into commercialization, licensing, and more complex transactions. At this stage, legal needs expand quickly, and we help clients manage that complexity by coordinating across disciplines while maintaining practical, efficient execution.

How do you coordinate across different legal disciplines?

Our teams work collaboratively across corporate, IP, litigation, real estate, employment, and privacy to provide integrated advice. This helps ensure that decisions in one area, such as licensing or financing, are aligned with IP strategy, regulatory considerations, and operational needs.

What role do attorneys play in licensing and commercialization?

We structure and negotiate licensing, collaboration, and commercial agreements that define how technology is developed, shared, and monetized. This includes aligning intellectual property rights, regulatory requirements, and business objectives to support successful commercialization.

How does California’s regulatory environment impact life sciences companies?

California presents unique legal and regulatory challenges, including employment laws, privacy requirements, environmental regulations, and evolving compliance standards. We help clients navigate these requirements while maintaining flexibility for growth and multi-state or international operations.

Do you represent both companies and investors?

Yes. We represent life sciences companies, as well as venture capital firms, private equity investors, and strategic partners. This perspective allows us to structure transactions that are commercially realistic and aligned with market expectations.

When should a company consider changing or expanding legal counsel?

As companies grow, their legal needs often become more complex and require broader coordination across disciplines. Companies may seek counsel that can provide more integrated support, consistent senior-level involvement, and a practical approach aligned with their stage of growth.

How do you approach staffing and cost efficiency?

We staff matters deliberately to align experience and cost with the client’s needs. Senior attorneys remain actively involved in strategy and key decisions, while execution is handled efficiently by the appropriate team members. Our goal is to provide high-quality, practical advice without unnecessary layers or cost.

Can you support companies with both U.S. and international operations?

Yes. We regularly advise clients on cross-border transactions, licensing, and intellectual property matters, and work with companies operating across multiple jurisdictions, including coordination with international partners and regulatory frameworks.