Fenwick’s life sciences team has once again been named a Life Sciences Group of the Year by Law360, underscoring the team’s expertise in guiding innovative companies at the cutting edge of life sciences and technology through their most significant matters. This distinction reinforces the firm’s position at the forefront of both industries and rounds out dual recognition of Fenwick’s prowess as a Law360 Life Sciences and Technology Group of the Year 2024.
Technology transactions partner Stefano Quintini, who co-leads the firm’s life sciences group alongside litigation partner Melanie Mayer and corporate partner Matthew Rossiter, attributes the team’s successes to a deep understanding of both the science and the business aspects of their clients’ industries.
“We saw this convergence between tech and biotech, where a technology would power biotechnological applications, so we developed a client base in this space,” Quintini told Law360. “Fifteen years ago nobody believed in that—it was more science fiction, now it's become the reality.”
In the past year, Fenwick played a key role in several of 2024’s most high-profile transactions and cases, including guiding Shockwave Medical through its $13.1 billion acquisition by Johnson & Johnson and advising Alpine Immune Sciences in its $4.9 billion acquisition by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The team also led Meril Life Sciences, a Fenwick client since 2019, to a patent victory in the Federal Circuit, where the court dismissed Edwards Lifesciences Corp.'s patent infringement suit, citing the safe harbor provision of the Patent Act.
Mayer emphasized the firm’s unique advantage in understanding technology as its “secret sauce” in enabling the team to serve life sciences clients as they adopt AI and other innovative technology.
Further demonstrating this expertise, the team was lauded for spearheading Formation Bio’s strategic collaboration with OpenAI and Sanofi to accelerate the development of pharmaceuticals and using AI to identify molecular sequences, target patient populations, and speed up clinical trials.
Read the full profile on Law360.
About Fenwick
Fenwick is a leading law firm, purpose-built to guide visionary tech and life sciences companies and their investors through every stage of growth, from startups securing their first round of funding to leading publicly traded global enterprises. As one of Silicon Valley’s original legal practices, today we have over 600 lawyers, patent agents, engineers, and scientists serving clients all over the world. Named 2024 Practice Group of the Year for both Life Sciences and Technology by Law360, we are consistently ranked a Chambers first-tier firm for delivering the deep experience and technical skill that help innovators at the forefront of their industries shatter boundaries and redefine what’s possible. Visit www.fenwick.com to learn more.