Life Sciences Corporate Partnering & Licensing

Cooley's leadership in corporate representation and mergers and acquisition counseling for life science companies provides a deep foundation of experience upon which we have established a dedicated team of corporate partnering and licensing attorneys.

Our senior team members are internationally recognized as being the best in their field.  Many of our professionals are backed by a wealth of supporting experience, having been pharmaceutical marketing specialists, business consultants, financial leaders, biotech researchers and in-house counsel at life science companies.

We have a solid understanding of the drug development and regulatory environment, expertise in early-stage R&D, late stage product deals, particular expertise in late-stage compound deals and specific knowledge of the sensitivities surrounding commercialization issues such as:

  • Indication splitting
  • Off-label sales
  • Product bundling

Key Facts

  • 25 dedicated professionals exclusively focused on corporate partnering, licensing and other commercial transactions specific to the life science industry
  • Nearly one third of the attorneys in the group have advanced degrees in relevant scientific disciplines
  • Many of the attorneys speak multiple languages and work extensively on cross-border transactions

Rankings and Accolades

Cooley clients are in bold.

  • Affymax (Hematide)/ Takeda collaboration named "2007 Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society

  • Protein Design Labs (PDL)/Biogen Idec collaboration named "2006 Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society

  • Allicense "Breakthrough Deal of the Year" awarded to Cooley transactions:
    • 2007: Affymax/ Takeda
    • 2006: Nuvelo/ Bayer
    • 2003: Eli Lilly/Amylin (also nominated: GSK/Exelixis)
    • 2002: Eli Lilly/ISIS Pharmaceuticals (also nominated: BMS/Exelixis)
    • 2000: Innovex/CV Therapeutics

  • Ranked #1 in Life Sciences by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in 2007 and 2008

Related Practices

Related Industries


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