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Sectors
Life Sciences Lawyers
Life sciences law
Our multi-disciplinary life sciences legal team has specific sector experience, and our life sciences lawyers cover a range of areas such as risk assessment and management, manufacturing and supply chain issues, compliance review and advice including product liability, intellectual property issues and the development of IP strategies, data protection and GDPR advice, licensing and contractual issues, financial advice and mergers and acquisitions, as well as disputes and litigation management.
We have particular experience in funding and financial matters including venture capital and equity funding.
As a non-traditional law firm with a modern approach, our focus and specialism has always been on market disruptors and high growth companies, so we work with a number of university spin outs specialising in the clinical and life sciences sectors.
Our life science solicitors provide legal advice to existing businesses, as well as inventors who wish to find new opportunities to exploit their ideas and want the dedicated support of a life sciences lawyer.
Our offices are in Sheffield, Birmingham, Cambridge and London if you need a meeting, but we typically work remotely to keep our overheads low which enables us to offer our innovative pricing packages.
Our services to life science businesses cover
What our life sciences lawyers do
The highly regulated field of life sciences, comprising the development of new medical and diagnostic devices, medtech, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, is as complex as it is fast-paced.
Such a rapidly-changing area requires its advisors to have a depth of current as well as historic knowledge and an understanding of the latest technology. Our life sciences lawyers come from a variety of backgrounds, with considerable experience advising on the wide range of matters that are particular to this discipline.
We understand that it’s essential to place commercial realities at the heart of their advice in the life sciences field, at the same time as having an in-depth appreciation of the science and technology that underpins the sector. Some of our life sciences solicitors have worked in-house in life sciences companies, and have extensive experience in advising clients from start-ups to publicly quoted companies, academic and research institutes like universities and other R&D organisations.
Harper James life sciences solicitors have experience in the following areas:
- Biotech related issues such as compliance and regulatory matters
- Medical devices, diagnostics and medtech, including IP, product compliance and product liability matters and R&D, and the regulation of medtech and devices
- Legal issues arising in pharmacy/pharmaceuticals/pharma businesses including commercial disputes
- Contractual relationships with regulatory bodies
- Partnership/practice agreements for organisations in the medical and pharmaceuticals fields
- Partnership/practice disputes
- Fundraising and venture capital issues
- Service-sharing agreements in the public and private sectors and collaboration agreements
- NHS and private healthcare issues relating to life science law
- Advising universities on their R&D, including spinning out commercial ventures
- Advising dental practices on commercial and developmental matters
- Public procurement
- Manufacturing issues in the life sciences field and the implementation of new technology
Legal advice for life sciences businesses and businesses dealing with the life sciences sector
Whether you are an inventor of a new device or product and are looking for a life sciences lawyer to advise on IP protection or the establishment of a manufacturing network, are already in production and have supply chain or contractual/licensing issues or are seeking new finance, or more generally want a life science solicitor to help you understand the maze of regulatory issues arising in the field of pharmaceuticals or biotechnology, get in touch.
You may be a scientist entrepreneur with a new idea, having issues with manufacturing your device or supply chain issues, be concerned about protecting your intellectual property or have an IP dispute, want advice on contracts and commercial issues, or involved in a transaction like a merger or acquisition.
Equally, you may work within the NHS or other public sector body and seeking to collaborate or share services with another in a similar field, or be a university looking to set up a commercial body to exploit ideas. We have individual life science lawyers and multi-disciplinary teams to assist you.
Technical knowledge and expertise
As well as providing specialist legal advice in the life sciences sector, our life sciences solicitors have experience and technical knowledge to assist in matters such as:
We can help in relation to R&D, collaboration and shared services agreements, licensing and supply agreements, technology transfer, manufacture and clinical trial agreements.
We can advise on setting up life sciences companies, funding and venture capital advice to start ups and existing companies, funding rounds, mergers & acquisitions.
We can help develop an IP strategy for your technology and life sciences business. We also have experience advising on privacy, data protection, and GDPR.
Regulation and compliance.
We can assist companies in the life sciences field, including advising on alleged breaches and resolving disputes with regulators, as well as product liability advice.
Testimonials
What our clients say
Our solicitor at Harper James, Sarah, was really effective with the time over the phone and used the time to provide us with direct advice - no faff and her advice really helped us to do the next steps. She followed up quickly and delivered the document really quickly too, it is fantastic to have lawyers that are reliable and are responsive too. I am very happy with our experience with Harper James!
Hawaa Budraa
CEO and Co-Founder,
Onaria Technologies
Stephen was very helpful, pragmatic and where appropriate, entertaining. We were grateful for the way Stephen advised us in layman’s terms, showing patience to ensure we understood the transaction and were able to move to completion. I value the relationship we have developed with Harper James over the last few years and would recommend them to others.
Jon Arcos
Founder & CEO,
Axis Spine Technologies
Our solicitor Sarah has been fantastic, as have Stephen and Adam.
Mark Grenside
Co-Founder,
Dragonfly Biosciences
Our solicitor has been a great support and really understands our business and beliefs.
Andrew Hopkinson
CEO and Founder,
NuVision Biotherapies
It's been a breath of fresh air to work with Harper James Solicitors. It's like having my own in-house counsel, but at a fraction of the cost. It's an invaluable service for any small business.
Jo Evershed
CEO,
Cauldron Science
Excellent communication and all correspondence answered very quickly. Very attentive to detail, gave sound advice and secured a good deal in a short time frame.
Dr Karen Wilson
Director,
Odyssey Recruitment
Quick, concise and best of all reasonably priced
Tim Pedley
Company Secretary,
Biorelate Ltd
This is a key stage of ANB Sensors’ growth as an SME, because it saw us transferring from a research and development company to a commercial entity. It’s a major milestone for us. Having Harper James by our side is reassuring, as they’ve helped us ensure all our documentation and sales terms are both fair and reasonable and led us through the sales process.
Dr Nathan Lawrence
CEO and Co-Founder,
ANB Sensors
Reliable but straightforward legal advice and support. Delivered at a very cost effective price point.
Matthew Dreaper
Director,
Keit Spectrometers
10/10 Reactive and willing to listen. Ready to adapt to our needs.
Andrea Pisoni
CEO,
Rheality Ltd
The service we received from Harper James Solicitors was very efficient and everything was handled in a professional and diligent way
Martyn Boaden
Company Secretary,
Viscgo Ltd
The two contracts Harper James has been advising on were both major pieces of work worth tens of millions of pounds in potential business. The procurement process was therefore substantial, complicated and often onerous. Karen provided first-class support at all times. As a business, to move forward, we require a level of legal services which demonstrate an expert understanding, and Harper James delivers on that and more.
Keith Howes
MD,
Sysmex UK
We were very happy with the service provided and knowing we can also access other specialised areas of legal services support, as and when we need them, is very reassuring.
Liz Jenkinson
CEO,
Biocleave
Excellent service. Expert, high quality advice that I have real confidence in. Timely. Good communication and friendly/easy to work with.
Andrew Chalmers
CEO,
CiteAb Limited
We worked with Baljit Chohan on review of documents for closing a seed funding round for my company. Baljit was fantastic throughout the process, easy to reach when we needed him and provided clear, concise, and confident advice at every step. Would thoroughly recommend him and Harper James.
Luke Burke
Founder,
Corryn Biotechnologies Ltd
Our solicitor at Harper James, Sarah, was really effective with the time over the phone and used the time to provide us with direct advice - no faff and her advice really helped us to do the next steps. She followed up quickly and delivered the document really quickly too, it is fantastic to have lawyers that are reliable and are responsive too. I am very happy with our experience with Harper James!
Hawaa Budraa
CEO and Co-Founder,
Onaria Technologies
Stephen was very helpful, pragmatic and where appropriate, entertaining. We were grateful for the way Stephen advised us in layman’s terms, showing patience to ensure we understood the transaction and were able to move to completion. I value the relationship we have developed with Harper James over the last few years and would recommend them to others.
Jon Arcos
Founder & CEO,
Axis Spine Technologies
Our solicitor Sarah has been fantastic, as have Stephen and Adam.
Mark Grenside
Co-Founder,
Dragonfly Biosciences
Our solicitor has been a great support and really understands our business and beliefs.
Andrew Hopkinson
CEO and Founder,
NuVision Biotherapies
It's been a breath of fresh air to work with Harper James Solicitors. It's like having my own in-house counsel, but at a fraction of the cost. It's an invaluable service for any small business.
Jo Evershed
CEO,
Cauldron Science
Excellent communication and all correspondence answered very quickly. Very attentive to detail, gave sound advice and secured a good deal in a short time frame.
Dr Karen Wilson
Director,
Odyssey Recruitment
Quick, concise and best of all reasonably priced
Tim Pedley
Company Secretary,
Biorelate Ltd
This is a key stage of ANB Sensors’ growth as an SME, because it saw us transferring from a research and development company to a commercial entity. It’s a major milestone for us. Having Harper James by our side is reassuring, as they’ve helped us ensure all our documentation and sales terms are both fair and reasonable and led us through the sales process.
Dr Nathan Lawrence
CEO and Co-Founder,
ANB Sensors
Reliable but straightforward legal advice and support. Delivered at a very cost effective price point.
Matthew Dreaper
Director,
Keit Spectrometers
10/10 Reactive and willing to listen. Ready to adapt to our needs.
Andrea Pisoni
CEO,
Rheality Ltd
The service we received from Harper James Solicitors was very efficient and everything was handled in a professional and diligent way
Martyn Boaden
Company Secretary,
Viscgo Ltd
The two contracts Harper James has been advising on were both major pieces of work worth tens of millions of pounds in potential business. The procurement process was therefore substantial, complicated and often onerous. Karen provided first-class support at all times. As a business, to move forward, we require a level of legal services which demonstrate an expert understanding, and Harper James delivers on that and more.
Keith Howes
MD,
Sysmex UK
We were very happy with the service provided and knowing we can also access other specialised areas of legal services support, as and when we need them, is very reassuring.
Liz Jenkinson
CEO,
Biocleave
Excellent service. Expert, high quality advice that I have real confidence in. Timely. Good communication and friendly/easy to work with.
Andrew Chalmers
CEO,
CiteAb Limited
We worked with Baljit Chohan on review of documents for closing a seed funding round for my company. Baljit was fantastic throughout the process, easy to reach when we needed him and provided clear, concise, and confident advice at every step. Would thoroughly recommend him and Harper James.
Luke Burke
Founder,
Corryn Biotechnologies Ltd
Life science lawyers with sector expertise
As a law firm specialising in life sciences, we understand the ethical, commercial and scientific context within which legal issues arise in the sector, as well as the wider budgetary constraints it faces. Each life sciences lawyer within our practice is highly skilled and knowledgeable about these issues, and brings a practical and commercial approach, enabling you to bring new products to market and fully exploit your innovative ideas, safe in the knowledge that your valuable life sciences legal assets are protected.
Our solicitors come with a rich and varied background of life sciences sector experience. Examples of their previous work includes:
- Acting for large universities in successfully defending a number of claims for discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and breach of contract claims.
- Advising on a new activity tracker specific to the healthcare market, from patent registrations, industry-specific regulations, consumer trials and putting the legal documentation in place for the operation of the company.
- Resolving partnership disputes between healthcare professionals, often arising from clinical issues.
Pricing and service plans
Legal support designed
to fit your business needs
Our three transparent service plans are designed to give you the widest possible access to high-quality legal advice, whatever the size and nature of your business:
Engage
Flexible access to senior solicitors at highly competitive rates
An alternative to our subscription plans, offering access to full service legal expertise on a project-by-project basis.
Enable
Purpose built legal support for start-ups and smaller businesses
Monthly subscription plan for £215 per month, with £145 monthly credit and access to all legal services at 50% discount on our Standard Rates.
Extend
Comprehensive legal partnership for established businesses
Fully account managed and scalable annual subscription plan with support from a curated team of partners and senior solicitors, with up to 34% discount on our Standard Rates.