Life Sciences: Spain

This is the pre-eminent pharmaceuticals-focused boutique on the Spanish market – no other firm has the same level of specialist knowledge of the regulatory environment surrounding this sector. The firm covers clinical trials, product commercialisation, and licensing for laboratories, advising on all aspects of the administrative and legislative considerations facing the industry, including the healthcare side of the market. Clients report that "the firm's counsel is of great value in negotiations with other companies from the pharmaceuticals sector, because it has a complete vision of the pharma matters it handles, and is able to extend this specialist sector knowledge into the areas of corporate and fiscal law." Jordi Faus is the first name that springs to mind in relation to pharmaceutical law in Spain. According to clients, he is "an excellent negotiator, always able to propose realistic and favourable solutions without losing sight of the equilibrium it is necessary to maintain between regulatory obligation and commercial interests. His proposals always help proceedings to arrive at the desired result." His colleague Xavier Moliner is also active and specialised in the area, having published extensively on the law surrounding non-substitutable medicines. Moliner's practice covers product liability, public procurement and data privacy.

This sector-focused boutique enjoys a lot of prestige, and the market recognises its dedication and solid representation of significant generics manufacturers. Clients report a very high standard of service, and refer to the extensive experience within the office. Head of the IP and pharmaceutical law department, Miguel Vidal-Quadras Trias de Bes is one of the leading figures in Spain's life sciences sector. He is a key patents litigator who is becoming an industry specialist in his own right, having previously enjoyed the mentorship of several of the market's leading lawyers.

Despite the relative youth of this firm's Spanish office, the life sciences team is one of the most important in the country. Clients are unanimous in their opinion of the very high quality of the work and service they have experienced collaborating with the firm, and peers recognise that the team has made a real market impact. The group has close links to big name clients, including Lilly and industry association Farmaindustria, and the office has been heavily involved with Sanofi Pasteur and Laboratorios Gelos in some sector areas. Manuel Lobato is an accomplished practitioner, and is one of the top patent litigators in the country, as well as fulfilling the role of IP practice head for the firm. Clients are particularly impressed by "the speed and clarity of his responses, the outstanding quality of his advice and his profound knowledge of Spanish legislation - he is a true authority." Raquel Ballesteros Pomar is developing a strong complementary practice, covering the areas of product liability, public procurement and general regulatory matters. She heads the firm's public law department and draws on her background in litigation.

This magic circle firm has one of the top spots in the life sciences hierarchy in Spain, thanks to its pre-eminence in the area of patent litigation. The firm has also developed the regulatory and competition dimensions of the practice, and now covers clinical trials, product liability, compliance and general advice on issues such as M&A deals in the sector. Practice partner Miquel Montañá is universally acknowledged as the leading figure in patent litigation in Spain, and has long-standing relationships with many of the most important pharmaceutical manufacturers present in the country. His sector knowledge and success rate in patent litigation cases result in feedback that is unequivocal, with clients dubbing him "the king of pharma – no further comment needed." Fellow Barcelona-based colleague Montserrat López-Bellosta has recently become the second dedicated life sciences partner, having made the grade in late 2008. Overall, clients have high praise for what they perceive as a fully fledged life sciences team with considerable depth and the ability to interact seamlessly with the firm's offices in other jurisdictions.

This firm has a big stake in the market, representing a number of multinational generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in patent litigations, and fulfilling an advisory role in related matters. Multiple patent infringement cases have been handled for global giant Teva recently, and also for Spanish pharma heavyweight Cinfa, whilst the firm also works with Sandoz and Kern. Name partner Alejandro Angulo is first port of call for many clients, though it is litigator Javier Huarte who is most frequently visible on the front line of high-profile patents cases. He is considered one of the top individuals in this area and clients are convinced of his merits, exclaiming: "We have absolute confidence in all of his decisions and strategies," also listing his qualities as "dynamic, knowledgeable, understands the generics industry and nothing passes him by." The firm is involved in unprecedented cases and is universally acknowledged by peers as a highly specialised office.

This boutique has a history of close involvement with this sector, and continues to be a specialist office despite expanding into more generalist areas of the law, including tax. The firm is also gradually becoming a little more international, and the specialist pharmaceutical sector knowledge the office has extends into competition law alongside general regulatory. The team's lead figure is Héctor Jausas, a second-generation specialist in this area after his father, whose name still helps to make the office what it is today. The boutique is now 15 partners strong and covers the majority of regulated industries.

This firm has a comprehensive practice covering nearly all aspects of legal work relating to this sector, though on the contentious side the office tends to represent innovator companies in cases against generics manufacturers. José Massaguer is the firm's star litigator and acts for a number of international innovator companies as well as representing the industry collective body Farmaindustria. Clients and peers confirm his admirable activity levels and the quality of his clients and work, noting also his strong academic profile. Working with Massaguer on many patent litigations as well as leading cases in her own right, young partner Ingrid Pi has impressed the market with her talent and potential. José Pérez Santos is a competition specialist who has worked on complex industry-wide cases against regulatory bodies, representing major clients such as Pfizer, sanofi-aventis, and Novartis. The "skilful and technically accomplished" Teresa Paz-Ares is an experienced partner whose broad practice encompasses M&A, regulatory, pricing issues and healthcare products. Peers note her business development role in growing the firm's life sciences practice. Heading the sector team in Barcelona, Montiano Monteagudo handles contentious advertising matters as part of a wide-ranging practice, and has recently represented Procter & Gamble in this area. Overall, the firm has a very solid team, and clients perceive this, commenting: "It has developed its expertise in recent years, and is always able to delegate the best partner for each part of the process, ensuring outstanding co-ordination among them so that they always speak with one voice."

This international firm has a relevant life sciences practice in Spain, combining work for pharmaceutical, sanitary and healthcare companies. Recent work has included assisting Cardinal Health in corporate and operational matters, and advising Bausch & Lomb and Grünenthal with regard to compliance and other issues. The life sciences practice has two lead partners, each in charge of the sector work in their respective offices of Madrid and Barcelona. Montserrat Llopart leads Barcelona operations and is recognised for her regulatory and contractual work. Madrid-based Cecilia Pastor is known for her work with laboratories, representing most recently St. Jude Medical España, amongst others.

This expansive Barcelona firm has a good reputation for assisting businesses in their commercial operations within this highly regulated sector. According to clients, the firm can offer "sound documentation and oral advice which goes beyond the local market, and is equally appropriate for the requirements of our international strategies." The firm is credited with particular expertise in the area of advertising and promotion of products within the life sciences sector, a specialism largely attributable to key senior associate Maria Luisa Osuna, who is a clear favourite with clients. Osuna is credited with "first-rate technical knowledge and the practical skills to apply it to critical business issues." Overall co-ordinator of the IP group, partner Jorge Llevat has good knowledge of the pharmaceuticals sector. Clients enjoy his counsel for its reliability, as well as for his ability to instil absolute confidence. 

This firm is known for its defence of pharmaceutical patents, most frequently on behalf of the innovator side of the industry. The market notes the far-reaching and important relationship the firm maintains with pharma group Merck's Spanish subsidiary, acknowledging also the team's visibility at industry forums. Other big-name clients include GlaxoSmithKline and DuPont. Lead partner Francisco Javier Carrión is seen to be "an excellent communicator and team worker, with the ability to successfully transfer theory into practice and maintain absolute flexibility regarding his recommendations." José Mariano Cruz is a new partner who handles litigation for the firm. He is recognised by clients for his knowledge of sector legislation and adaptability with regard to rapidly changing products and market practices.

This increasingly multinational Spanish firm has a dedicated pharmaceutical and biotech law department which is three-partners strong in spite of the recent departure of formerly ranked lawyer Pablo Olivera. These three partners form part of a wider seven-partner pharmaceutical and biotech industry-focused transactional team. Peers recognise the firm's strength in M&A cases within the sector, and clients appreciate the firm's international scope and capacity to handle large-scale deals. The market identifies Barcelona-based partner Lluis Esquerra as a visible figure within the purely pharmaceutical and biotech side of the practice, and reports that he has some important clients.

According to clients, this high-quality Spanish office brings its usual class to the sector, with sources saying that they enjoy "excellent client service, good overall resources and full-cycle support." The firm tends to represent the innovators within the pharma industry, handling a significant amount of litigation, and the practice also reports a steady rise in the amount of biotech work undertaken. Clients include Grupo Louis Dreyfus and Eurosemillas from the biotech sector, and Grupo Urich and Merz from pharma. Currently head of the IP and technology department, former managing partner Gonzalo Ulloa y Suelves is an experienced IP lawyer with a high profile in the Spanish market. The departure of ranked lawyer Marta Pons, who has returned to an in-house laboratory role, deprives the firm of a skilled associate with company experience, but there is significant depth to the team and the firm retains a broad client base.

This agency has a history of handling patent matters, from registration to litigation, and peers perceive that the office has some important pharmaceutical client relationships. Lawyer and registered patent agent Jose Antonio Hernández is the contact partner for this practice.

This international firm has some pharmaceuticals work within its corporate and regulatory practices. The office has been seeking, with some success, to grow its life sciences group, though it still refrains from involvement in contentious pharmaceutical matters. The firm does not have any lawyers fully dedicated to the life sciences practice, but corporate partner Alex Dolmans has experience of the relevant industries and is the go-to partner for this area.

This firm has a strong IP team that works with some significant life sciences clients. The firm does not do regulatory work in the pharmaceuticals sector, but does undertake patent litigations on behalf of some big names. Recently, the group worked with Procter & Gamble and UCB Pharma. In the two years of the practice's existence, Luis Fernández-Novoa has helped it to become a name on the IP circuit, while senior associate Álvaro Velázquez has been making waves for his work in patent litigation and is expected to develop well.

This firm reports a good level of business in the sector, working predominantly with national institutions and industry associations. Clients praise the office, saying that "it has good knowledge and expertise in this sector, is talented and sharp, and is able to resolve conflicts with its ability to anticipate events." Ignasi Costas is the practice head and is praised by clients for his clarity and communication skills.