Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Internationally known for its financial and corporate work, full-service law firm Gibson Dunn & Crutcher offers life sciences clients deep expertise handling complex transactions. The firm's practice is especially versed in M&A and corporate counseling. In addition, the firm is also experienced in handling strategic licensing agreements and collaborations, exhibited by its recent representation of Merck in an $8 billion collaboration with AstraZeneca to co-develop and co-commercialize a cancer drug. Gibson Dunn's clients range from investors in corporate transactions, as well as, emerging pharmaceutical and large biotechnology companies.

Financial and corporate star Ryan Murr is the co-chair of the firm's life sciences practice group. He handles a wide variety of transactions, including corporate financings and acquisitions on behalf of numerous companies. On the corporate side, Murr recently represented multiple lead investors, including Biotechnology Value Fund and TPG Capital, in an array of financings. He also represented several companies in IPOs, including for Odonate Therapeutics, one of the ten largest IPOs in California in 2017.

Joseph Barbeau offers a multifaceted practice in the financial space. He previously practiced in Hong Kong for over a decade, and continues to focus on domestic and international transactions from the firm's Beijing and Palo Alto offices.

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher excels in general patent litigation for a host of clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device sectors. "I have a lot of respect for them as a firm – their pharma litigation group specifically," a competitor says. The litigation group wowed this year with a newsworthy $5.4 billion defense of client EMD Serono, a matter led by IP co-chair and star Wayne Barsky. The suit resolved in February 2018 after a five-week trial, which ended with the jury unanimously rejecting the patent infringement claims made by Biogen and invalidating its asserted patent. This case was recognized by LMG Life Sciences as one of the Patent Impact Cases of the Year. Jane Love is another leading patent litigator specializing in life sciences-related disputes. She recently acted for Merck in a patent dispute against Mayne Pharma which resulted in all of the opponent's asserted patent claims being invalidated by the PTAB.

Life sciences group co-chair Tracey Davies is a new addition to the firm's roster of LMG Life Sciences stars this year for her notable work in patent disputes. She currently represents Merck in numerous patent suits involving generic challengers.

An undisputed titan of litigation services, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher earns plaudits from peers and clients alike for its dispute resolution team dispersed through just about all of its offices. While the firm is a star player across many areas of practice, it is making a notable mark on the life sciences world as well.

Irvine-based Jeffrey Thomas represents Allergan in numerous matters. One involves claims for unfair competition, tortious interference with prospective economic advantage, and unjust enrichment as a result of allegedly misappropriating the plaintiff's confidential commercial development rights concerning treatment for Allergic Rhinitis. The plaintiff seeks compensatory damages in excess of $75 million and punitive damages in excess of $50 million. The firm has filed its reply brief on appeal and is now waiting for the court to set a date for oral argument.

In another matter, the plaintiff sought to recover $600 million in damages for claimed ongoing royalties on Allergan's Botox migraine treatment based on a license agreement and patents issued after the agreement was executed.  Allergan contended the patents did not justify the royalties being sought. The Court ruled for Allergan, finding the license agreement should not be interpreted as argued by the plaintiff. Dallas-based Sean Royall has served as the lead counsel for five years for Allergan in two related monopolization suits filed by a putative direct purchaser class and a generic ANDA challenger, both alleging that Allergan and its co-defendants engaged in improper acts to block or delay generic competition to Allergan's branded antibiotic eye solutions, Zymar and Zymaxid. Royall previously obtained dismissal of the one class action, seizing on a standing issue related to the plaintiff's attempt to sue based on an assignment from a drug wholesaler. Royall later argued this issue before the Third Circuit, which ultimately decided to remand and allow the case to proceed.