Life Sciences - Australia
What the team is known for
The Herbert Smith Freehills team is noted for excellence in the IP field and as a go-to practice for high-stakes patent litigation to High Court level, especially in relation to pharmaceuticals. It is home to an outstanding depth of talent including patent attorneys and lawyers who are also qualified in such sciences as biochemistry, pharmacology and neuroscience. The firm offers life science clients a full suite of expertise from M&A and finance to licensing, R&D agreements and regulatory issues. Herbert Smith Freehills is appreciated for its assignment of discrete, specialist teams to mandates and for access to life sciences expertise, particularly to support IP protection and commercialisation-related objectives, across the firm's global network. Its key clients include Mayne Pharma, Biogen and Millennium Pharmaceuticals.
Strengths
"HSF is an amazing firm. They are extraordinarily proficient, incredibly hard-working and really a delight to work with."
"The people assigned to our matters went above and beyond in their responsiveness."
"Terrific service and turnaround times."
Work highlights
Herbert Smith Freehills acted for Biogen in three separate Federal Court proceedings commenced by Biogen relating to the generic entry in Australia of its multiple sclerosis product Tecfidera.
Notable practitioners
Emma Iles frequently assists pharmaceutical clients with patent disputes, including infringement, invalidity and opposition proceedings. She is based in Melbourne. "Emma's expertise was fantastic. She was able to distil information into practical, user-friendly explanations."
