Life Sciences, Pharma & Healthcare

+ 25 other experts

The largest life sciences practice at a top-tier full-service firm in the Netherlands

.. with a practice that spans the entire spectrum of legal services relevant to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry and to biotech companies.

We have strength and depth across this multifaceted sector, and advise on all relevant angles of legal life sciences work: ranging from M&A, financing transactions, IPOs (on Euronext Amsterdam, NASDAQ or other venues), corporate and governance, licensing transactions (often on a global scale), competition, regulatory and IP strategic advice through to litigation, compliance and investigations.

Our in-house capabilities give us a unique position from which to advise clients involved in life sciences matters which are by nature, often multidisciplinary. We are regularly retained for major transactions in the life sciences sector and our litigation department handles several of the largest healthcare and life sciences cases in the Netherlands, ranging from patent litigation to class actions pertaining to faulty medical devices and medicine.

Recent Matters

14 September 2023

De Brauw advises Exor on EUR 750 million buyback tender offer

De Brauw has acted as lead counsel to Exor on a – for the Netherlands - rare tender offer to repurchase ordinary shares. The EUR 750 million tender offer is part of a larger EUR 1 billion share buy-back program. The tender offer will be executed via a reverse "Dutch auction", allowing qualifying shareholders to select the price at which they wish to sell their shares back to Exor within a pre-determined price range, extending in 1% increments, from a 3% discount to a 10% premium over a VWAP reference price. The tender offer is supported by Exor majority shareholder Giovanni Agnelli B.V., which has committed to participate for an amount of up to EUR 250 million at or above the reference price. As trusted lead legal adviser to Exor, De Brauw was involved in all strategic and legal aspects of the tender offer, the majority shareholder commitment, and the drafting of documentation including the offer memorandum.
11 August 2021

BC Partners sells Pharmathen to Partners Group

De Brauw advised BC Partners, together with Kirkland & Ellis, on the sale of Pharmathen, a leading European pharmaceutical company, to Partners Group. The transaction values Pharmathen at approximately EUR 1.6 billion.
11 August 2021

BC Partners sells Pharmathen to Partners Group

De Brauw advised BC Partners, together with Kirkland & Ellis, on the sale of Pharmathen, a leading European pharmaceutical company, to Partners Group. The transaction values Pharmathen at approximately EUR 1.6 billion. Founded in 1969, Pharmathen is the leading European drug delivery technology company. With a highly differentiated business model and strong management team, the company is a specialist in the development of "sustained release" technologies, with best-in-class R&D capabilities. The company is a global leader in complex long lasting injectables and has also established a long-acting therapeutic technologies platform which will fuel growth for many years. Partners Group will work with Pharmathen on initiatives to scale the business in Europe and globally, and supporting the company to accelerate its expansion in the US. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021.
Landscape debrauw paper blackstone duo high res 3

We cover a broad spectrum of Life Sciences work for pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms and medical supply companies.

On behalf of our strong client base in the food and drink industry (Unilever, PepsiCo, Danone, JDE and P&G to name but a few), we have a leading role in developments relating to food claims and the actions taken by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

We are the patent litigation firm of choice for many multinationals wishing to coordinate their patent strategy throughout Europe. Our Patent Law practice members combine their strong foundation in patent and procedural law with their extensive knowledge of the economics of, and the mechanisms, in this sector.

Learn More about our patents practice

A strong Dutch full service firm with the patent department also having a focus on Life Sciences... unique in combining legal and technical thinking when developing strategies and arguments. This team is unique in their extraordinary ability to learn the subject matter in a very short time, applying it in court and turn it into victory... They are a pleasure to work with both on a professional and a personal level.

Legal 500, 2021

Insights

29 February 2024

EU plans revamp of FDI rules: what you need to know

The European Commission unveiled a proposal on 24 January 2024 aimed at revamping the current European framework for screening foreign direct investments (FDI), signalling new requirements for member states. The initiative is part of a package of five measures seeking to strengthen the EU's economic security at a time of growing geopolitical tensions and profound technological shifts. The Proposed FDI Screening Regulation is in a more advanced stage than the remaining four initiatives. These include white papers – on export controls, outbound investment and enhancing R&D support for technologies with dual-use potential – and a proposal for a Council recommendation on enhancing research security. Businesses and investors entering or expanding in the EU market must take heed of the rapidly changing regulatory environment, especially regarding investments in critical infrastructure, sensitive technology and other areas that are important to the EU's economic security.
26 October 2023

Anne Marie Verschuur appointed as Member of Honour by AIPPI

Anne Marie Verschuur has been appointed as Member of Honour of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) during its World Congress in Istanbul. She served for many years in the international board of AIPPI, including as Reporter General. Anne Marie was furthermore recently appointed as President of the Dutch group of AIPPI (the Dutch Association for Intellectual Property) as per the end of this year.
19 July 2023

ACM updates – and clarifies – its guidelines for sustainability claims

On 13 June 2023, the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) published its updated Guidelines regarding Sustainability Claims, which replace the ACM's earlier guidelines that were published in 2021. The updated guidelines provide more clarity on what makes sustainability claims compliant with unfair commercial practice rules, and what could make these claims misleading to consumers.

Team

Bertrand ter Woort

Senior Associate

Bernard Spoor

Retired partner | Brauwerij supervisor