What the team is known for
The well-resourced Clayton Utz group offers a full suite of life sciences-focused expertise, including patent protection, transactional and competition issues, and is regularly identified as a top choice for guiding clients through regulatory regimes. An impressive client roster includes national and global pharmaceutical, biotech, complementary medicine, medical device and healthcare companies, plus government agencies at Commonwealth, state and local levels. Its expertise also extends to product liability and privacy issues. Notable clients include Bayer, Novartis and Sandoz.
Strengths
A client says of the team: "They understand our business, provide clear and concise advice, always meet deadlines and try to resolve issues quickly and effectively," adding: "We want to resolve issues without having to spend a lot of money on lawyers, but we are not afraid to take on matters if Clayton Utz feels that we have a strong legal argument."
Another client reports: "Our preferred law firm in Australia for all our patent litigation matters and related advice is Clayton Utz. They are always on top of local case law and changes in the IP policy environment in Australia, thinking out of the box is also part of their their strength, and they are very good in working in a team of lawyers from different jurisdictions and with patent and legal in-house counsel when coordination between jurisdictions is needed."
Work highlights
Clayton Utz successfully represented Medicines Australia, the country's leading industry body for both domestic and multinational pharmaceutical manufacturers, in its application for its members to be permitted to work together so as to ensure the continuation of the supply of essential medicines and devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notable practitioners
Greg Williams is generally acknowledged by market sources to be one of the pre-eminent players in the life sciences space, noted for a breadth and depth of expertise which allows him to act across the broadest range of transactional, contentious and regulatory issues. He is based in Sydney.
John Collins is especially well regarded for his work on patent disputes, being described by one interviewee as
"one of the leading lights" in this area. Based in Sydney, he frequently acts for leading domestic and international players in the pharmaceutical sphere on such matters.
