Healthcare & Life Sciences | Europe

Life sciences leader DORDA offers comprehensive expertise, with a strong focus on regulatory matters, pricing and reimbursement, advertising compliance, the implementation of clinical trials and product distribution. The team additionally assists life sciences clients with data protection and transactional work and represents them in disputes concerning contracts, unfair competition and product liability. Its impressive client base includes some of the world's biggest international pharmaceutical companies as well as Austrian medical technology businesses and distributors.

Schoenherr showcases an outstanding life sciences practice with a strong bench of practitioners providing regulatory, litigation, commercial and M&A advice to high-profile clients. The team's expertise includes issues around pharmaceutical and food products, medical devices, advertising, unfair competition and IP as well as commercial contracts and partnerships. It additionally offers knowledge in the healthcare area, such as advising on sensitive data protection issues as well as public procurement law and financial investments connected to hospitals. Schoenherr caters to large international companies and Austrian research institutes, start-ups and associations. Due to its effective international network, the team in Vienna is also able to coordinate healthcare and life sciences matters that involve Eastern European jurisdictions.

CMS stands out for its broad practice covering both life sciences and healthcare matters. In addition to a focus on regulatory advice, the team covers commercial and corporate issues. Its notable strengths include advertising, the promotion and distribution of medical and pharmaceutical products, as well as public procurement procedures and healthcare data. The law firm also represents its life sciences clients in all manner of disputes, such as those concerning supervisory issues, parallel imports and product liability. CMS advises large pharmaceutical companies as well as hospitals, contractors and public entities.

DLA Piper offers a go-to department for joint ventures and M&A deals connected to the Austrian healthcare and life sciences market. The team is also highly knowledgeable of regulatory frameworks, commercial contracts and compliance issues and further assists with matters connected to medical devices, licence agreements, clinical trials and data protection. Its clients include Austrian research institutions, hospitals and medical device manufacturers as well as well-known multinational pharmaceutical companies. As part of DLA Piper's large international network, the team can rely on life sciences specialists across multiple jurisdictions and cater to clients requiring global support.

The healthcare and life sciences practice at Herbst Kinsky has a special focus on clients from the Austrian start-up scene and regularly advises new healthtech and biotech companies on venture capital financing rounds and capital markets transactions. Relying on its strong regulatory expertise, the team also assists notable pharmaceutical companies with their market entry as well as product advertising, licensing, distribution and IP issues. Herbst Kinsky additionally has experienced advisers to healthcare clients covering data protection, procurement and contractual issues.

As one of the largest firms in the market, Wolf Theiss's life sciences and healthcare expertise is embedded in a full-service offering, making for an especially broad practice. The team regularly advises international life sciences companies on high-volume M&A transactions, commercial activities and connected regulatory issues in Austria. It also has a strong focus on the healthcare space and advises Austrian hospital associations and insurers on procurement matters. The law firm additionally represents clients in contentious issues, such as product liability, unfair competition and patent enforcement disputes. Clients benefit from Wolf Theiss's strong CEE network, which makes it a popular choice for multi-jurisdictional mandates in the region that require coordination.

Along with the necessary regulatory expertise, BINDER GRÖSSWANG has a particular focus on advising international life sciences companies and Austrian health insurers on M&A deals, capital increases, business transfers, corporate reorganisations and carve-outs. The team also assists Austrian biotech start-ups with financing rounds and commercial agreements. It regularly acts on cross-border matters and is mandated to cover the Austrian law aspects of global transactions.

BRANDL TALOS enters the rankings following impressive market feedback. Building upon its wealth of transactional expertise, BRANDL TALOS is a well-established firm with a strong footprint in the bio-tech and healthcare industries. The team regularly advises on domestic and cross-border transactions within the bio-tech, pharma and healthcare spheres. Its lawyers are also often mandated to provide regulatory advice by clients in the Austrian start-up scene.

CERHA HEMPEL offers a strong emphasis on the healthcare market in Austria, assisting research institutes, hospitals and start-ups as well as medical and pharmaceutical associations. Its expertise includes regulatory and licensing issues, research projects, contracts and partnerships, procurement law, and IP and data protection matters. The team also advises domestic biotechnology companies and medical device manufacturers on corporate and commercial issues in Austria and internationally.