Legal Media Group has identified Latham & Watkins as a “Life Cycle Firm” in the industry, selected 14 individual lawyers as “Life Sciences Stars” and lauded the firm in five separate practice areas in the inaugural edition of LMG Life Sciences: The Definitive Guide to the Leading Firms and Attorneys in US Life Sciences.  The designations are based on LMG’s research that included interviews and surveys with practitioners as well as clients, who called the firm “outstanding” and noted that “the work product is second to none.” 

According to LMG, “only a small number of firms” are selected as “Life Cycle Firms.” LMG notes: “We feel the firms listed here have a number of capabilities that allow them to handle pertinent legal issues facing a product throughout its life cycle.”  As this recognition highlights, Latham has a deep understanding of the global life sciences industry that allows the firm’s lawyers to offer superior counsel to clients involved in transactions, investigations, litigation, intellectual property matters and regulatory challenges.

In the Intellectual Property category, Latham was “Highly Recommended” for General Patent Litigation and “Recommended” for Patent Strategy and Management. LMG noted that “clients rave about Latham & Watkins’s intellectual property courtroom capabilities,” noting that the group has grown in visibility and depth in recent years. Partners Max Grant, Mark Flagel and Richard Bress were all identified as “stars” in this area.

In the Finance & Transactional category, Latham was “Highly Recommended” for Corporate and “Recommended” for Licensing & Collaboration. LMG calls the bench “expansive” and notes the group’s work on some of the industry’s largest deals. Partners Michael Hall, Judith Hasko, Charles Hoyng, Alan Mendelson, Charles Ruck, Faye Russell, and John Wehrli were all identified as “stars” in this area.

In the Non-IP Litigation and Enforcement category, Latham was “Recommended” for Government Investigations / Fraud & Abuse. According to LMG, “…Latham & Watkins has a powerful bicoastal government investigation practice.” Partners Kathy Lauer, Dan Meron and David Schindler were all identified as “stars” in this area.

In the Regulatory category, partner John Manthei was identified as a “star.”  Manthei leads the firm’s FDA practice, members of which have extensive industry experience in product development, launch and marketing, and with the government regulating agencies in every aspect of the FDA product life cycle.