Lmt Avocats’ Life Sciences practice now headed by four partners

Antoine Lemétais, Ghislaine Issenhuth, Cristian Rawlins, Olivier Samyn

Now headed by four partners, Lmt Avocats’ Life Sciences team has long and proven experience in providing services to its clients, namely pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers, distributors, medical biology laboratories, insurance companies, investors, healthcare institutions or biotech companies. The team provides, both as counsels and litigators, advices in relation to their various issues: regulatory matters, market access, e-health, product liability, acquisition/divestment of proprietary pharmaceutical products or companies, fund-raising and financing transactions, and all contractual aspects related to development, manufacturing, distribution or promotion.

“We are quite happy and proud of what we have built over thirty years for providing legal services to all players of human and animal health industry” say Antoine Lemétais and Olivier Samyn. “Our Life Sciences team is now composed of eight lawyers, dealing with corporate and M&A or litigation matters. Besides, and in constant interaction with them, the other specialists of the various practice areas of our firm have also gained an extensive experience in this sector over the years: we can rely on their support to address our clients’ many challenges, which require their expertise in risks-insurance, transport-customs, employment, tax, criminal law.” 

Ghislaine Issenhuth, holds a PhD in health law (biobanks - 2007), and taught at the Faculty of Law in Geneva and at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Angers. Co-opted as a partner on 1 July 2021, she will help strengthening our Life Sciences team that she first joined in 2013. Her practice, both as a counsel and litigator, covers the entire scope of health product regulatory matters (MA, market access, promotion, gifts/transparency compliance, EC labelling) and product liability proceedings.

Recognized practitioner, Ghislaine had been working for international organisations (UNESCO, WHO) and supervisory authorities (HAS – French National Authority for Health); currently, she also is a member of a regional Ethics Committee (Ile de France V) and of CODEEM (Compliance and Ethics Committee of Pharmaceutical Companies).

Cristian Rawlins, holds a Post-graduate Master’s degree (“DESS”) in International Business Law (Paris – Descartes University). Building on his previous positions at Jeantet, Bird & Bird, then as the managing partner of the Parisian office of Duteil Avocats for nine years, as well as his genuine international culture, he has gained an extensive experience in smallcap and midcap M&A and private equity transactions. He joined Lmt Avocats’ M&A and Life Sciences teams on 1 September 2021.

Cristian has been providing his services to numerous players in this sector, assisting industrial companies on a daily basis with their development projects, often with international challenges, and on behalf of shareholders for acquisitions, divestments or in fund-raising transactions. He is a member of the Pharma Licensing Club France (PLCF).