Gary Howes

Gary Howes has nearly 25 years of experience advising clients in the life sciences sector on the myriad legal issues that affect this key industry. Gary advises clients on industry specific commercial contracts, patent licensing agreements, alliances, collaborations and technology transfers, IP and regulatory matters and product acquisitions and disposals.

Gary’s clients include private and public biotech companies and pharmaceuticals ranging in size and scope from start-ups to established, multinational corporations. He also represents academic and research institutions and serves as a trusted advisor to in-house general counsel and senior executives.

Gary draws on his extensive background to help life sciences clients develop and implement strategies that balance industry-specific laws, competitive pressures and best practices with broader legal, regulatory and market developments. Gary speaks regularly at prominent industry events, having served as a presenter, panelist and moderator at conferences and symposia across Europe and North America.

Gary also advises on intellectual property, including copyright and designs, know-how, inventions and patents, and trade marks, in industries such as publishing, retail, architecture, sportswear, IT, and life sciences.

He counsels clients on protection (such as existence and retention of rights, analysis of “chain of title”, contractual arrangements to perfect and maintain ownership, etc.) and exploitation (licencing, and assignment, as well as analysis of non-infringing behaviour/action).Prior to joining McDermott, Gary was a Partner at an international law firm, where he founded the firm’s life sciences industry group.