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The Legal 500 Germany 2024

Under the leadership of pharmacy law expert Morton Douglas and commercial and corporate law specialist Jan Henning Martens, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner advises large pharmaceutical companies, biotech start-ups, medical device manufacturers, pharmacies, laboratories, hospitals and care facilities across the entire spectrum of healthcare law issues. Clients at the interface to corporate law and M&A are often handled by Hendrik Thies and Meike Kapp-Schwoerer, while Sabine Schröter handles the intersection of labor and employment law, particularly in the context of reorganization measures. They are also experienced in conducting fundamental proceedings in pharmacy law and, in particular, drug advertising law.

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JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms - FGvW is Top-50 law firm

The JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms in Germany 2023/2024 was again published at the end of October. As in previous years, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner has maintained its position among Germany's TOP-50 law firms.

Among other areas, we are highlighted for the healthcare sector. Particularly recommended lawyers are Hendrik Thies ("fast, precise, reliable", "always motivated and positive, lots of experience, good instinct both professionally and personally") and Morton Douglas ("very experienced and efficient", "assertive litigation specialist, especially in the pharmaceutical sector", "creative solutions, courageous demeanor").

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The Legal 500 Germany 2023

The team at Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner has a client portfolio consisting of small and medium-sized German companies as well as internationally active groups from the pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology sectors. The firm's advisory work is similarly broad: Sabine Schröter, based in Frankfurt, is the lead partner for hospitals and hospital groups at the interface of labor law, while Hendrik Thies in Freiburg advises clients on commercial and corporate law issues, in particular on international contract drafting, and the firm has a specialist in pharmacy law in Morton Douglas (also in Freiburg), who is regularly retained by pharmacies and chambers of pharmacies. This is complemented by expertise in the areas of compliance and data protection. Other core attorneys are Jan Henning MartensMeike Kapp-SchwoererAnnette Bödeker.

JUVE Wirtschaftskanzleien 2023/2023

JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms 2022/2023 - FGvW is TOP-50 law firm

The JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms in Germany 2022/2023 was published again in October: Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner has - as in previous years - maintained its position in the ranks of the TOP-50 law firms in Germany.

We are also singled out for special mention in the health care sector. In this area, we have achieved a great advancement - here we have been placed in the 4th group with 2 stars among the top 15 - 26 nationwide for advising hospitals, medical care centers and pharmacies.

Often recommended in the field of health are Hendrik Thies, Morton Douglas ("one of the best in his field", competitor).

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The Legal 500 Germany 2022

With its Freiburg office, Friedrich Graf von Westphalen & Partner has traditionally been very active in advising pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology companies. Numerous German medium-sized and small companies characterize the client portfolio, but the team around the two practice group leaders Barbara Mayer and Hendrik Thies is also a popular choice among international groups. The Frankfurt office is primarily home to labor law clients, for which Sabine Schröter is responsible, and transactions, the latter strengthened since the arrival of Annette Bödeker from the now-closed Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer office. The firm also saw growth in 2020 through synergies between its commercial and corporate practice, as well as IP and regulatory advice, particularly in the medical devices sector. In M&A, the firm is particularly active in the healthcare sector, where it was also able to expand its practice by winning new clients. Other areas of focus include drug advertising law, compliance, product liability and pharmacy law. The latter is one of the specialties of Morton Douglas (Freiburg). Other core attorneys are Jan Henning Martens and Meike Kapp-Schwoerer.

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JUVE Handbook of Business Law Firms 2021/2022

Comment: The practice, which is mainly active from Freiburg, advises a loyal client base including pharmacies and their associations, medical device manufacturers and pharma companies. They continue to be dominated by questions relating to the Corona pandemic, e.g. on protective equipment or tests. Douglas, which is firmly anchored in many pharmacies, is also trusted by various pharmacy operators damaged by the AvP insolvency to enforce their claims. The MDR also once again created a high demand for advice, with small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers as well as corporations such as Douglas. In addition to small and medium-sized medical device manufacturers, groups such as the Getinge Group also called on the team. The firm is regularly active in transactions such as the takeover of Cranach Pharma by Medios and will be able to advise its clients even more broadly in the future thanks to a lateral from Arnold & Porter with corporate and transactional know-how.

Strengths: Comprehensive advice & representation of pharmacies.

Often recommended: Hendrik Thies ("pleasantly solution-oriented", competitor), Morton Douglas ("assertive litigation specialist, especially in pharmaceuticals", competitor).

Team: 4 Eq. Partners, 5 Associates

Partner change: Annette Bödeker (from Arnold & Porter).

Focus: Regulatory contract law, licensing, cooperation, research & development, HWG; industry-related M&A, antitrust, distribution, trademark and competition law; in Cologne: product liability and insurance law; in Frankfurt: labor law/restructuring for hospitals.

Clients: Cranach Pharma on takeover by Medios; pharmacists in preliminary injunction proceedings against Teleclinic on violations of pharmacy law; Apothekerkammer Nordrhein (North Rhine Chamber of Pharmacists), inter alia in HWG-Grundsatzverf. (ECJ); Getinge in commercial, corporate and medical device law, including MDR; Essilor in competition law; Tillotts Pharma in ongoing reimbursement and social law proceedings; various pharmacies in ongoing proceedings, e.g. on establishment of Corona test centers and insolvency of AvP.

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The Legal 500 Germany 2021

In the health sector, pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers in particular rely on the team of Barbara Mayer and Hendrik Thies ("very trusting relationship, absolute reliability, very extensive expertise"). Morton Douglas continues to be an expert in pharmacy and drug advertising law and a central point of contact also for the Federal Association of German Pharmacy Cooperatives (various issues, data protection, pharmacy mail order, compliance). Labor law issues with an advisory focus on the hospital sector are covered by Sabine Schröter ("professional implementation, always finds a constructive solution, empathetic and mediating manner, appreciated by all negotiating parties"). Another core attorney is Meike Kapp-Schwoerer.

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JUVE Handbook Business Law Firms 2020/2021

Numerous pharmacies are among the clients of the practice, which operates mainly from Freiburg and for which it repeatedly wins fundamental decisions. For example, the pharmacy lawyer Douglas prevailed over the city of Herne before the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) in the judgment on the dispatch of medicines for a pharmacist. Beside small and Mittelstand companies, the law firm is also trusted by a number of globally active corporations, such as the medical technology company Getinge Group or the spectacle lens manufacturer Essilor. The global network of law firms with life science clients, founded in 2017, has enabled FGvW to win new international clients and apply its knowledge in cross-border issues. FGvW increasingly advised medical device manufacturers on the new Medical Devices Regulation. The firm has also been involved in industry-related transactions, e.g. for Schölly Fiberoptic in the entry of a US investor.

Practice strengths: Comprehensive advice to and representation of pharmacies.

Often recommended: Hendrik Thies, Morton Douglas ("comprehensive knowledge of pharmacy law and excellent expertise in contract and data protection law", client)

Team: 3 Equity Partners, 5 Associates

Focal points: Regulatory contract law, licensing, cooperation, research and development, Medicines Advertising Act (HWG); sector-related M&A, antitrust, distribution, trademark and competition law; in Cologne: product liability and insurance law; in Frankfurt: labor law / restructuring for hospitals.
Clients: Chamber of Pharmacists NRW in HWG fundamental proceedings (ECJ); Emeram Capital on acquisition of Dr. Heni Software; Penguin Pharmacy in landmark proceedings on mail order pharmacy (BVerwG, public knowledge); Pulsion Medical Systems on compliance; Schölly Fiberoptic on an ongoing basis, among others on the Medical Devices Regulation and on the entry of a US investor; Tillotts Pharma on reimbursement and social law; mail order pharmacy 'Flying Pills' against DocMorris on medication dispensers (Düsseldorf District Court).

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The Legal 500 Germany 2020

In the area of health care, our advice to pharmacies and our strength in drug and remedy advertising law with a "broadly based" team and "competent contact persons who work proactively" is positively mentioned. Labor law mandates in this area are handled from the Frankfurt office. "In the case of cross-departmental issues, communication and supervision is excellently organized." Barbara Mayer is a practice group leader.

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