Beatriz San Martin is the latest life sciences partner to leave Fieldfisher this year. San Martin, who specialises in life sciences patent disputes, joined Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer this week as a partner in its IP department. Some may see this move as Arnold & Porter’s replacement for IP star Christopher Stothers, who left in 2018 for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (Freshfields lost patent star Justin Watts and his colleague Matthew Shade to WilmerHale in 2017).
San Martin's former IP colleagues, Alison Dennis and Nicole Jadeja, were also hired by other firms this year. Dennis, a regulatory and IP transactions lawyer who heads up Fieldfisher's life sciences department, was hired by Taylor Wessing in July to co-head its life sciences/healthcare practice. Dennis will join her new firm in the New Year. Pinsent Masons recruited Jadeja in September to further strengthen its life sciences patent practice. Jadeja specialises in patent litigation and transactional work.
Other related news
Earlier this month, Taylor Wessing bolstered its life sciences practice by hiring IP transactions lawyer Adrian Toutoungi, a move that may well not be the last considering that it lost four life sciences lawyers in June this year. Toutoungi will join the firm’s Cambridge office in the New Year from Eversheds Sutherland.
Arnold & Porter hired life sciences regulatory lawyer Alexander Roussanov as a partner in its Brussels office.
