Health Care and Life Sciences Practices Named Law360’s Health Group of the Year

Law360, the online outlet for legal news and analysis, has named Ropes & Gray’s health care and life sciences practices Health Group of the Year for 2011 based on the firm’s work on a number of major health care and life sciences deals.

The practice groups were recognized “not because of (their) work in the courtroom,” Law360 wrote, “but in the boardroom, helping to broker a trio of billion-dollar transactions.”

Among the cases Law360 cited were Ropes & Gray’s representation of:

• Biotechnology company Genzyme in its $20.1 billion sale to French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi-Aventis SA, a deal that faced shareholder lawsuits and accusations Sanofi was undervaluing Genzyme.
• Medical device company Stryker Corp. in its $135 million acquisition of Concentric Medical, which develops products to restore the blood flow in patients.
• Liberty Dialysis in its $1.7 billion sale to Fresenius Medical Care.
• The Blackstone Group LP in its $3 billion acquisition of Emdeon, a health care information technology services company.

“We think our group really shines because of the multidisciplinary approach we take to these transactions,” said Marc Rubenstein, co-chair of Ropes & Gray’s life sciences practice.“ (Clients) can get IP diligence, regulatory diligence, employment diligence and advice on tax issues.”

Stephen Warnke, co-chair of the firm’s health care practice, said health care provider merger activity and False Claims Act suits brought by whistleblowers will continue generating work for the firm. “Many of our clients are going to focus on the integrity of their compliance programs,” he said. “We’re going to be providing a lot of guidance.”

To read Law360’s article on the award, please click here.

Ropes & Gray was also named practice group of the year by Law360 for private equity, securities litigation and white collar.