Alison is a life sciences regulatory partner based in London. Qualified in England and Wales and the Republic of Ireland, she has supported hundreds of pharmaceutical and medical device companies in commercialising their products across the UK and EU over a career spanning more than 30 years. One of the few practitioners who works across both regulatory and transactional matters, Alison brings a comprehensive command of the life sciences regulatory landscape paired with a keen sense of strategy and commercial priorities in the sector.
Alison negotiates directly with competent authorities, notified bodies, and industry bodies, and has an unbroken record in contested proceedings, having persuaded regulators to overturn their decisions on every occasion she has tried, opening a route to market for her clients' products. Alison also provides incisive advice on the regulatory aspects of acquisitions and licences, due diligence for major corporate transactions and listings, intellectual property transactions, and compliance with anti-bribery laws. She regularly guides clients through structuring and negotiating arrangements with commercial and healthcare partners, including multi-site clinical trials, within the complex framework of EU regulations, national laws, and industry codes.
Alison is ranked Band 1 for Life Sciences (Regulatory) by Chambers UK 2026, where clients describe her as having "exceptional understanding of regulatory impacts on the UK industry" and praise her "voluminous knowledge", while noting that she is "friendly and approachable". She is also one of only ten lawyers recognised as a "Global Elite Thought Leader in Regulatory Life Sciences" by Who's Who Legal in Europe.
Clients describe Alison as very responsive and authoritative, with a deep understanding of their businesses and a refreshing ability to find solutions and mitigate risk.
Experience
- Swiss pharmaceutical company – acting as an expert witness in a US trial on UK and EU regulation of compassionate use of medicines*
- Acting for Medicines UK (the UK industry body for generic drug manufacturers)*
- Acting for a US medical device company on all regulatory, corporate and commercial matters outside the US, including in relation to a significant compliance investigation*
- Advising various IVD manufacturers in relation to adverse events and dealings with competent authorities and notified bodies*
- Acting for notified bodies on matters significant to their regulatory status*
- For a US IVD manufacturer, drafting extensive compliance documentation*
*Prior to joining Ropes & Gray