Healthcare M&A

Investments in the life sciences, healthcare and chemicals sector are persistently attractive for strategic as well as financial investors. However, M&A projects in the pharmaceutical and medical device market as well as in the field of hospitals, nursing homes, medical care centers or other companies in the healthcare and chemical industry require a particularly careful preparation, review and implementation due to the extensive legal regulations. The legal specifics regularly affect the due diligence and the contract drafting but also the structuring and execution of a transaction, in particular when it comes to asset deals involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, hospitals, nursing homes or other health care providers such as laboratory chains.

Due to our specialization in M&A projects in the life sciences and healthcare sector and our impressive track record in this field acquired in a leading international business law firm, we are able to identify and assess the sector-specific issues and deliver an appropriate, hands-on solution in the framework of a project.

For life sciences and healthcare M&A projects, we advise financial investors and other law firms without corresponding sector expertise or German branch besides, of course, pharmaceutical and medical device companies and other companies in the life sciences, healthcare and chemicals industry. Our services in particular include:

Due Diligence

  • Planning and conducting due diligence reviews with a view to sector-specific issues such as approvals, certifications, licenses, regulatory and commercial contracts
  • Planning and conducting of due diligence reviews with a view to healthcare and business compliance, including running interviews with board members and management
  • Drafting Due Diligence Reports in English and German language based on international standards
  • Advice on structuring the transaction, taking into account regulatory specifics
  • Comprehensive coordination of due diligence reviews or only delivering sector-specific content, for example for financial investors or other law firms without corresponding sector expertise or German branch

Transactions

  • Planning, conducting and implementing of small to medium sized M&A projects in the life sciences and healthcare sector, from classic private M&A to auction processes or license-deals, in cooperation with corporate law firms
  • Assistance in drafting and negotiating the comprehensive contractual documentation, including not only the purchase agreement, with a view to considering regulatory implications
  • Drafting and negotiating important side agreements with regulatory relevance, such as contract manufacturing, distribution or research and development agreements
  • Coordination with other areas of law and countries
  • Comprehensive assistance for clients or selective support, for example with sector-specific agreements

Restructurings

  • Advice by and for taking into account regulatory specifics in the framework of corporate restructurings, such as permits, licenses and labelling requirements
  • Planning and implementing such corporate restructurings in cooperation with corporate law firms

Finance/Capital Markets

  • Supporting banks, investors or law firms in the due diligence and drafting of modules with focus on life sciences and healthcare related legal content for prospectuses or other reports in the framework of capital market projects (IPOs, Bonds etc.) or other financings

Medical Institutions

Medical Institutions such as hospitals, nursing homes or medical care centers are caught between stringent legal requirements on the one side and the need to be economically successful as full-valued business enterprise. During the last ten years, the legal demands on healthcare institutions have increased significantly, non-compliance with these requirements can have severe consequences.

We have far-reaching experience regarding advice for acquiring healthcare institutions in all regulatory and social law aspects, also across sectors, and are specialized in the assessment and implementation of legal specifics of healthcare institutions in M&A-projects.

Our services particularly include advice concerning:

  • Support with respect to market access of the institutions (e.g. inclusion in the German States’ hospital plan, conclusion of care agreements in the rehabilitation and nursing home sector, proceedings at admission committees)
  • Social law issues (e.g. legal support regarding DRG, conclusion of care rate agreements, reimbursement of innovative products vis-à-vis payers)
  • Compliance law issues (e.g. referral management in healthcare institutions, cooperation with outpatient care services, drafting and review of custom-fit templates with cooperation and drafting of institiution-own guidelines regarding compliance issues)
  • Structuring and regulatory legal issues related to the acquisition of hospitals, nursing homes, medical care centres and other healthcare institutions (such as transferring of physician licenses)