Our Firm

We measure our success by the success of our clients. Each and every litigation and transaction that we take on is important.

Biotechnology is a high risk business. We share the risk with our clients by reducing our fees for transactions that are not completed and receiving a corresponding achievement fee when a deal is made. This enables clients to bring us into the negotiations at an early stage with reduced financial exposure, both because of the fee structure and because we know how to proceed with the deal. We believe that the client is not served by charging strictly on a time basis for every transaction, regardless of the outcome. This applies to all clients, big and small.

We are committed to the growth of the industry and the public interest. We participate widely in industry organizations on an international level, working to enhance the public’s perception and understanding.

If you would like information on how to consult with us, please click here.

Our Mission

Whether your company is a start-up or a large multinational, Ferskos, LLC respects your dream of improving and prolonging human life. We realize your idea is unique, which is why we are pleased to provide counsel through all stages of the drug discovery process, clinical development, and commercialization. We advise in such areas as corporate finance, I.P. strategy, worldwide technology transfer, domestic and international regulatory affairs and government relations. Our experience in strategic collaborations involving industry, government and academia plays a large role in our practice.

The firm also represents companies in complex litigation.

We seek to define our clients’ goals and try to reach those goals while ensuring that our client feels comfortable with the process, taking cross-cultural approaches into account.

We are a full service law firm with a concentration in biotechnology for more than 25 years and have the ability to deliver decisive and pertinent legal advice based on our broad experience. The firm is staffed by attorneys and scientists experienced in various technology sectors, who are frequently invited to lecture at leading universities, government agencies and industry conferences. Companies around the world know our reputation and seek our advice regularly for contested matters or life science transactions.

The comprehensive expertise of the firm makes it well poised to lead and manage technology-based companies through the various stages of product development from concepts to market. In particular, the firm has extensive experience with various issues involving clinical trials in both the developing world and in countries with advanced regulation of the biopharmaceutical industry. The majority of our clients are European companies.

The Managing Member, Raymond S. Fersko, Esq., an Adjunct Professor of Biotechnology Law at the American University Washington College of Law, has also been a guest lecturer at the Foundation for Advanced Education in Sciences at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on Technology Transfer Issues. He is a prolific internationally published expert on the legal and business issues affecting biotechnology and he has an active litigation practice in state and federal courts. The other attorneys and scientists working with the firm are also widely published in their respective fields. Please see links to the Professional Staff and/or Publications for more information.

Firm memberships include:

• Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) Taskforces on:

• Technology Transfer Task Force
• Cloning Task Force
• NIH Research Tools Guidelines Task Force
• Security Task Force
• Animal Rights Task Force
• NIH Reasonable Price Clause (Testified before NIH)

• Licensing Executives Society International
• National Association for Biomedical Research
• ABA
• New York State and New York County Bar Associations
• Association of the Bar, City of New York
• International Bar Association

• BIO 2006

• BIO-Europe 2005
• BIO Emerging Company Investor Forum 2005
• BIO 2005
• NYBA Annual Meeting 2005
• BIO Venture-Forum East 2005
• BIO CEO & Investor 2005
• BIO Asia 2005
• BIO-Europe 2004
• BIO CEO Meeting 2003 and 2004
• NY BIO Association 2003 and 2004

Recent presentations included:

• Ferskos chaired a discussion at BIO 2005 in Philadelphia on the subject of "Managing Risk in Clinical Trials – Perspectives and Challenges". To listen to a recording of this presentation, click here.
• Joint presentations with Simmons & Simmons of London to Boston biotech companies interested in specific European issues and collaborations with the US Government.
• "Technology Transfer and Research Collaborations in the Not-for-Profit Sector", NYBA Annual Meeting 2005. Mr. Fersko chaired the discussion together with Firm clients, The Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the Cooney/Waters Group.
• Participated as speaker at the "Vienna 2 Boston" program in Boston, introducing Vienna, Austria, as a location with much to offer for biotech companies. Mr. Fersko also presented slides and spoke on his 20 consecutive years representing Austrian biopharmaceutical companies.

As part of our multi-disciplinary approach, our firm has developed a variety of affiliations in the biotech industry. In particular, we work very closely with The Channel Group, a venture management and corporate advisory business focusing on the life sciences industry. Our Managing Member Raymond S. Fersko has collaborated with the principals of The Channel Group for many years. Please click here for more information on The Channel Group. Additionally, the firm calls upon its counsel, Charles Crow, in connection with funds in general and health care/life science funds in particular, and its tax counsel, Mitchell Lapidus.

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