WHO WE ARE
Attorneys-at-law | Legal Advisors
We are a network of experienced attorneys specialized in life sciences.
The founders, Francesca Belli Novak, Hanneke Later Nijland and Monika Hupfauf have been focusing their entire career on the biotech, pharma and broader life sciences industry and are therefore able to properly understand, advise and assist clients in their diverse and specialized needs.
About Francesca Belli Novak
Francesca is a qualified attorney with more than 15 years of experience in the biotech and medical sector, both as an external counsel and in-house.
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She started her legal career in the Life Sciences team of a prestigious boutique law firm based in Milan (Italy), and then moved to two leading global biopharma companies, where she managed various legal issues and projects across multiple jurisdictions, mainly in the European region but also in Latin America and the US.
She has exceptional creativity and a global and open mindset, as well as extensive expertise in fields like Research and Development, Commercial, Regulatory, Corporate Compliance and Governance, and Data Privacy.
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Francesca is a member of the BAR of Milan (Italy), and Vienna (Austria). She is currently a mentor at Health Hub Vienna, a platform for open innovation, managed by INiTS, Vienna’s high-tech incubator.
About Hanneke Later Nijland
Hanneke is the only lawyer-pharmacist, ex-inspector for Healthcare holding a PhD in the Netherlands, perhaps in the whole of the European Union. Therefore, she is a lawyer with an extraordinary, atypical background. Hanneke specialises in EU and national regulatory life sciences law. She holds a PhD in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Previously, she was an inspector for Clinical Trials and Pharmacovigilance with the Dutch Inspectorate for Healthcare (IGJ).
This rare background gives her a unique perspective and understanding of the life sciences sector.
In her practice, Hanneke advises life sciences and healthcare clients and litigates on a wide range of issues. Areas of expertise cover marketing authorisations, compliance, pharmacovigilance, advertising issues, product liability, issues on the interface of IP and regulatory, and —finally — regulatory assistance in transactions. For the use of M&A or for the comfort of investors, Hanneke is able to provide tailor-made Transaction Regulatory Compliances prognosis reports.
Hanneke is a university lecturer in Leiden and she regularly speaks at international conferences, on regulatory life sciences issues, such as new European legislation and the impact of recent judgments in the sector.
About Monika Hupfauf
Monika is a highly qualified lawyer with extensive experience and expertise in the fields of IP and life sciences with a strong focus on research, innovation and technology transfer, including medical device and drug development.
With more than 20 years of professional experience and detailed industry knowledge in the fields of life sciences, technology, and IT, Monika is used to advise life sciences companies from different backgrounds and countries.
Monika holds a doctorate in law from the University of Innsbruck, a diploma from Cardiff Law School and a diploma in business mediation from Falk Business Mediation. She is also a registered mediator at WIPO and a member of several professional associations, such as the Vienna Bar Association, the IP Dispute Resolution Forum Munich, and the International Bar Association. She has published several books and articles and is the co-publisher of the Austrian commentary on medical device law and the new edition of the Austrian drug law commentary. She regularly gives lectures and presentations on topics related to her areas of expertise at various events and universities”.
Our network
We work with selected qualified lawyers, based in different European countries, who stand out for their proficiency in life sciences as well as their modern and international mindset.