71 Finance Monthly. Special Feature chance to meet my old contacts at BioNTech again and, at the same time, do my part in aligning the different interests of the contracting parties. Is there a personal philosophy that you follow which drives you to achieve the best possible results for your clients? I think it is important to stay curious. Curiosity is a vital ingredient for becoming a good inventor or scientist, but I think it is also key to our work as lawyers. Deal counsel have the opportunity to witness such incredibly exciting and innovative developments. We bring our expertise to the table – and yet we are only a small component in the whole. I like to completely immerse myself and learn as much as I can about the client and the technology before I really start advising. What does this award mean to you? I am extremely pleased to receive this award. Of course, my team and I are grateful for the accolade. But I also see the award as recognition for a subject that (unfortunately) still leads a bit of a shadowy existence: licensing and collaborations in life sciences. It would be great if this award can contribute a little bit to making this subject better known. Is there any advice that you would give to prospective IP and IT lawyers looking to emulate your success? I would advise prospective IP and IT colleagues to look at our subject holistically. Do not focus too early on only one (small) specialist subject within the broad field of IP/ IT, but recognise the many similarities and repetitions, regardless of whether you are working in patent law, (software) copyright or trade secret protection. For all those who work outside the subject of IP/IT, our field is a special matter anyway. What are your current plans for 2023? Earlier this year we expanded my team – we are now five lawyers focused on advising on life sciences transactions and commercial work. In 2023, we will continue to pursue this focus; we will continue to grow our client base (including in academia) and we may soon have the opportunity to be involved in some truly pioneering collaborations again. ABOUT NEUWERK NEUWERK is a boutique law firm that was founded in 2016 by a group of former Freshfields lawyers. As of today, our headcount amounts to 33 attorneys, each of them specialised in one of the following legal fields: corporate/M&A, IP/IT, employment law, real estate law, (criminal) compliance and disputes and arbitration. We advise our clients with small, well-rehearsed teams of experts who work hand in hand, seamlessly and efficiently. Our particular setup means that we can provide clients with fast, continuous advice across disciplines without ever losing momentum. We combine the speed and openness of a boutique with the full service and quality of a large law firm. Clients regularly praise us for our pragmatic, hands-on approach – and tell us we are fun to work with!
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