Bristows' Podcast

Real estate partner Tim Allen welcome special guest, Nicholas Blevins (Partner, Knight Frank) onto the podcast to explore the evolving relationship between commercial real estate and the life sciences sector. 

They discuss investment opportunities across the UK, changing occupier demands, the rise of managed laboratories and turnkey solutions, and the impact of M&A activity on the biotech landscape. Looking ahead, they consider the prospects for funding, rental growth and future lab development in an increasingly selective market.

What do the latest EU regulatory reforms mean for the future of life sciences innovation? 

Bristows’ life sciences regulatory partners Alex Denoon and Xisca Borrás explore key developments in pharmaceutical legislation, medical devices regulation and the proposed Biotech Act, examining what the changes could mean for industry, patient access and Europe’s competitiveness in 2027 and beyond.

In this episode of Life Sciences Lab Notes from Bristows, James Johnston and Claire Smith explore the US BIOSECURE Act and its implications for UK and EU biotech companies. 

They unpack common misconceptions about the legislation, explain how restrictions on federal funding and procurement could affect international supply chains, and examine the potential impact on commercial partnerships, investment and exit transactions.

With a focus on practical steps, they discuss how biotech businesses can assess supply chain risks, strengthen contractual protections and plan ahead.

Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon discuss ambient voice technologies (AVTs), also known as 'AI scribes'. And of course, they are looking at AVTs specifically in the field of life sciences and healthcare.

In our previous episode, we put a question to the European Commission’s AI Act Service Desk. Stick around until the end of the episode for what Alex and Marc thought of that response.

You can read the response in full here.

Naina Patel and Rob Powell explore the new rules governing the advertising of less healthy food and drink, and what they mean in practice for businesses and brands. 

Looking at a selection of recent ASA rulings, they examine real-world examples of advertising that has – and has not – been caught by the new restrictions. When will the brand advertising exemption apply? When is an individual product identifiable in an ad? And what do these decisions mean for businesses navigating the new rules? 

Expanding into the UK? There’s more to consider than simply finding an office.

In this bonus episode of UK Expansion, Sam Munday is joined by Bristows real estate expert Suzanne Hooks to explore the key commercial real estate issues overseas businesses should consider when entering the UK market.

From serviced offices and incubator space to leases, exit rights, dilapidations and sustainability requirements, they discuss the practical points businesses should have on their radar before committing to a UK real estate footprint.

Listen today!

In our first episode of (Medical) Crimes and (Data) Misdemeanours, Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon write to the European Commission’s AI Act Service Desk.

Any High-Risk AI System (and these are the most interesting AI Systems and the focus of the EU AI Act) must be the subject of a Declaration of Conformity prepared by the “provider” (the entity with primary regulatory responsibility for the AI System). This is a living document that confirms that the System (for example, a medical device that integrates some AI) complies with the AI Act (and any other applicable legislation). For th...

Expanding into the UK? There’s more to data protection than just the GDPR.

In the latest episode of UK Expansion: Unpacked, host Sam Munday is joined by Jamie Drucker to explore the key UK data protection considerations for overseas businesses setting up in the UK.

From the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 to cookies and electronic marketing, they unpack what businesses need to know when navigating the UK privacy landscape.

Listen to the latest episode of UK Expansion: Unpacked to get up to sp...

In this episode, we discuss one of the most valuable assets many businesses have: intellectual property. If you're expanding into the UK, what do you need to think about when it comes to protecting your technology, Innovations, know-how and brands?

Sam Munday is joined by Laura Harwood, Of Counsel in our Commercial IP team, to guide you through the key issues.

In this episode, host Sam Munday is joined by Lizzie Field to discuss the UK immigration options for overseas businesses looking to expand into the UK.

They explore when visas are required and for who, focussing principally on the two key visas for overseas businesses: the UK Expansion Worker and Skilled Worker visas. The conversation also covers the practical considerations around obtaining a sponsor licence, such as expected lead times and some of the common pitfalls businesses encounter during the application process, and the consequences for non-compliance.

In this episode of UK Expansion: Unpacked, we explore how international businesses can effectively incentivise their UK workforce as they expand into the market.

Building on our previous episode covering the UK employment law essentials businesses need to get right from day one, we turn our attention to employee incentives and the role they can play in attracting, motivating and retaining talent. Julia Cockroft, partner in our Tax and Incentives team, joins Sam Munday to discuss the key considerations for businesses looking to design effective incentive arrangements in the UK.

Estée Lauder’s legal battle with perfumer Jo Malone CBE has sparked increased debate over the importance of intellectual property and ownership of personality rights, including ownership of your own name.

 In this episode, Theresa Castle and Jessica des Landes explore the high-stakes dispute between Estée Lauder and Jo Malone CBE, and what this means for other creator-led brands and corporate acquisitions, by breaking down the conflict between contractual restrictions and an individual’s right to use their own name.  

In the latest episode of UK Expansion: Unpacked, we explore one of the key foundations of successfully establishing a UK presence: getting your employment, documentation and people practices right from day one.

Sam Munday is joined by James Champness, Senior Associate in our Employment team, to discuss the key UK employment law and HR considerations international businesses should be aware of when hiring and managing employees in the UK.

From employment documentation and workplace policies to broader HR considerations, this episode provides practical guidance for businesses looking to build a strong employment framework as they...

In this first episode, Sam Munday is joined by Tabbi Reed (Associate) and Simon Bayliss (Trainee Solicitor) in which they discuss the key tax issues overseas companies should be mindful of from the outset, including what creates a permanent establishment risk, why good governance matters and the importance of considering tax risk when pricing intercompany services.

From football pitches to the oche to the farm, familiar faces are heading to the UK Intellectual Property Office. Cole Palmer, Luke Littler and Jeremy Clarkson have all recently filed trade mark applications for representations of their own face, a move many see as a response to the growing risks posed by generative AI.

In this episode, Paul Jordan and Tim Heaps explore why celebrities are turning to trade marks to protect their likenesses, whether the law is keeping pace with AI, and what these filings reveal about the future of personality rights in the UK.

In this episode, Stephanie Taylor and Saaira Gill consider where we are now following Brexit, taking a look at how the UK and EUIPO approached the position of UK and EU based rights in relation to opposition and cancellation proceedings. In particular, looking at EU case law including Basmati (EUIPO v Indo European Foods Case C-801/21 P), Shopify (Shopify Inc v EUIPO Case C-751/22 P) and Nowhere (EUIPO v Nowhere Co. Ltd Case C-337/22) and how UK rights were treated during and after the Brexit transition period, as well as the Parabolica v Tesla (Parabolica Limited v Tesla Holding...

Is a designer still a “designer” if they are just picking buckles and laces from a catalogue? In this episode, Simon Clark and Kyrana Hulstein dive into the CJEU’s recent ruling in Deity Shoes SL v. Mundorama Confort SL and Stay Design SL, a case that explores the messy reality of fashion manufacturing and EU design rights.

We break down the Court’s approach to novelty, confirming that designers don’t need to prove their designs are original – what matters is whether the design creates a different overall impression on the informed user. And this can be the case e...

In this episode, Ellie Handy is joined by Dr Chen Mao Davies, Founder and CEO of Anya, to explore what it really takes to bring a digital women’s health product to market.

Chen shares the story behind Anya’s creation, the gaps she identified in maternal healthcare, and how AI-powered support can deliver accessible, 24/7 care for women and new parents. The conversation dives into the practical realities of scaling a femtech product, navigating NHS procurement and meeting rigorous digital health standards.

They also discuss the contrasting route to market through private employers, highlighting the grow...

IP & AI litigation: Getty Images v Stability AI explained

Stop and get into the ever-evolving brandscape of intellectual property and advertising. In each Bristows – Cease and Discuss episode, our Brands, Designs and Copyright team will sit down and discuss an aspect of IP law and advertising, with some practical takeaways and catch ups on developments and changes.

In this first episode, Jeremy Blum and Toby Headdon discuss the outcome and potential consequences of the first case in the UK which addresses copyright, trade marks and AI -  Getty Images v Stability AI...

In this episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, Maria Ryan and Melissa Dix explore how patenting trends offer a window into research activities in the women’s health space. They discuss the rise in patenting of female-specific inventions, and consider female representation in patent inventorship.

You can read our full article on the same topic here. 

In today's podcast, Richard Pinckney and Naoise Gaffney disseminate the key takeaways from the Supreme Court's decision in Emotional Perception AI v Comptroller General, which has brought about a seismic shift in the way that patentability of Computer Implemented Inventions is to be assessed in the UK.

 This is a follow-up to Naoise's stop press article last week on the same topic. Click here to read it now. 

Those working in the Femtech space have a difficult regulatory framework to navigate in the EU. For products that qualify as a medical device, the EU Medical Device Regulation imposes onerous obligations. In addition, the AI Act, as it stands, add additional regulatory requirements for devices including AI. 

In this podcast Xisca Borrás and Ellie Handy discuss when software will qualify as a medical device, the regulatory obligations for devices and the challenges Femtech manufacturers may face in complying with them. They then cover the interaction between the EU MDR and AI Act, discussing how to na...

The FemTech sector, which focuses on technology for women’s health and wellness, is experiencing rapid growth in the UK. Out of the 540 active FemTech start-ups in Europe in 2023, 31.8% were based in the UK, and the UK is ranked second globally (behind the US) in terms of investment in the FemTech sector.

In this podcast, Sophie Rees, Anna Honey and Gabriela Necula outline the main early-stage funding options available to UK-based FemTech companies and highlights key legal considerations at each stage. 

Finding reasons to be cheerful…hear our tax team’s key takeaways from the Budget 2025 which was announced on Wednesday, 26 November 2025.

After much speculation and the odd leak, we unpick the negative predictions that did not come to pass and share our top three tax ‘good news’ stories.

All information was correct at the time of recording.

In this episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, Laura Harwood and Melissa Dix explore how university spin-outs can offer an effective mechanism for commercialising research, particularly in the women’s health space. They discuss the way in which university spin-outs are bringing research-driven solutions to market, and examine the key contractual considerations regarding the associated IP.

In the very first episode of our Spotlight on Women's Health and Innovation podcast, data protection associates Kiran Sidhu and Subha Kumar discuss how to navigate key GDPR challenges in the women’s health space. They offer practical advice when launching a new product or service in this sector and give top-tips on how to stay compliant and avoid regulatory traps. 

In the third and final episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Nick Cross and Associate Oliver Alsop, delve into a crucial piece of legislation for anyone considering investing in UK companies in the AI sector: the National Security Investment Act 2021 (NSIA).

In this final episode of our three-part mini series on the EU AI Act and its implications for manufacturers of medical devices, Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon look in detail at Annex V of the Act. 

Annex V of the EU AI Act requires, amongst other things, that a manufacturer provide the Notified Body making a conformity assessment with a statement that the high risk AI system that is being assessed and which forms part of the medical device, and which involves the processing of personal data (as many medical devices will), "complies with the GDPR". 

...

As rumours swirl of a delay to the date of application of the AI Act, here is part 2 of specialists Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon's podcast.

In this episode, they delve further into Marc’s territory – the principles based GDPR - and note an uncomfortable practical constraint hidden away in Annex V of the EU AI Act.

This issue wasn’t addressed in Team-NB’s Position Paper, but is likely to be a significant challenge.

Send us a text

Team-NB, representing the majority of Notified Bodies for EU MDR and IVDR medical devices, has issued a stark warning: the implementation of the EU AI Act carries a significant risk of major disruption to the medical device software sector.

Their recently published Position Paper doesn't hold back, highlighting critical shortcomings in the implementation framework and emphasising the dwindling time left to address them. Team-NB is urgently calling for swift action to prevent widespread issues.

To unpack this crucial situation, our specialists Marc Dautlich and Alex Denoon offer their expert...

In the second episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Iain Redford (Corporate & Tax) and Partner Vik Khurana (Commercial Technology), highlight some of the key risks which are likely to arise in doing deals with the next generation of AI companies with suggestions about ways to mitigate those risks.

Find all the episodes as we release them here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording. (15.04.25)

In the first episode of our series exploring Corporate Law and AI, our experts, Partner Vik Khurana (Commercial Technology) and Of Counsel Richard Swaine (Corporate & Tax), focused on the current state of AI transactional work and recognising and protecting value.

Find all the episodes as we release them here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording. (20.03.25)

Following the CJEU’s landmark decision in the BSH v Electrolux case (C-339/22), patent litigators Andrew Bowler and Gregory Bacon discuss the three questions referred by the Swedish Court of Appeal to the European court.

Explore our more detailed analysis here

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording.

It's hard to believe that six months have passed since we released the 11th edition of our Biotech Review of the Year publication.

Our editors, Greg Bacon, Xisca Borrás, and Will Hewitt, thought now would be a great time to catch up and discuss any developments since the launch.

You can also find written updates on the following articles here:

In this episode our experts Iain Redford (corporate), Miranda Cass (tax) and Gareth Wadley (employment and global mobility) set out the key considerations and potential pitfalls involved in Acquihire deals - an increasing trend we see from across the Atlantic as strategic buyers and institutions look to acquire the best talent and technology to drive innovation.

Find all the episodes as we release them here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording.

In this episode of Tech M&A, our experts, Jamie Drucker and Richard Swaine look at the regulatory challenges facing Adtech companies and consider how commercial and legal diligence - and approach to transaction risk - in Adtech M&A may have to refocus in the light of those challenges. 

Find all the episodes as we release them here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording.

In this episode of Tech M&A, our experts, Sophie Rees and Jamie Hatzel discuss some of the recent trends affecting medtech M&A, in particular recent regulatory changes which are affecting the evolution of the sector. They also discuss some of the M&A pitfalls which have arisen out of those trends – and how focussed due diligence can help investors avoid them.

Find all the episodes as we release them here, and don’t forget to subscribe!

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording.

Chris Bates and Vivien Zhu introduce the UK government’s consultation on a statutory regime for disclosure of transfers of value to the healthcare sector by the life sciences industry. Chris talks about the historical context of voluntary schemes for disclosures of transfers of value, while Vivien introduces the data protection implications of such disclosures.

The Statutory Disclosure Regime consultation closes on 16 October 2023. To learn more and submit a response, see the link here.

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording. 

Jamie Hatzel and Vivien Zhu delve into some of the finer details of the Statutory Disclosure Regime proposals, including the scope of the proposed regime and the role that voluntary disclosure schemes could continue to play once the regime comes into force. Vivien also talks through how the Statutory Disclosure Regime should prompt some companies to consider whether their data protection arrangements are sufficient.

 The Statutory Disclosure Regime consultation closes on 16 October 2023. To learn more and submit a response, see the link here.

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording. 

Chris Bates and Jamie Hatzel round out this three-part series with a discussion of the likely impact of the Statutory Disclosure Regime proposals on the medtech sector, and how medtech will have to play catch-up to remain compliant once the Statutory Disclosure Regime comes into force.

 The Statutory Disclosure Regime consultation closes on 16 October 2023. To learn more and submit a response, see the link here.

Note: All information was correct at the time of recording.