Withers adds two life sciences partners to its Boston office from Brown Rudnick

Withers adds two life sciences partners to its Boston office from Brown Rudnick

The addition of Meyers and Hyde from Brown Rudnick to Withers' Boston office follows the firm's recent acquisition of a Texas-based private client boutique

International law firm Withersworldwide (Withers) has announced the appointment of Tom Meyers and Zachary Hyde as senior life sciences intellectual property partners in Boston.

Meyers is joining Withers from Brown Rudnick, a rival US law firm. This appointment will add to the firm's strength and expertise in the life sciences and intellectual property sector.

Meyers led Brown Rudnick's IP group and was also the founder and chair of the firm's life sciences practice along with partner Zachary Hyde.

The twin appointments come shortly after Withers expanded its presence in Texas through a merger with Houston-based private client boutique Dossey & Jones. This further expands Withers' expertise and regional coverage in the US. This recent move, along with the appointment of Tom Meyers, suggests that Withers is looking to boost its presence and expand its services in the US market.

Withers has stated that the hiring of Tom Meyers and the merger with Dossey & Jones is a major advance in the firm's capabilities as it continues to work at the intersection of private capital, philanthropy, and scientific innovation.

Both Meyers and Hyde have experience in advising US and international life sciences firms, and their hire will strengthen Withers' expertise in this area and help the firm to better serve its clients in this field.

The firm is focusing on expanding its services and capabilities at the intersection of private capital, philanthropy, and scientific innovation, which is evident with these recent moves.

Jeremy Wakeham, CEO of Withers' business division, stated that the firm has seen an increase in interest in investing private capital in the life sciences sector. In response to this trend, the firm is actively expanding its capabilities on a global scale to better serve its clients.

"Our Boston practice is a focal point in representing the industry's entrepreneurs and innovators. Our life sciences, venture capital and corporate teams in the city continue to go from strength to strength, with Tom and Zack bringing outstanding reputations and a strong following to our well-established international life sciences team. Having already worked with members of our UK Withers tech team in the past, the transatlantic flow of work will only strengthen as more inter-connections are made," Wakeham said.

Meyers has joined Withers after a long career in law. He spent over 13 years at Brown Rudnick. Before that, he was a partner at Cooley Godward Kronish LLP and Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault.

Meyers served as Vice President and General Counsel of Helicos BioSciences Corporation between 2004 and 2007, where he was responsible for developing patent strategies and overseeing the company's initial public offering (IPO).

Meyers is recognised for his expertise in helping life sciences clients develop, implement, and monetise effective patent strategies. His clients are diverse, including companies involved in diagnostics, medical devices, life science tools and technology platforms, genomics, and therapeutics.

Hyde is an intellectual property attorney who specialises in helping clients pursue IP protection strategies. He has extensive experience in obtaining patents for clients in the life sciences, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical industries. He also advises clients on prosecution strategies.

Hyde joined Brown Rudnick in 2011 after graduating from Boston College Law School and was promoted to partner in 2019.

"We love what Withers is doing in Boston and around the world – building a hub of excellence for life science and pharma businesses and the investors that back them. Zack and I see huge opportunities to assist clients around the world in growing and increasing the value of their businesses," Meyers said.

Withers opened an office in Boston at the beginning of 2021 as part of an effort to expand its international technology practice. To launch the new office, Withers hired a team of three life sciences IP partners, John Serio, Richard Emmons, and Christopher Cowles, from the law firm Burns & Levinson.

With the addition of Meyers and Hyde, the Boston office will consist of seven partners and eight associates. The team was recently expanded in November, with the hiring of corporate partner Alex Khalarian, who also came from Burns & Levinson.