Morrison Foerster adds Matthew Ferry from Perkins Coie

Morrison Foerster adds Matthew Ferry from Perkins Coie

Having moved over six times since beginning of the past year, Matthew Ferry is the sixth life sciences specialist

A new partner of Morrison Foerster (MoFo) has joined Perkins Coie's San Diego licensing and technology transactions group, this time from Perkins Coie's life sciences transactions group.

After serving as counsel at Perkins Coie for six years, Matthew Ferry has joined the firm as a partner. He specializes in IP litigation and technology transactions.

In addition to this appointment, the firm has added Mike LaPlante, Teresa Tate, Paul Navarro and Mike Glaser to its emerging companies and venture capital teams in San Francisco and Los Angeles and Daphne Higgs to the firm's technology transactions group in Palo Alto since the beginning of the year. The three men worked together at Perkins Coie for over 60 years and together, they had more than one hundred years of experience.

Ferry's arrival comes at a time when "growth within the ever-growing global life sciences industry" is on the rise, said Mike Ward, global head of MoFo's life sciences and healthcare group.

"Matt's extensive experience in commercial life sciences and licensing transactions along with his excellent technical background further strengthens our offerings in San Diego and across California. He also expands our reach nationally and globally," Ward said.

Ferry's practice is focused primarily in the tech and life sciences sectors, including issues related to early-stage startups, commercial contracts and support for exit strategies.

Ferry said that she is thrilled to work with her new colleagues in the firm's life sciences and healthcare and technology transaction groups, help assist clients with the rapidly expanding area of licensing and transactions in the life sciences sector, while building a strong practice in San Diego.

MoFo has 22 lawyers working across its life sciences transactions and licensing practices in Boston, Berlin, New York, San Francisco, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Stacy Cline Amin, former FDA chief counsel and White House legal adviser to Donald Trump, joined the firm's life sciences group in Washington DC in July 2021 and a month later, Baker Botts' Hogene Choi also joined.

K&L Gates, which in March hired a 12-strong team from local boutique Lando & Anastasi to expand its life sciences and intellectual property capabilities in the United States, is another prominent company to boost its life sciences offering recently.

Last month, UK law firm Allen & Overy acquired a highly rated five-partner life sciences IP litigation team from Goodwin Procter and opened its US life sciences studio in Boston, with lead team member Elizabeth Holland becoming the practice's head.

As part of its effort to expand its relationship with Colorado's booming life sciences market, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati also opened an office in Boulder in February.

An immediate comment from Perkins Coie on Ferry's departure was not received.