Claire Smith

Claire is a partner at Bristows specialising in commercial and intellectual property transactions, most notably in the life sciences and technology sectors. She advises on a wide range of commercial arrangements (the large majority of which are cross-border) and on corporate and investment deals where IP is an important asset. Her work includes advising pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and digital health companies on joint ventures, R&D collaborations, strategic partnerships and licensing deals (with commercial and academic partners), and on manufacturing, supply and distribution contracts and clinical trial agreements.

Before becoming a lawyer, Claire spent a number of years working for Abbott Laboratories’ medical device business in quality assurance and operations roles. Since being at Bristows, Claire has also spent time seconded to the in-house legal team of a leading global pharmaceutical company. She is also a member of the UK Bio Industry Association’s Intellectual Property Advisory Committee. Claire’s expertise is recognised by legal directories, including as a next generation partner for Life Sciences and Healthcare in the Legal 500.