Overview
April 5, 2026 – Global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte has been named France Firm of the Year as part of the LMG Life Sciences EMEA Awards 2026. In addition, the firm was recognized for its role in three Capital Markets & Financing Impact Deals:
- Maat Pharma capital increase: McDermott advised Maat Pharma, a late-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) aimed at improving the survival of cancer patients through modulation of the immune system, in a EUR13 million capital increase from its historical shareholders, Biocodex, PSIM fund represented by Bpifrance Investissement and an existing American-European investor.
- Owkin – Bioptimus Series A: McDermott advised Owkin on the US$41 million Series A financing of Bioptimus, the Paris-based AI-for-biology company developing a universal multimodal foundation model for life sciences.
- V-Bio Ventures – Step Pharma Series C: McDermott advised V-Bio Ventures, as lead investor on €38 million Series C financing of Step Pharma, the global leader in CTPS1 inhibition for targeted cancer treatment.
The firm was also shortlisted for EMEA Regulatory Firm of the Year, Licensing & Collaboration Firm of the Year, and Venture Capital Firm of the Year.
The LMG Life Sciences EMEA Awards aim to honor firms and lawyers at the forefront of legal work in life sciences. The awards’ distinctive structure highlights firms and lawyers that specialize in practice areas within the life sciences industry by shortlisting firms and by listing nominees in a way that shows overlap between certain legal areas.
View the full list of honorees.
About Us
Leading organizations turn to global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte for a better way to address legal challenges, connect with those at the forefront, and drive stronger outcomes. Working across more than 20 offices globally, our 1,700+ lawyers act on data-driven insights, deep relationships, and unmatched industry experience to deliver on our commitment of Always Better.