Senior/Principal Associate - Life Sciences

Mills & Reeve; Oxford; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Career development

Job summary

Mills & Reeves in Oxford seeks a Senior/Principal Associate to lead life sciences commercial work, advising biotech, pharma and universities. You will be a 5+ years PQE solicitor, with strong commercial/IP experience and a commercially minded approach.

You will join our life sciences team and handle licensing, collaborations, regulatory issues, data protection, and due diligence for cross-border transactions, with a focus on growth and client service. We value flexibility and career development.

Qualifications

• 5+ years post qualification experience in a large regional or City firm, or in-house.
• Strong experience in life sciences businesses and commercial law.
• commercially minded lawyer with broad practice.

Responsibilities

• Advising on IP licensing and partnering transactions, clinical trial arrangements, research collaborations, promotional arrangements, and other life sciences contracts.

Skills

Commercial law

Life sciences

IP licensing

Due diligence

Education

Solicitor qualification

Job description

Senior/Principal Associate - Life Sciences

Date Posted: 2026-10-19

Location: South East England

Region: South East England

Country: GB

Postcode: KT19 8GY

Application Type: Any

Firm: Mills & Reeve

Closing Date: 2026-10-30

Are you a Solicitor with a passion for the Life Sciences sector?

At our award-winning law firm, your expertise will be nurtured, your career growth championed, and your contributions valued. Step into a supportive environment where you can grow with us.

The role

We are looking for a senior commercial solicitor to be based in Oxford, to undertake a wide range of work for our life sciences clients and other technology-based clients. Our life sciences team is one of the largest specialist sector practices in the UK and advises businesses ranging from start-ups and fast growing developing businesses to large multinationals (e.g., global pharma and medtech organizations), as well as universities, research institutes, medical research charities, and government organizations.

We advise life sciences businesses across the full sector spectrum, including in relation to biotech, biopharma and vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics, tech bio, and agbiotech.

As part of our top-ranked team, you will be working with our head of life sciences James Fry, as well as other members of our large and friendly commercial IP and IT team.

The person

You will have 5+ years post qualification experience gained in a large regional or City firm, or in-house. You will have good technical skills in commercial law and proven experience with life sciences businesses. You will be an enthusiastic and commercially-minded lawyer prepared to turn your hand to a wide range of work.

The work

• Advising on: IP licensing and partnering transactions, clinical trial arrangements, research collaborations, promotional arrangements, other commercial contracts (including supply and manufacturing transactions), IP advisory and protection, regulatory issues in life sciences, data protection, due diligence for corporate and broader commercial transactions relating to life sciences.

For full details of the role, please refer to the job description link below.

The benefits

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

Pre-employment screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three-year employment history, and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

The firm

Mills & Reeve is centered on achieving more for clients, their businesses, and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.

We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don't offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,250 plus people and over 750 lawyers share one vision - achieving more for clients.

By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that's not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. Our mantra is "Achieve more. Together.", which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase! We're also ranked in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and were recently awarded Platinum Investors in People.

Finally, everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team, and we do everything we can to help each person thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.