How to optimize your biotech company for partnering, licensing, and business success

Today, we welcome Janita Good, a Partner at Fieldfisher with nearly two decades of experience advising top organizations in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical devices. With a D.Phil. in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford, Janita brings a unique blend of scientific insight and legal expertise to her work on venture investments, joint ventures, partnerships, and M&A deals. She's advised on landmark transactions, including funding rounds for Phynova and MedAnnex, and collaborations like Intelligent Ultrasound's AI imaging partnerships.In this episode, Janita shares practical guidance for biotech leaders on timing partnerships with larger pharma companies, planning for commercialization from the start, balancing optimistic fundraising with realistic deal projections, and avoiding common legal pitfalls in M&A. We'll also look ahead to emerging trends in the sector and talk through the best way to structure a company for tax effective partnering and licensing.01:29: Meet Janita Good04:42: Fieldfisher's life sciences focus07:20: Fieldfisher’s differentiated approach09:41: Timing early partnering discussions17:26: Structuring for efficient deals21:36: Planning commercialization from start25:22: Key early legal considerations30:00: Balancing fundraising and realism36:25: Optimism in the biotech industryInterested in being a sponsor of an episode of our podcast? Discover how you can get involved here! Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletterTo dive deeper into the topic: How biotech startups become unicornsThe ABC of biotech startup fundingBiotech’s legal storm: Why securities class action lawsuits are surging