Colin has over thirty years’ Life Sciences sectoral experience working at Elan Corporation and Byrne Wallace Shields LLP. Colin is widely recognised as a leading lawyer in the Life Sciences sector.

From 1996 until 2002 Colin was vice president and general counsel of Elan Pharmaceutical Technologies (Elan’s drug delivery division). In 2002 Colin was promoted to Senior Vice President at Elan Corporation and played a leading role in the restructuring of Elan that involved the sale of assets in excess of $1.8 billion. Prior to joining Elan Corporation plc in 1994 Colin worked as a Solicitor with another Dublin law firm.

Since 2004 Colin has been in a leadership role in Byrne Wallace Shield’s Corporate Life Sciences team advising a broad range of spin-out, mid-tier and multinational companies as well as investors, research institutions and universities.  

Colin regularly acts in cutting edge transactions such as M&As and financing deals to complex strategic alliance transactions, such as development and commercialisation licence agreements. In addition Colin regularly advises on a broad range of sectoral specific regulatory issues. Colin also advises in relation to multi-centre clinical trial agreements, master services agreements and supply agreements.

Key transaction experience

The following are some examples of transactions on which Colin has advised:

• Amryt Pharmaceuticals in relation to the successful reverse takeover of Fastnet Equity plc (which was renamed as Amryt Pharma plc) and also acted for Amryt in connection with a number of acquisitions and a number of strategic alliance agreements.
  
• Avectas Limited on a number of financings and sectoral specific agreements, including an equity financing of US$20 million which was awarded Finance Dublin Deal of the Year 2021 (Loans & Financing, & Private Equity).
  
• BrePco Biopharma Limited in relation to the negotiation and successful conclusion of a multi-country commercialisation licence agreement and a supply agreement with Piramal Critical Care in relation to Neoatricon® (intended for the treatment of hypotension in neonates, infants and children under 18 years of age). 
  
• Endowave Limited on its spin out from the University of Galway.
  
• European Circular Bioeconomy Fund (ECBF) on its investments in the both the Series B and Series C investment rounds in Nuritas, a Dublin-based biotechnology company.   ECBF is an impact fund initiated by the European Union in the field of bioeconomy and circular economy.
• Harmony Medical in relation to its shareholders’ agreement, equity financings and Irish corporate matters.
  
• Inflazome Limited in relation to multiple financings and sectoral specific agreements, including its foundational licence agreement with Trinity College Dublin and UniQuest. 
  
• Kora Healthcare Limited in relation to a group restructuring pursuant to which assets relating to Kora Healthcare’s device and OTC business transfer to a newly incorporated company Arok Healthcare Limited.  
  
• Nexvet Biopharma plc on its complex corporate reorganisation and subsequent fully underwritten US$40 million NASDAQ IPO.
  
• Phibro Animal Health Limited on the acquisition of its Sligo facility from Elanco and subsequently on a broad range of ongoing Irish corporate legal matters.
  
• The shareholders of long standing client PrecisionBiotics Group Limited in relation to its acquisition by Novozymes. Nominated for Finance Dublin Deal of the Year 2021.
  
• Pumpinheart Limited on its spin out from The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). 
  
• Q3 Medical Devices on fundraisings (totalling approximately €50 million), corporate restructurings, strategic commercial agreements (including a global distribution agreement with Medtronic), and in relation to a lengthy process culminating in the landmark approval by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange of Ireland as an acceptable jurisdiction for the purpose of Irish companies seeking to list on the Exchange.   
  
• Selio Medical on its spin out from the Trinity College Dublin.
  
• Long standing client Searchlight Pharma (Nuvo Pharmaceuticals) on the Irish law aspects of its acquisition by Apotex Inc. 
  
• Starling Surgical on its spin out from the Trinity College Dublin.
  
• Univet Limited on its distribution agreements with Elanco and Virbac. 
  
• The shareholders of ValitaCell Limited, an Irish biotechnology company, on the acquisition of Valitacell by Beckman Coulter Life Sciences, a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation and a global leader in laboratory automation and innovation.
  
• Warburton Technology Limited and its affiliates in relation to the successful negotiation of agreements with distributors of its injectable multi-mineral product, Multimin^® and animal probiotic Lactipro^®, in a number of European, North American and South American countries.  
  
• Multi-national biotech, pharmaceutical and medical device companies in connection with the establishment of their Irish operations.
  
• Life Sciences clients on a broad range of regulatory issues such as relating to conducting clinical trials for medicinal products and medical devices in the EU, exemptions from potential patent infringement under Irish patent law (Bolar) relating to medicinal products and medical devices, Irish and EU legislation relating to the supply chain and wholesale distribution of pharmaceutical products.  

Qualifications

• BA (Mod) (Legal Science) Trinity College Dublin, 1981
  
• Admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Ireland (1984) 

Recommendations

Colin has been honoured with Hall of Fame status for his expertise in Healthcare and Life Sciences by Legal 500 in 2024 and 2023, an honour awarded to those who are ‘deemed to be operating at the very top in that practice area’ and ‘who are at the pinnacle of the profession.’

Colin has also been ranked in Who’s Who Legal for his transactional work in Life Sciences. He has been ranked as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 since 2017. He has also been ranked in Chambers Europe for both Corporate M&A and Intellectual Property for over 15 years.

"Colin is a formidable legal adviser, the breadth and depth of his knowledge of key legal and commercial issues in the sector is outstanding" - Chambers Europe, 2025

"Colin is effective and efficient in his work and is always on the other end of the phone." - Chambers Europe, 2025

"Colin Sainsbury is very experienced in the life sciences sector." - Chambers Europe, 2025

“Colin Sainsbury and his team have a great attention to detail and to making sure every base is covered. Easily accessible and good to work with in a very positive way." - Legal 500, 2025

“Colin Sainsbury is exceptionally diligent.” - Legal 500, 2025

“Colin Sainsbury is hard to fault on any level.” - Chambers Europe, 2024

"Colin Sainsbury is very thorough, considers the position of the company very well and is commercially oriented and practical." - Chambers Europe, 2024

"It is a pleasure to work with Colin Sainsbury." - Chambers Europe, 2024

"Colin Sainsbury is an important support to us in our work. With a background of extensive practice experience in our field, we very much appreciate his energy and focus, and the attention he gives to fully understanding and responding to our needs. We greatly value this relationship. Colin is a pleasure to work with." - Legal 500, 2024

"Colin Sainsbury provides a high level of personal attention that you would not receive in other firms." - Legal 500, 2024

“Colin Sainsbury has exceptional knowledge of both the local and global markets and can be leaned on for help at any time.” - Chambers Europe, 2023

‘Colin Sainsbury was excellent at cutting through some of legal content and clarifying IP cost impacts and possibilities. I believe we concluded with a fair win-win agreement.’ - Legal 500, 2022

‘Colin Sainsbury has impressed me with his client dedication. He approaches the attorney-client relationship like a business/legal partner and not just a lawyer. He is dedicated to overall client success and it shows in every interaction.’ - Legal 500, 2021
‘I particularly value Colin Sainsbury as a contact partner – I find him very approachable and his depth of expertise, perspective on the life sciences field, and openness to discuss specific needs as well as general concerns, together, give me confidence.’ - Legal 500, 2021

'Colin Sainsbury brings tremendous depth of experience in life sciences and pharmaceutical. Thorough and creative.' - Legal 500, 2021

‘Colin Sainsbury is hugely knowledgeable, experienced, gracious and most importantly responsive.' - Legal 500, 2021

"Colin Sainsbury is simply at the top of the league in IP in Dublin." - Legal 500, 2020

"Colin Sainsbury is without compare when it comes to knowledge and skill set in the life science arena." - Legal 500, 2020