An international law firm retained Alacrita to provide expert witness services related to a partnering agreement dispute between two biotech companies. The central issue was the quantum of damages should the court find that a contractual breach had occurred.

Alacrita provided an expert with more than 30 years of experience in the relevant technology domain, including significant expertise in the stage of development of the assets in question and in the practices of developing, licensing, and commercialising the particular product type. The expert evaluated materials in connection with the partnering agreement, prepared supporting evidence for claims and defences, prepared expert reports, and participated in weekly conferences with the legal team throughout the litigation. The expert ultimately testified at the arbitration hearing, and the court found that no damages were payable for breach.

A law firm retained Alacrita to provide expert input on a dispute between two large pharma companies regarding the terms of a historical licensing deal and the period for which royalties were payable on a market-leading drug.

An Alacrita consultant specialising in the particular technology was engaged to provide expert reports and testimony on the technical aspects of the patent and contemporary business practices. The consultant, who held a PhD and had more than three decades of experience in strategic and technical review, had conducted numerous technology assessments and due diligence assignments on assets in the relevant technology class. The length and specificity of this experience was of particular value because the expert was doing similar deals at a similar date to the agreement in dispute.

In connection with a dispute over the licensing of a patent covering a novel drug, Alacrita was retained to provide expert testimony related to the appropriate market rate of royalties.

An Alacrita consultant with an extensive deal sheet and more than 25 years of pharmaceutical and biotech business development experience was engaged. The consultant possessed deep understanding of drug development as well as the evaluation, valuation, and negotiation of strategic alliances and licensing deals. The expert participated in regular conferences with the legal team and provided expert reports and testimony related to the royalty rate aspects of the litigation.

A major global law firm required an expert witness to support a litigation process between its client and another large pharma company involving antibody and ADC technology.

Alacrita provided an expert with deep experience in the technology domain, the stage of development of the asset in question, and the practices of licensing and commercialising the particular product type. The expert worked under the direction of the law firm and its client until the process reached its conclusion.

We draw from a network of 350+ specialist consultants spanning 29 functional disciplines, 22 disease areas, and 18 product modalities. When a law firm describes the technical requirements of a case, we identify consultants with direct, relevant experience in the specific technology, therapeutic area, and stage of development at issue. These are full-time consultants, typically with 25+ years of industry experience, not academics providing occasional opinions.

Our expert witness work has covered licensing and royalty disputes between pharma companies, partnership agreement disputes including damages quantification, patent litigation requiring technical expertise on drug development and manufacturing processes, and disputes over deal terms and commercial practices. The common thread is that these cases require someone who has actually worked in the relevant area of biopharma, not a generalist.

Our due diligence practice is the foundation of our expert witness capability. Since 2011, Alacrita consultants have been conducting rigorous, multidisciplinary assessments of pharmaceutical and biotech assets for investors and corporations. That work requires the same core skills needed in expert witness assignments: deep technical expertise, the ability to evaluate complex data objectively, and the discipline to reach and defend independent conclusions. Consultants who are experienced in due diligence are already practised at forming defensible opinions under scrutiny.

Once we identify the right consultant for the case, that individual works closely with the legal team throughout the engagement. This typically includes regular conferences with the lawyers, review of relevant documents and materials, preparation of expert reports, and, where required, testimony at hearings or arbitration. The duration and intensity vary depending on the case, but expert witness engagements tend to involve deeper, more sustained involvement than a typical consulting assignment.

Yes. With offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts and London, and a consulting network that spans the US and Europe, we can source expert witnesses familiar with the regulatory and commercial environments relevant to proceedings in either jurisdiction.

Alacrita manages the engagement. The expert witness works under the direction of the law firm and its client on the substance of the case, but Alacrita handles the administrative and contractual aspects of the assignment. This is consistent with our model across all service lines: clients contract with Alacrita, and we manage quality and delivery.

Alacrita is an integrated consulting firm, not a placement service or expert network. Our consultants work for Alacrita on defined assignments; law firms contract with Alacrita; and Alacrita manages the engagement, quality, and delivery. This means the expert witness is supported by the same infrastructure and project management that underpins our due diligence, valuations, and other consulting work. We are not a directory of available experts, and we do not offer one-hour consultations. Our expert witnesses are engaged on substantive, sustained assignments where deep involvement matters.

Alacrita's expert witness practice is led by Nigel Burns, PhD, LLB, a senior biopharmaceutical executive who advises on strategic R&D issues for biotechnology companies, venture capital funds, and governments. His dual background in science and law gives him particular insight into the requirements of effective expert witness work in biopharma disputes.

In licensing disputes involving commercially reasonable efforts obligations, our consultants provide industry context by analysing whether development decisions, resource allocations, and strategic choices align with what companies typically do under similar circumstances. This includes technical assessment of clinical results against industry benchmarks, economic frameworks such as risk-adjusted NPV and Monte Carlo simulation, industry benchmarking against comparable transactions, and evaluation of portfolio prioritisation practices. We have published a detailed guide on this topic.