Marie Fillon

Marie Fillon is a partner in Goodwin’s Technology and Life Sciences groups. She specializes in intellectual property law and focuses mainly on transactions in life sciences, including licenses, collaborations, R&D, manufacturing, and distribution agreements. She also advises clients on intellectual property-related issues in connection with their equity financing, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity transactions as well as with their IPOs.

Marie has significant experience in litigation, in particular in relation to patents or breach or licenses or collaborations.

Prior to joining Goodwin in 2021, Marie was a national partner at Dechert and served previously as a senior associate at a leading French intellectual property law firm. Her previous experience also includes serving in the intellectual property department of a Magic Circle firm in Paris.

Marie’s experience includes advising:

Life Sciences

• Genfit, a French late-stage biopharmaceutical company, listed on Nasdaq and Euronext, dedicated to improving the lives of patients with metabolic and chronic liver diseases, in its licensing agreement with Genoscience Pharma, a French clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel lysomotropic therapeutics to establish a new standard of care against cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases
• Germitec, a healthcare company that designs, commercialize UV-C disinfection systems for hospital hygiene system, in its strategic agreements as part of its €11 million financing
• Meletios Therapeutics, a French biotechnology company specializing in the research and development of next-generation antiviral therapies, in the licensing and IP aspects in connection with its 2,8 million financing
• Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) in the IP aspects in connection with its investment in the €193 million Series E of Alan, a digital health insurance platform
• Kurma Partners in the IP and licensing aspects in connection with its investments in several companies including NaoX Technologies, a start-up developing new generation electroencephalographic sensors
• Latour Capital in the IP Aspects of a majority investment in the holding company of Pharmacie Lafayette (Hygie31), a major player in the health and wellness sector
• Robocath, a company that designs, develops and commercializes cardiovascular robotic systems for the treatment of vascular diseases, in the establishment of China-based joint-venture company and related strategic agreement (license-in, license-out, collaboration agreement, manufacturing agreement and distribution agreement)*
• Biomunex, a French biopharmaceutical company, in its strategic agreements, including a strategic exclusive worldwide license and co-development agreement with Onward Therapeutics SA*
• Diabeloop, a company that develops innovative solutions, integrating therapeutic artificial intelligence, to automate the treatment of type 1 diabetes, in several licenses and collaborations*
• DNA Script, a Parisian manufacturer of synthetic DNA, in negotiating a patent co-ownership agreement with an academic partner*
• Sifi S.p.A., Italian leader in ophthalmology, in its acquisition of the brands Dacudoses® and Novoptine® from Gifrer*
• ArchiMed in the IP aspects of the partial sale of Polyplus Transfection, a developer of innovative and cost-effective technology used in gene and cell therapy, to global private equity firm Warburg Pincus, and of its reinvestment in Polyplus Transfection alongside Warburg Pincus*
• HRA Pharma, a French company specialized in women health, and its shareholders Astorg Partners and Goldman Sachs, in the IP aspects of its acquisition of the Compeed business from Johnson & Johnson*
• Tikehau Capital in the IP due diligence aspects of its investment in Medtrade, UK manufacturer of medical devices to support the healing of chronic wounds and stop bleeding*

Technology

• ITEN, the French specialist in Li-ion ceramic technology, in the IP aspects of its €80 million fundraising
• Devialet, a French High-end speaker manufacturer, in the IP aspects of its €50 million financing
• Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) in the IP of its investment in the €11 million Series A of Stoïk, the first cyber-insurtech in Europe
• Astorg Partners in the IP aspects of its investment in the $500 million financing of Ecovadis, the leading provider of globally trusted business sustainability ratings
• Sofinnova Partners in the IP and licensing aspects of its investments in several industrial biotech companies including Elicit Plant, a France-based AgTech company specialized in crops’ water resistance and in the development of innovative phytosterol-based solutions
• Ascendance Flight Technologies, a sustainable flight solutions provider, in the IP aspects of its financing*
• Protera, an AI-driven start-up designing and developing new proteins for the food, agriculture, environment and health industries, in the IP aspects of its Series A financing led by Sofinnova Partners*

*Denotes experience prior to joining Goodwin.

Marie is recognized for her experience by International and French preeminent, peer-reviewed publications.

• Ranked as Next Generation Partner in Intellectual Property – Patents by Legal 500 EMEA 2021
• Recommended in Intellectual Property by Best Lawyers France 2023

As a successful woman professional, Marie is committed to promoting Women leadership both inside and outside of the firm. As such, she co-leads Goodwin’s Paris Women’s Initiative Committee and has been driving women-oriented mentoring sessions, client initiatives and networking opportunities.

Speaking Engagements

• Speaker at the Cyber Week, June 2022
• Speaker at the EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum, May 2021
• Speaker at the EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum, November 2020
• Speaker at the EU Pharmaceutical Law Forum, May 2019

Publications

• [Covid-19] Où en sont les débats sur la licence d'office de brevets pour accélérer la production de vaccins ?, blog article in L’Usine Nouvelle, May 2021
• Après la Covid-19, le plan d’action de l’UE pour la propriété intellectuelle, blog article in L’Usine Nouvelle, February 2021
• Intellectual Property cause (employment) Q&A: France, contribution for Practical Law, October 2020
• L’arrêt Santen et la notion de deuxième application thérapeutique en matière de certificats complémentaires de protection (CCP) : une interprétation stricte du règlement européen, blog article in L’Usine Nouvelle, October 2020
• Covid-19, brevets et licences d'office pour les médicaments, blog article in L’Usine Nouvelle, May 2020
• Essais cliniques et déchéances de marques pharmaceutiques pour défaut d'exploitation, blog article in L’Usine Nouvelle, March 2020