NEWS
Paul Hastings Continues Strategic Expansion of Premier Life Sciences Platform With Addition of Corporate Partner in New York
February 18, 2026
NEW YORK — In a move that expands the firm’s growing life sciences practice on the East Coast and further strengthens its broader transactional capabilities, Paul Hastings’ announced today the addition of Alan Tamarelli as a partner and the chair of Life Sciences Transactions in New York.
The third partner to join the firm’s premier Life Sciences platform this year, Tamarelli brings deep experience — both in private practice and in-house — leading and advising on technology-driven strategic transactions for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device and other life sciences companies. He joins from Cooley and previously practiced at Latham & Watkins. He also worked for more than a decade as in-house counsel at Merck & Co., focusing on strategic transactions and, in an earlier role at the company, resolving significant litigation and regulatory matters.
“In an ever-more vigilant life sciences environment and with increasing demand for credible integrated life sciences expertise, the growth of our life sciences-specific transactional practices is a strategic priority for our firm,“ said Paul Hastings Chair Frank Lopez. “Alan’s extensive biopharma industry experience and relationships provide us with an excellent opportunity to establish a top-notch life sciences partnering transactional practice and, in conjunction with the rest of our life sciences team, broaden the strategic advice, day-to-day counsel and litigation defense that clients in the sector require.”
Tamarelli advises clients on research collaborations and development agreements, intellectual property and technology licensing agreements, and commercial collaborations, such as joint ventures, profit-sharing arrangements and co-promotion agreements. He also regularly represents companies in connection with M&A transactions; manufacturing, distribution, supply and quality agreements; and clinical trial agreements. Legal 500 US has recognized him as a top adviser for both Technology Transactions and Commercial Deals & Contracts.
Some examples of Tamarelli's recent client representations include advising Hengrui Pharma on its up to $12.5 billion agreement with GSK, as well as Hengrui Pharma's recent deals with Braveheart Bio and Merck & Co.; advising Sirius Therapeutics on its collaboration and licensing deal with CRISPR Therapeutics; advising Metsera (now acquired by Pfizer) on its in-licensing and acquisition of its core technology from academia; advising Dyno Therapeutics on its research collaboration with Roche; advising Keros Therapeutics on its licensing transaction with Takeda; and advising AviadoBio on its option and licensing deal with Astellas.
“The breadth and depth of Paul Hastings’ global life sciences offerings are truly impressive, as is the cross-practice team’s ability to collaborate with and advise clients on their most significant and complex matters,” said Tamarelli. “I look forward to contributing to the firm’s extraordinary upward momentum that benefits clients in this dynamic sector.”
Paul Hastings’ full-service, destination life sciences platform supports clients at every stage of growth and each phase of the product lifecycle. The broad range of premier talent recently joining the team includes Lynn Mehler and Phil Katz (regulatory), Eric Schiele (M&A), Seo Salimi (equity capital markets), Sarah Gagan (technology transactions), James Huie (ECVC) and Joshua Soven (antitrust).
About Paul Hastings
With widely recognized elite teams across 17 core practices, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm with a culture of excellence focused on providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers and corporations.