Ropes & Gray hires top life sciences lawyer

Ropes & Gray has announced that it has welcomed Alison Dennis as a partner in its London office, amplifying its life sciences regulatory practice. With over 30 years of experience, Alison is noted for her exceptional prowess in navigating both regulatory and transactional matters, becoming one of the few practitioners proficient in both areas. Her impeccable track record includes consistently persuading regulators and notified bodies to reverse decisions against her clients.

Alison’s expertise encompasses advising pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers throughout the UK and EU. She engages directly with competent authorities and industry bodies, ensuring compliance while also providing crucial regulatory insights for corporate transactions, including due diligence, IP licensing, and adherence to anti-bribery laws.

Ropes & Gray aims to enhance its European life sciences practice significantly, which provides comprehensive guidance to companies at every life cycle stage, from clinical development to market access and post-market compliance. Alison will work closely with Lincoln Tsang, the head of the European life sciences practice, thereby giving clients access to two Band 1-ranked regulatory practitioners in London. Together, they enhance the firm's capacity to deliver both scientific and policy expertise alongside regulatory and transactional management.

The global life sciences regulatory and compliance team at Ropes & Gray boasts extensive experience, including professionals with former positions at the FDA and senior in-house roles. This team works collaboratively with corporate, intellectual property, antitrust, and litigation teams to offer integrated support across various life sciences transactions and enforcement actions, adapting to the evolving landscape of regulatory challenges.

Alison’s onboarding arrives at a pivotal time when life sciences companies encounter significant regulatory changes in the UK and EU, compounded by recent reform in EU pharmaceutical legislation and the implications of the UK's post-Brexit landscape. Alison Dennis is celebrated for her expertise, with Greg Levine, head of the life sciences regulatory and compliance practice group, stating, “Alison is one of the most respected regulatory voices in European life sciences, and her instinct for where the science, the regulator and the deal meet is exactly what our clients in this market rely on.”

Ranking as Band 1 for Life Sciences (Regulatory) by Chambers UK 2026, Alison is recognised for her "exceptional understanding of regulatory impacts on the UK industry" and her talent for "finding solutions and mitigating risk." Furthermore, she is distinguished as one of only ten lawyers acknowledged as a "Global Elite Thought Leader in Regulatory Life Sciences" by Who's Who Legal in Europe.

Expressing her excitement about joining Ropes & Gray, Alison stated, “What drew me to Ropes & Gray is its combination of an incredible global platform and a genuinely collaborative culture, with outstanding colleagues in life sciences, M&A and across the firm to whom I can turn on any client issue. This team is the undisputed life sciences powerhouse, in London and around the world. I’m excited to join."

Alison is qualified in both England and Wales and the Republic of Ireland. She previously served as partner and international co-head of her former firm's life sciences and health care team. Her arrival marks a continued trend of senior additions to Ropes & Gray’s European practice, reinforcing the firm’s commitment to expanding its life sciences capabilities in major markets such as London, Milan, and Paris.