Insider Media Limited

Ed Wright has taken over as head of the life sciences team at Nottingham law firm Berryman, which recently merged with Birmingham’s Shakespeare Putsman.

Wright, who originally joined Berryman in 2004, will head the firm’s enlarged dedicated life sciences team, based in Nottingham.

The life sciences team comprises seven people in Nottingham, and two of the firm’s partners in Birmingham.

Wright said: “Berryman remains the front-runner for dedicated legal expertise for the life science and healthcare sector in Nottingham and the wider Midlands region. The firm is a long-time supporter of Nottingham’s growing life sciences sector, having been a corporate partner of both Medilink – the sectors’ specialist support organisation – and Nottingham’s BioCity for several years.”

According to Wright, the healthcare and life science sectors are playing an increasingly important role in the region’s economy: “Across the East Midlands alone, there are around 250 medical technology companies, employing approximately 19,000 people. The pharma and biotechnology sectors consist of around 150 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies employing in the region of 12,000. There are a further 6,000 healthcare and bioscience researchers in academia.

“In so many ways, these emerging and innovative sectors are what marks the region apart from others; life sciences contributes some 6.9 per cent regional gross value added to the economy. Berryman has carved a justifiably strong reputation as the leading adviser to these businesses and sectors, and this is a position we intend to retain and build upon.”