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The pharmaceutical industry in 2026 moves faster than ever. For startups and emerging companies, a single misstep in intellectual property protection, a poorly drafted clinical trial agreement, or a regulatory blind spot can stall development and repel investors.
At Crowley Law LLC, we provide premier pharmaceutical legal services tailored to the drug development lifecycle. Whether you are an academic founder spinning out a novel small molecule or a mature entity negotiating an M&A exit, you need a dedicated pharma lawyer who anticipates risks. Our proactive, founder-first approach ensures your corporate structure, IP portfolio, and regulatory strategy are perfectly aligned from Day One.
Our counsel draws on over 45 years of experience, including tenure as Corporate Counsel at Johnson & Johnson, giving you the rare advantage of legal strategy shaped by real operational and commercial pharma experience.
We work with founders at every stage of development: from pre-seed corporate formation and university spin-outs, through clinical-stage licensing and CDMO negotiations, to late-stage M&A and exit planning. Whatever your milestone, we help you move forward with confidence.
We understand the science, the milestones, and what is at stake.
We help pharmaceutical founders and biotech innovators avoid costly missteps as they navigate the complex journey from molecule to market.
Our targeted legal strategies are custom-built for the core drivers of the pharma ecosystem. From early-stage founders navigating their first patent filing to established entities preparing for a strategic exit, we bring decades of frontline pharmaceutical experience to every engagement.
Whether you are protecting a breakthrough compound, structuring a university spin-out, or scaling a CRO operation, we deliver precise, founder-focused counsel designed to protect your science and accelerate your growth.
The table below outlines the key client profiles we serve and the specific value we bring to each.
Key Area
Why It Matters
Small Molecule & Biologics Startups
Guiding corporate formation, initial patent strategy, and securing Series A financing.
Orphan Drug Developers
Providing targeted orphan drug legal strategy to maximize FDA incentives and market exclusivity.
CROs & CDMOs
Structuring MSAs and ensuring rigorous data privacy, quality compliance, and indemnification.
University
Spin-Outs
Negotiating tech transfer agreements and protecting the academic founder’s equity.
AI-Pharma Ventures
Navigating the novel IP challenges of AI-generated molecules and data licensing.
Navigating the complex journey from molecule to market requires a strategic, industry-tested partner. We protect your innovations, secure your IP, and guide your venture through FDA compliance, clinical trials, and commercialization.
Trusted by Biotech & Pharma Innovators Nationwide | Over 45 Years of Experience | Led by Phil Crowley, Former Corporate Counsel at Johnson & Johnson
Founding and growing a pharmaceutical company involves unique challenges, from protecting critical innovations to navigating regulatory requirements and building strategic partnerships.
Our pharmaceutical startup attorneys act as proactive partners, helping you anticipate risks early, safeguard your intellectual property, and accelerate your path to growth.
We help you:
Our representative matters highlight the depth of experience and proven results we bring to pharmaceutical and life sciences clients. Over the years, our team has successfully guided biotech, medtech, and diagnostics companies through high-value transactions, strategic negotiations, and complex licensing agreements.
Universities, research institutions, CROs, and CDMOs play a pivotal role in translating pharmaceutical discoveries from the lab to the market. Clear, well-structured agreements are essential to foster collaboration, protect intellectual property, and align incentives between institutions, researchers, sponsors, and commercial partners.
We support these organizations with:
Tech transfer support – Option agreements, exclusive and non-exclusive licenses
Sponsored research and MTAs – Clear IP ownership, publications, and diligence requirements
CRO/CDMO contracting – Master Services Agreements, quality agreements, and risk allocation
Conflict management – Consulting, equity, and founder roles aligned with institutional and federal policies
The decisions you make today dictate the value of your pharmaceutical asset.
Partner with the team that understands the science and the regulations.
Before formalizing corporate structures or engaging with university Tech Transfer Offices. Early IP or equity missteps are costly to fix.
It’s a pathway that relies partly on existing data from approved drugs, reducing trial costs, but requires careful navigation of existing patents to avoid infringement
To negotiate standard templates that favor the manufacturer. We protect your IP, ensure rigid cGMP compliance, and secure supply quotas.
Yes, provided a human inventor can demonstrate a genuine conception of the claimed invention. Under the USPTO‘s November 2025 revised guidance, AI systems are treated as tools, similar to laboratory equipment, and do not affect human inventorship status. Documentation of the human decision-making process remains best practice.
Royalty stacking, overly broad publication rights that destroy patentability, and strict development milestones.
Testimonials
As someone that both teaches, invests in, and builds startups, trust me when I say...
Real Voices, Real Results “I’ve been working with Phil for a very long time; it’s...
A Gateway to U.S. Growth Eisner Advisory Group “As a partner of the Eisner Advisory...
Words on a Reciprocal Relationship “As attorneys, our reputation is one of our primary assets,...
Phil brings decades of big company executive experience combined with an entrepreneurial ability to think...
Phil responded to me quickly, identifying a variety of risk scenarios to consider and he...
“Phil has been of tremendous legal help to the progress of our early-stage biotech start-up....
Phil Crowley has been extremely helpful in providing quick and thoughtful counsel regarding our business...
Phil has been a trusted advisor to our company as we have expanded into the...
Phil has been a great partner in my consulting business. He is responsive and practical...
Phil helped me assess and modify a complex Master Services Agreement from a client. I...
“We are one of the leading accelerators of tech companies in NYC. Phil has helped...
“Calder Biosciences is exploring a new era in vaccines by developing a 3D shape-stabilizing technology...
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