Menno Knaven
Attorney-at-law
Menno is an attorney-at-law at Axon, where he works on corporate, commercial and dispute resolution matters. His day-to-day work includes reviewing and negotiating spin-out license agreements and term sheets, supporting clients through financing rounds, often in the context of spin-outs, and assisting with the resolution of commercial disputes. He is committed to further developing his practice within life sciences M&A in the years ahead.
Menno studied Dutch law at the University of Groningen and Health Law at the University of Amsterdam. Before joining Axon, he worked as a paralegal at a firm specialised in healthcare and personal injury law, where his interest in the life sciences sector took root.
In his approach, Menno keeps things clear and to the point, without unnecessary legal jargon, and is not above a bit of humor where the situation allows for it. He has broad interests and brings a lot of enthusiasm to his work, advising with an objective view and a healthy dose of out-of-the-box thinking. When he’s not in the office, chances are he’s out on the water sailing, or otherwise skiing or at the gym.
Practice areas
Commercial Contracts
In life sciences, commercial relationships rarely follow a standard template. Whether you are licensing technology, partnering with a research institution, entering a distribution arrangement, or working with a contract manufacturer, the contracts that govern these relationships must account for sector-specific risks such as regulatory change, product liability, intellectual property ownership, data protection, and supply chain continuity.
Corporate, Governance and Boardroom Counselling
Running a life sciences company comes with a distinct set of corporate and governance challenges. The sector brings together scientific founders, institutional investors, and strategic partners, each with their own expectations, decision-making styles, and legal obligations. Getting governance right is not a formality: it determines how decisions are made, how conflicts are managed, and how your company is positioned for sustainable growth or a future transaction.
Due Diligence
Before entering into a transaction or a collaboration with another party, it is essential to understand what you are dealing with. In life sciences, that is rarely straightforward. The value or risk of a counterparty is often concentrated in assets and arrangements that require specialist knowledge to assess properly: a regulatory approval that may be narrower in scope than it appears on paper, an IP portfolio with unresolved ownership questions, or supply chain arrangements that carry hidden compliance risks. Identifying these issues before you commit determines whether a deal or partnership delivers what you expect.
Financing and M&A
Financing rounds and M&A transactions in life sciences are not standard corporate deals. Intellectual property, regulatory status, (pre)clinical data, and sector-specific compliance requirements all form part of the value and risk profile of any transaction in this space. Whether you are raising capital through equity rounds or (convertible) loans, or preparing for an exit through a sale of shares or assets, the legal complexity demands more than a generalist approach, and mistakes made during a transaction can be difficult and costly to correct.
Intellectual Property and Licensing
Across the life sciences, intellectual property (IP) is a critical asset. Whether you are developing a new pharmaceutical compound, a medical device, a biotech innovation, or a novel food ingredient, protecting and leveraging your IP is essential for long-term commercial success.
Litigation
Disputes in the life sciences sector arise in many forms: product liability claims, complaints, contractual breakdowns, regulatory enforcement actions, intellectual property conflicts, freedom of information procedures, or challenges to product authorisations. Whatever the nature of the dispute, effective litigation in this sector requires more than legal skill. It requires a thorough understanding of the technical and regulatory context in which the conflict arose, as that context often determines both the strength of the legal arguments and the practical outcome of a case.
Spin-out and Starter Advisory
Spin-outs and life sciences starters sit at the crossroads of company formation, intellectual property, financing, and regulatory compliance. Whether you are a researcher spinning out a venture from a university or knowledge institute, or an entrepreneur launching a life sciences startup, the early decisions you make on corporate structure, IP-ownership, funding, and team incentives will shape the trajectory of your company for years to come. Getting these foundations right from day one is a necessity.
Related publications
Axon assists medical technology companies in structuring their collaborations with hospitals and universities. We draft and negotiate cooperation agreements that protect our clients’ IP while fostering innovation.
Axon supports pharmaceutical companies in licensing their products across Europe and beyond. We draft and negotiate licence agreements tailored to each market, helping clients maximise the value of their intellectual property.
As a partner of StartLife, Axon assisted a feed company with the regulatory qualification of its technology. Our reasoned opinion serves as a key document for the company’s funding activities.