Megan McMellon
Image of Megan McMellon

Megan McMellon

Senior Associate

Email

megan.mcmellon@aoshearman.com

Phone

+44 20 3088 1114

Offices

London

V-CARD
Megan helps clients navigate global transactions involving IP development and exploitation, as well as complex supply chains and other commercial arrangements. Megan is Co- Lead Associate for the Consumer & Retail sector and has a particular focus on the Life Sciences and Consumer & Retail sectors.

Megan advises on strategic collaboration and licensing transactions, as well as the IP/commercial aspects of M&A transactions. Her broad experience covers all stages of the product life cycle, including early-stage research, technology transfer, manufacturing and supply, distribution, sponsorship and other commericalisation activities.
 
Megan is valued by her clients for her genuine interest in their strategic aims and her understanding of the commercial practicalities behind the transactions she advises on. She has a global perspective, having worked in the firm's London, New York and Hong Kong offices.
 
Megan has been ranked by Legal500 as a leading associate for life sciences and healthcare since 2024, and by IP STARS as a rising star since 2025. She also received the IP Rising Star award at the LMG Life Sciences Awards in 2025.

Expertise

Experience

Representative matters

  • GlaxoSmithKline on its COVID/Flu mRNA vaccine settlement and licensing arrangements with BioNTech, CureVac and Pfizer, and its research collaboration with the University of Oxford focused on the potential of cancer prevention through vaccination.
  • Shionogi on its hearing loss collaboration with Cilcare, its sleep joint venture with Apnimed, its antifungal collaboration with F2G and its licence agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool for Shionogi’s COVID-19 antiviral candidate.
  • Exscientia on its AI drug discovery collaborations with Merck, Sanofi, Bristol Myers Squibb and GT Apeiron, and the IP, IT and data privacy aspects of its combination with US based technology-enabled biotech company Recursion.
  • Grünenthal on its acquisition of Crestor in Europe from AstraZeneca.
  • Haleon on its sale of ChapStick to Suave Brands, and its acquisition of Alligator Dental.
  • Wittington Investments on its sale of the Selfridges Group to Central Group and Signa Holding.
  • Associated British Foods on the IP/IT aspects of its acquisition of Hovis Group.
  • L'Oréal Groupe on the IP/IT aspects of its acquisition of a majority stake in Medik8.
  • Majestic Wine (now Naked Wines) on its sale of its retail and commercial business to Fortress Investment Group.
  • Exponent on its acquisition of International Flavor & Fragrances’s Flavor Speciality Ingredients' division (now known as Natara).
  • WarnerBros. Discovery on the strategic acquisition of a c.34% stake in OSN Streaming Limited.
  • MBDA on its landmark £1.9 billion air defence export agreement with the Polish government, and its £4 billion+ UK-Poland air defence deal strengthening European security – the largest-ever commercial agreement between the UK and Poland.

Pro bono

  • Advising Refuge on commercial agreements with various corporate partners (2025-present)
  • Hospital Liaison Volunteer for SANDS, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity (2024 – present).
  • Advising AfME on various collaboration and IP agreements (2024-present).
  • Volunteer Vaccinator for COVID-19 with St John Ambulance (2021-2022)
  • Advising Safe Passage UK and Refugee Legal Support on the IP aspects of the Afghan Pro Bono Initiative (2022)
  • Advising the Brazzaville Foundation on its Lome initiative, which is an international agreement to combat the trafficking of substandard and falsified medicines in Africa (2020-2021)
  • Key member of the A&O team preparing Allen & Overy's 2019 report regarding "The Recognition and Treatment of Relationships under Hong Kong Law", commissioned by Hong Kong's Equal Opportunities Commission (2018-2019)
  • Advising at Battersea Legal Advice Clinic (2017-2019)
     

Published Work

  • Jim Ford, Alex Shandro and Megan McMellon (2022) “Why AI drug discovery deals are different from traditional pharma collaborations”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2022) “COVID-19 – the distinction between vaccines and vaccination”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2021) “‘Borderline’ medical devices”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2021) “Life Sciences Vision – the future of the UK Life Sciences sector”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2021) “Covid-19 – the UK’s vaccination programme so far”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon, Zara Sproul, Jacqueline Bore, Rafi Allos, Melissa Duquemin and Eda Zhuleku (2020) “Covid-19 and the Life Sciences Sector”, Practical Law
  • Megan McMellon (2020) “Covid-19 – the UK’s preparation for a vaccine”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2020) “Covid-19 – regulatory flexibility and the importance of collaboration in the UK”, A&O Life Sciences Hub
  • Megan McMellon (2019) “Tech collaborations – harnessing potential whilst balancing risk”, A&O Life Sciences Hub

Speaking Engagements

  • “Life sciences transaction trends”, European Pharma Law Academy, September 2024 and September 2025
  • “IP issues in JVs and collaborations”, IP Law Summer School, August 2024
  • “Strategic alliances and collaborations in the pharmaceutical sector”, European Pharma Law Academy, September 2022 and September 2023
  • “Intellectual Property in AI”, Boston Bar Association IP Year in Review, March 2023
     
     

Recognition

“I would recommend Zara Sproul and Megan McMellon for their exceptional client awareness, service and collaboration, making the business of [a specific matter] possible with great teamwork between in-house and external counsel.”
Chambers UK 2025
“Megan McMellon and Jim Ford, in particular, are very collaborative and easy to work with, as well as hard-working and smart.”
Legal 500 UK 2026

Awards

  • Rising Star, IP STARS, October 2025
  • IP Rising Star, LMG Life Sciences Awards, June 2025
  • Leading associate for life sciences and healthcare, Legal500, October 2024 and October 2025

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as a Solicitor (England and Wales), 2019

Academic

BA (Hons) Law and Business Studies (Qualifying Degree), First Class, University of Warwick, 2016

Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Practice, Distinction, BPP University, 2017;

Certificate in IP Transactions: Law and Practice, Distinction, University College London, 2020

European Pharma Law Academy, 2022

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.