In September 2025 Goodwin LLP garnered top honors at the LMG Life Sciences Americas Awards in New York City, winning Corporate Firm of the Year, Impact Deal of the Year in Capital Markets & Venture Capital, and seeing Gabriela Morales‑Rivera named Corporate Attorney of the Year. These awards reflect both the breadth and depth of Goodwin’s life sciences practice and highlight Morales‑Rivera’s particularly distinguished contributions.
Morales‑Rivera, a partner in Goodwin’s Life Sciences group, has built a practice advising both private and public companies in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Her work spans startup formation, venture financing, initial public offerings, strategic investment transactions, and other complex corporate deals. Among her recent key deals is Goodwin’s representation of Bicara Therapeutics in its $362 million upsized IPO, work which was part of the project that earned “Impact Deal of the Year.” Her clients include companies at all stages of growth, and she is known for structuring transactions that navigate regulatory risk, satisfy investor expectations, and support scientific innovation in equal measure. Her deals are notable not just for their size but for their sophistication.
Goodwin’s Life Sciences practice more broadly supports over 2,500 public and private companies in sectors ranging from early‐stage research to commercial products. The firm has offices in innovation hubs across the U.S., Europe, and Asia, allowing it to serve clients globally with teams deeply versed in regulation, capital markets, and life sciences science. The LMG recognition for firm and individual underscores the premium now placed on legal partners who bring a trifecta of scientific literacy, regulatory expertise, and financial acumen.
Morales‑Rivera’s recognition comes at a time when the life sciences sector is evolving quickly. Biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies are facing greater regulatory scrutiny, increasing capital costs, and a more complex investor landscape. At the same time, the demand for innovation in therapeutics, diagnostics, and medical devices is growing—pushing attorneys to do more than draft contracts. Lawyers must anticipate regulatory hurdles, IP issues, data privacy, clinical trial concerns, and global market access. Morales‑Rivera’s work exemplifies how attorneys who understand both science and law are becoming essential to success in life sciences.
For younger attorneys and law firms, the signal from this year’s LMG Life Sciences Awards is clear: interdisciplinary fluency is no longer optional. Lawyers who can bridge legal, scientific, regulatory, and commercial domains are increasingly likely to lead in life sciences law. Goodwin’s impressive win as Corporate Firm of the Year shows that these capabilities across teams—not just individuals—are highly valued in the industry.
Although the LMG Awards are one among several in the legal world, they draw from both lawyer interviews and client feedback, making them a meaningful barometer of who is making impact in the life sciences legal space. For Goodwin and Morales‑Rivera, the awards add to a growing reputation not just for winning big deals, but for structuring them in ways that support innovation while managing legal and regulatory complexity.
Looking ahead, the life sciences sector will continue to demand legal counsel that can anticipate change—whether in regulations, market expectations or scientific discovery—and structure deals that are resilient. With this recognition, Gabriela Morales‑Rivera joins a group of practitioners now seen as setting the standard: lawyers who can combine legal precision, scientific understanding, and financial insight to enable breakthroughs in medicine and biotech.
