Elaine Johnston

Gyroscope

In a demanding and highly regulated sector that faces ever-acuter funding, research, development and distribution challenges in the face of the pandemic and Brexit, life sciences companies need lawyers with cool heads and acute insight. One of those lawyers is Elaine Johnston, who came to wider attention in 2019 when she helped steer FTSE 250 company BTG through its $4.2bn (£3.1bn) acquisition by medtech giant Boston Scientific as part of the latter’s strategy to become a category leader in interventional oncology tools and products.

Described by an admirer as “modest and understated but a brilliant in-house lawyer” who inspires trust in the boardroom, Johnston worked tirelessly on the post-deal integration, leaving BTG in March 2020.

After a few months’ deserved rest, Johnston is now back in the saddle as GC of Gyroscope, a clinical-stage gene therapy company established in 2016 which targets new treatments and medical devices for unmet patient need. Johnston will be invaluable in supporting Gyroscope’s growth and 2021 will see her build a strong legal team to support growth ambitions in this most exciting of sectors.