Michael Pitzner

Group General Counsel, Executive Vice President Legal and Business Development at Molecular Partners

Basel, Basel, Switzerland

About

Accomplished Legal Executive with significant achievements and hands-on international experience in advising both rapidly growing biotech Companies and big pharma both as external and in-house counsel. Fluent in English, French and knowledge of German. Expertise includes: • Strategic Transactions and M&A • Corporate Governance and Compliance • Regulatory Strategy and Market Access • Commercialization and Product Advertising • Competitive Strategy and Litigation • Regulatory Compliance and Data Privacy • Clinical Research and Product Development • Employment and Labour Law

Experience

  • Molecular Partners (Full-time · 3 yrs 9 mos)
    • Group General Counsel, EVP Legal & Partnering
      Apr 2026 - Present · 4 mos

    • Group General Counsel, SVP
      Nov 2022 - May 2026 · 3 yrs 7 mos

  • Novartis (5 yrs 8 mos)
    • Head Legal Biologics, Cell & Gene and CMO (Global NTO)
      May 2020 - Nov 2022 · 2 yrs 7 mos

      Responsible for building, managing and developing the global/cross regional NTO Biologics, Cell & Gene and CMO Legal Team - providing end-to-end legal support to all three platforms.

    • (a.i.) Head Legal Transactions NTO
      May 2020 - Jul 2021 · 1 yr 3 mos

      Leading the NTO Transaction team in addition to my role as Head Legal Biologics, Cell & Gene

    • Senior Legal Counsel NTO Transactions
      Apr 2017 - May 2020 · 3 yrs 2 mos

      Member of the Global Novartis TechOps (NTO) Legal and Compliance (L&C) Leadership Team, acting as lead lawyer for NTO in global transactions / projects in the area of Footprint (expansion, closing, divesting of sites / outsourcing of manufacturing), M&A and BD&L (acquistion, divestment, in- or out-licensing). Supporting the NTO GC in strategic projects and actively contributing to the design and execution of the L&C function’s strategy.

  • Evolva SA (Basel Area, Switzerland)
    • SVP, Head of Legal Affairs and HR, Company Secretary
      Oct 2016 - Apr 2017 · 7 mos

      Responsible for all legal and compliance matters and the global HR team within the Evolva Group listed on Swiss SIX.

    • VP, Head of Legal Affairs, Company Secretary
      Mar 2015 - Oct 2016 · 1 yr 8 mos

      Responsible for all legal and compliance matters within the Evolva group listed on Swiss SIX

  • Kromann Reumert (12 yrs 8 mos)
    • Partner, LLM
      Jan 2013 - Mar 2015 · 2 yrs 3 mos

      Co-head of Kromann Reumert's Life Science Group. Working with the development and commercialisation of intellectual property rights, including licence agreements, and pharmaceutical law and food law. Clients include large international companies as well as small and medium-sized businesses. I advise on research cooperation, strategic collaborations and the commercialisation of intellectual property rights, and pharmaceutical law, focusing particularly on the regulatory frameworks within the biotech/pharmaceutical and medical technology industries. Extensive experience in advising on licensing and research and development collaborations with international dimensions, and acting as in-house counsel for a long list of life science companies – particularly in relation to regulatory matters.

    • Attorney-at-law
      Aug 2002 - Dec 2012 · 10 yrs 5 mos