Novartis is set to review its advisers in the US and Europe following the completion of its $40bn (£25bn) takeover of Alcon earlier this year.

The review will be led by incoming general counsel Felix Ehrat, who is joining the pharma giant next month from Swiss law firm Baer & Karrer, where he was senior partner.

Outgoing GC Thomas Werlen said there would be a particular emphasis on integrating Alcon's preferred law firms in the intellectual property (IP) space to service its patent portfolio.

Novartis, which has an annual global legal spend of around $500m (£312m), operates a panel which is reviewed annually. It currently features Allen & Overy (A&O), Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters, as well as US firms Morrison & Foerster and White & Case.

Alcon, meanwhile, instructs firms including Cravath Swaine & Moore and Sullivan & Cromwell. It also retains several Swiss law firms due to its status as a Swiss corporation.

The merger of the two companies was completed in January this year, with Baer and A&O advising Novartis and Cravath representing Alcon parent company Nestle.

Novartis, one of the world's largest drugs companies, employs around 250 lawyers worldwide. Werlen has been group GC for Novartis since 2006 when he joined from A&O's City partnership.

Werlen commented: "We completed our yearly panel review earlier this year and have not made any substantial changes… Now we are looking at streamlining our outside counsel with the advent of Alcon, particularly in IP."

One senior relationship partner commented: "Although Novartis will need to add firms with specialist knowledge of the eye health sector, I doubt this review will make significant changes to the company's well-established corporate advisers."

The review will not cover Novartis' jurisdictional panels, which include Brazil, Mexico, Japan, India and China.

Click here for an interview with outgoing Novartis GC Thomas Werlen.

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