Marta González: law and passion for healthcare
The newly appointed global co-head of the health sciences group and head of the health steering committee at Eversheds Sutherland Spain looks back on her career and the key learnings of her career
by julia gil
“Sport is my grounding cable”. So says Marta González, partner in Eversheds Sutherland‘s litigation and health sciences department and recently appointed global co-head of the health sciences group and head of Eversheds Sutherland Spain’s health steering committee. And that’s no cliché. She has been doing Muay Thai for a decade with one of the national coaches and technical director of the Spanish Kickboxing and Muay Thai Federation and it is not uncommon to see her on a Saturday at a boxing event. This training has undoubtedly helped her to deal with the challenges of her career: from combining her work in an office and in a company at the same time, to currently directing international teams in a sector as complex as health sciences.
A CLEAR VOCATION
This Madrid-born woman with Galician roots has made health law her specialty, becoming one of the key figures in advising companies in the pharmaceutical and health sector. “I was fortunate to combine my passion for law with my interest in healthcare, and that allowed me to find a niche where I really feel fulfilled.” And her trajectory is proof of that. Marta González worked as an in-house lawyer in the legal departments of pharmaceutical companies such as Glaxosmithkline (Spain) and Celgene International Sarl (Switzerland), in secondment. At this stage she was duplicating work, and when she finished with her responsibilities in the company, she started with the firm’s issues. For her, it was a commitment to her professional career and her desire to become a partner. “There are moments that require you to make time where you don’t have it.”
And if her adaptation to the business world was quick, her arrival in Switzerland was even quicker. Overnight, homeless and already married, she decided to move. However, this was not the only challenge. During her time at Celgene, she filled three vacancies at the same time. “These are decisions you have to make in a very fast way, but they are sacrifices you gladly make.”
Having been part of both worlds has given her a comprehensive and proactive view of the industry and what she defines as a “privileged perspective.” “From my in-house experience, I have learned the importance of finding practical and effective solutions that can be implemented quickly, considering the operational constraints and business objectives of pharmaceutical companies,” explains the partner. Unlike her work in law firms where the approach tends to be more theoretical or long-term, her experience as an in-house lawyer has enabled her to anticipate legal risks and align legal strategies with commercial objectives.
THE INTERNATIONAL LEAP Her arrival at Eversheds Sutherland was not without great stories either. “I got to know New York with a big case.”
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