• About us
  • People
  • Expertise
    • Sectors
        • Technology, media & communications Technology, media & communications
        • Private Wealth Private wealth
        • Real estate, infrastructure & energy
        • Life sciences & healthcare icon Life sciences & healthcare
        • Aerospace & defence
        • Automotive & mobility
        • Business & professional services
        • Chemicals
        • Consumer & retail
        • Financial institutions & insurance
        • Hotels, hospitality & leisure
        • Logistics & transport
        • Manufacturing & industrials
        • Public services & education
    • Legal services
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Banking & finance
        • Brands & advertising
        • Commercial & consumer contracts
        • Competition, EU & trade
        • Copyright & media law
        • Corporate crime & compliance
        • Corporate/M&A & capital markets
        • Data & cyber
        • Disputes & investigations
        • Employment, pensions & mobility
        • Environmental, planning & regulatory
        • Environmental, social & governance (ESG)
        • Information technology
        • Multi-service
        • Patents & innovation
        • Private client
        • Private equity
        • Projects, energy & infrastructure
        • Real estate & construction
        • Regulation
        • Restructuring & insolvency
        • Tax
        • Venture capital
  • Locations
    • Europe
        • Locations
        • Austria
        • Belgium
        • Czech Republic
        • France
        • Germany
        • Hungary
        • Italy
        • Netherlands
        • Poland
        • Portugal
        • Ireland
        • Slovakia
        • Spain
        • United Kingdom
        • Ukraine
          Groups & regions
        • CEE Turkish Desk
        • French German group
        • Our offices
    • Middle East & Africa
        • Locations
        • Middle East
        • UAE
          Groups
        • Africa group
        • Israel group
        • Our offices
    • Americas
        • Locations
        • Latin America
        • USA
          Groups
        • Brazil group
        • Our offices
    • Asia
        • Locations
        • Asia
        • China
        • South Korea
          Groups
        • India group
        • Japan group
        • Our offices
  • Insights
    • Insights
        • Featured Topics
        • Artificial intelligence
        • Data Centre Expertise
        • The EU Whistleblower Directive
        • German Supply Chain Act
        • Unified Patent Court
          Content hub
        • Global Data Hub
        • Interface: tech, IP and media law
        • Podcasts
        • Synapse
        • Browse All Insights
    • Events
        • In person
        • Online
        • Browse All Events
    • News
        • Media centre
        • Work highlights
        • Firm news
        • Browse all news
  • Careers
  • EN
    • English
    • 中文(简体)
    • Français
    • Deutsch
  • Home
  • People
  • Ross McNaughton
Ross McNaughton
Ross McNaughton

Ross McNaughton

Partner

  • Cambridge UK
Contact Me Today
+44 1223 446 443
vCard
Email me Call me
Featured award

Legal 500 UK 2026

Leading partner in the venture capital, biotechnology and corporate and commercial: Cambridge categories.

Scroll to featured award

Ross is a partner in the Corporate and Life Sciences team, based in our Cambridge office.

Ross is a lead partner within the firm's Tier 1-ranked Biotechnology practice in Cambridge. His practice involves helping life sciences and technology companies as they progress through their life cycle in all aspects of their growth, capital raising and international expansion. As a sector specialist, Ross focuses on biotech, medical devices and diagnostics within Life Sciences, and with the Tech sector supports companies operating in the capital intensive deep tech space, including quantum computing, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, as well as web3.

Ross has extensive experience of a variety of venture and growth financing, public capital raisings, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate advice. Ross was based out of San Francisco, CA in 2018 – 19 and as a result, he has a particular expertise in transactions with a transatlantic component.

Expertise

Services and Groups

Corporate/M&A & capital markets
Venture capital
Artificial intelligence
M&A

Sectors

Life sciences & healthcare
Technology, media & communications
Cryptoassets, blockchain and distributed ledger technology
Machine learning

CV

Since 2020 Partner, Taylor Wessing LLP
2015 - 2020 Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, Cambridge
2010 - 2015 Partner, Paul Hastings LLP, London
2002 - 2009 Lawyer, Herbert Smith
2018 Admitted as a foreign legal consultant, state bar of California
2004 Admitted as a lawyer, England and Wales
2001 LPC and Post Graduate Degree in Law, Nottingham Law School

Career

Since 2020 Partner, Taylor Wessing LLP
2015 - 2020 Partner, Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP, Cambridge
2010 - 2015 Partner, Paul Hastings LLP, London
2002 - 2009 Lawyer, Herbert Smith

Education

2018 Admitted as a foreign legal consultant, state bar of California
2004 Admitted as a lawyer, England and Wales
2001 LPC and Post Graduate Degree in Law, Nottingham Law School

Additional languages

English

Awards

Legal 500 UK 2026

Featured

Leading partner in the venture capital, biotechnology and corporate and commercial: Cambridge categories.

Legal 500 UK 2025

Leading partner

Legal 500 UK 2025

Leading partner

Legal 500 UK 2025

Leading partner

Corporate/M&A (mid-market and private equity) - Band 3: Ross McNaughton heads up the Cambridge corporate department at Taylor Wessing and represents a variety of technology and pharmaceutical clients in complex acquisitions. He also has strong expertise in financing matters. "Ross McNaughton has strong knowledge and sector experience."

‘A strength of Taylor Wessing is the depth of knowledge and expertise across different legal areas, and we were able to access this on a particularly complex transaction under the truly excellent leadership of Ross McNaughton.’ ‘Ross McNaughton and Adrian Toutoungi are our go-to partner specialists.’

Venture capital

Corporate and commercial - Cambridge (Leading individual): "Ross McNaughton was a key negotiating ally in our dealings with both investors and potential acquirers. He was able to lead complex and difficult interactions with third parties in a pragmatic and ultimately successful manner." "Ross McNaughton performed superbly during deal negotiations. His tenacity and ability to direct a legal team is commendable."

Biotechnology

Recognised as a notable practitioner

Venture capital

Experience

Advising on Draig Therapeutics' US$140 million series A financing

We have advised a syndicate of leading global life sciences investors including Access Biotechnology, Canaan Partners and SR One on their landmark US$140 million series A investment in Draig Therapeutics.

Press release
Ross McNaughton
Elinor Picton
Oli Denne
Helen Farr
Adrian Toutoungi
Charlie Adams
Nicholas Vollers
Ed Chapman

Blue Earth Therapeutics on the closing of US$76.5 million Series A funding

We have advised Blue Earth Therapeutics and its management on the closing of US$76.5 million Series A funding. The new funding comes from a broad spectrum of experienced biotech investors and enables Blue Earth Therapeutics to further advance its clinical stage prostate-specific membrane antigen-targeted radioligand therapies.

Press release
Ross McNaughton
Bella Thornton-Clark

Healx raises $47 million in its Series C funding

Advised Healx, an AI-enabled, clinical-stage biotech company specializing in rare diseases based in Cambridge UK, on its $47 million Series C funding. The funding was co-led by Silicon Valley-based R42 Group and Atomico, one of Europe’s largest venture capital firms, with participation from new and existing investors including Balderton, Jonathan Milner, Global Brain, btov, Ayana Capital, o2h and VU Venture Partners.

Press release
Ross McNaughton
Oli Denne
Colin McCall

Advising gene therapy company AlveoGene on its complex spinout and launch investment

We have advised AlveoGene, a new UK gene therapy company on its complex spinout from the Gene Therapy Consortium of Imperial College and the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh focusing on rare respiratory diseases, as well as on its seed round investment.

Press release
Colin McCall
Ross McNaughton
Bella Thornton-Clark

Advising on transformational life sciences combinations and cross-over rounds

Ross was the lead partner on the transformational roll-up and $250 million cross-over financing of Centessa Pharmaceuticals, representing eight cutting-edge UK and European biotech companies on their participation in a newly established holding company focused on the development of innovative new treatments. Ross was also the lead partner on the combination of three New Science Ventures-backed companies under Ventyx Biosciences Inc in the context of its concurrent $114 million financing led by venBio Partners.

Ross McNaughton

Acting on venture growth rounds for leading life sciences and tech businesses

Ross constantly acts for leading growth companies and investors on their funding rounds, including recently Cambridge Epigenetix on its $88 million series D funding round led by Temasek, Envelop Risk on its $130 million round led by SoftBank, and Oxbotica on its $47 million series B investment.

Ross McNaughton

Ross's news & insights

View Ross's insights
Robotic hand
Click here to find out more
Venture capital

Advising on the PhysicsX $135 million Series B financing

1 July 2025

by Ross McNaughton and Oli Denne

Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Image?.Alt
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Advising on Draig Therapeutics' US$140 million series A financing

23 June 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Image?.Alt
Life sciences & healthcare

UK start-ups consider switching to the US for funding

23 April 2025
Quick read

by Ross McNaughton

Click here to find out more
View Ross's insights

Related news & insights

Suspension bridge vanishing point
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Advising RSM UK on its transatlantic partnership with RSM US and Canada

6 November 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Multicolored credit cards close-up
Financial services regulatory

Financial Services Matters - November 2025

6 November 2025
In-depth analysis

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Skyline view of traffic
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Advising Figment on its acquisition of Rated Labs

5 November 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Rolled newspaper pages

Getty Images v Stability AI: the trade mark ruling

5 November 2025
Briefing

by Louise Popple

Click here to find out more
Open vault door revealing computer servers
Technology, media & communications

The Cyber Resilience Act – EU-Wide Requirements for the Cybersecurity of Products

3 November 2025
In-depth analysis

by Mareike Christine Gehrmann and Carla Nelles, LL.M. (Amsterdam)

Click here to find out more
Overhead view of scientist using centrifuge machine
Life sciences & healthcare

Biotechnology as a security issue: Why dual-use control and adaptive regulation are crucial for national sustainability

3 November 2025
Quick read

by Dr. Niclas von Woedtke, MBA (Kellogg/ WHU)

Click here to find out more
crypto
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Advising Rezolve AI on its acquisition of Subsquid

3 November 2025

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more

AI disputes in action

31 October 2025
Click here to find out more
Tunnel with vanishing point and neon lights
Disputes & investigations

When intelligent systems fail: a case study in AI liability and the future of commercial disputes

31 October 2025
In-depth analysis

by Katie Chandler and Esha Marwaha

Click here to find out more
Working on tablet
Technology, media & communications

Advising Careology on its strategic alliance with Boots and Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust

31 October 2025

by Graham Hann and Kelly Burke

Click here to find out more
View all insights

Related people

UK
Global
Katie Chandler

Katie Chandler

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 4163
Email me
View profile
Charlie Barraud

Charlie Barraud

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
View profile
Victoria Hordern

Victoria Hordern

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7096
Email me
View profile

Edward Waldron

Partner

London
+44 (0)20 7300 4968
Email me
View profile
Nicholas Vollers

Nicholas Vollers

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Ed Chapman

Ed Chapman

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7014
Email me
View profile
Dillan Madhani

Dillan Madhani

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile

Alexandra Richardson

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7167
Email me
View profile
josef fuss

Josef Fuss

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 4110
Email me
View profile

Andrew Edge

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7037
Email me
View profile
Full team
Tunc Ilgin

Tunç Ilgin

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Stijn Rijpma

Stijn Rijpma

Partner

Eindhoven
+31 88 02 43 052
Email me
View profile
Lieke van Daele

Lieke van Daele

Senior Associate

Eindhoven
+31 88 02 43 054
Email me
View profile
Tillmann Pfeifer

Dr. Tillmann Pfeifer

Partner

Hamburg
+49 40 36803 0
Email me
View profile
Kai Schlender

Kai Kim (né Schlender), M.A.

Salary Partner

Shanghai
+86 21 6247 7247
Email me
View profile
François Mary

François Mary

Partner

Paris
+33 1 72 74 03 24
Email me
View profile
Mabrouki-Dalila

Dalila Mabrouki-Jacques

Partner

Paris
+33 1 72 74 03 33
Email me
View profile
Alex Korolev

Alex Korolev

Senior Associate

Eindhoven
+31 88 02 43 058
Email me
View profile
Alisa Mathes

Alisa Mathes-Salathe

Senior Associate

Frankfurt
+49 69 97130 0
Email me
View profile
eric sebastian velten

Eric-Sebastian Velten, LL.M.

Associate

Munich
+49 170 23 74 281
Email me
View profile
Full team

Meet me at

There are no upcoming events

See all events
Subscribe to our latest insights
  • About us
  • Campaigns and online tools
  • News
  • People
  • Expertise
  • Locations
  • Insights
  • Events
  • Media centre
  • Contact
  • Careers
  • Alumni
  • Data protection & privacy policy
  • Cookie policy
  • Legal and regulatory information
  • Regulatory information on costs
  • Complaints procedure for clients
  • Terms of use
  • Anti-slavery statement
  • Environmental
  • Scam emails

© Taylor Wessing