• 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)
        • Intellectual property
        • Information technology
        • 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
    • In focus
        • AI
        • Dealonomics
        • Disputes
        • Intellectual property
        • MENA
        • Regulation
        • Browse in focus
    • 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

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
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
Office facade reflection
Click here to find out more
Life sciences & healthcare

Advising Nuclera on its extended Series C funding to US$87 million

22 January 2026

by Ross McNaughton and Oli Denne

Glass.Mapper.Sc.Fields.Image?.Alt
Life sciences & healthcare

Word on the street at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2026: Part one

21 January 2026
In-depth analysis

by multiple authors

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

Word on the street at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference 2026: Part two

21 January 2026
In-depth analysis

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
View Ross's insights

Related news & insights

man with red umbrella
Technology, media & communications

The Critical Infrastructure Umbrella Act

30 January 2026
Briefing

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Tech Takes Monthly
Patents & innovation

The development of the UK's SEP/FRAND landscape since Unwired Planet v Huawei – part one

30 January 2026
Briefing

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
A view of space and the earth as symbol for the spaceship industry
Technology, media & communications

Spatial computing: when digital spaces become legally relevant

30 January 2026
In-depth analysis

by Dr. Benedikt Kohn, CIPP/E and Alexander Schmalenberger, LL.B.

Click here to find out more
Tech Takes Monthly
Patents & innovation

Tech Takes Monthly series

30 January 2026
Quick read
Click here to find out more
Escalator
Consumer & retail

Consumer and Retail in the News

30 January 2026
Quick read

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Close-Up Of Modern Office Facade
Corporate/M&A & capital markets

Taylor Wessing advises Multiverse Group Limited and Multiverse GmbH on the acquisition of StackFuel GmbH

29 January 2026

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Financial services regulatory

Future UK regulatory regime for crypto – another FCA consultation paper!

28 January 2026
Quick read

by multiple authors

Click here to find out more
Hand Holding Blue Paper Airplane on green background
Careers

Oli Denne recognised in The Lawyer's Hot 100 2026

28 January 2026

by Oli Denne and Shane Gleghorn

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

Advising Toho Global on its acquisition of Anime Limited

27 January 2026

by multiple authors

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

Research and innovation as a competitive advantage – Legal framework for Life Sciences made in Europe

27 January 2026
In-depth analysis

by Irina Rebin

Click here to find out more
View all insights

Related people

UK
Global
Elinor Picton

Elinor Picton

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 4961
Email me
View profile
Harry Ruffell

Harry Ruffell

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
James Goold

James Goold

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 4207
Email me
View profile
Bryce Bartlett

Bryce Bartlett

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Martin Dowdall

Martin Dowdall

Partner

London
+44 20 3077 7422
Email me
View profile
Ed Chapman

Ed Chapman

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7014
Email me
View profile
jonny bethell

Jonny Bethell

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 7141
Email me
View profile

Ben Eaves

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Dillan Madhani

Dillan Madhani

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Nell Cooper

Nell Cooper

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Full team
Nicolas De Witt

Nicolas De Witt

Partner

Paris
San Francisco
+33 1 72 74 03 42
Email me
View profile
Corvin Gutzeit

Corvin Gutzeit

Associate

Hamburg
+49 40 36803 0
Email me
View profile
Philip Shepherd

Philip Shepherd

Partner

London
+44 20 7300 4655
Email me
View profile

Jo Joyce

Partner

Dublin
+353 87 787 0901
Email me
View profile
Laura Sperling

Laura Sperling

Associate

Dubai
+971 43 09 1021
Email me
View profile
Bryce Bartlett

Bryce Bartlett

Senior Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile

Mike Vallance

Associate

London
+44 20 7300 7000
Email me
View profile
Natasha Zahid

Natasha Zahid

Partner

Dubai
+971 43 09 1023
Email me
View profile

Dr. Ralf B. Tietz, LL.M. (Chicago)

Salary Partner

Berlin
+49 30 885636 165
Email me
View profile
Giles Crown

Giles Crown

Partner

London
+44 20 3077 7201
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