FINANCE & TRANSACTIONAL FIRM ANALYSIS
Firm Briefings
Sidley Austin Competitors view Sidley Austin as a “powerful corporate firm, especially with regarded to mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.” The firm’s client list impresses, stocked with the likes of GE Healthcare, Genentech, and Takeda Pharmaceuticals. “So many of their attorneys know both the business and technical side of the industry,” marvels one practitioner about Sidley’s powerful team. Partner David Zampa took the lead in advising GE Healthcare in a joint venture with Microsoft of Caradigm to develop a new healthcare IT system. In a separate matter, west-coast based Joshua Hofheimer, who one rival believes “really stands out as one of their best in the last year,” advised bio-based products manufacturer NexSteppe in a collaboration agreement with Pioneer Hi-Bred regarding sorghum seeds as well as a biomarker research program. Another area where the firm excels is assisting companies in purchasing stock options and public offerings, where partners Deborah Marshall and Pran Jha have assisted some of Sidley’s key clients. Marshall, who one peer argues is “always one of the smartest and most cheerful attorney in the room,” represented venture capital group, Latterell Management Company in its purchase of Series 1 Prefered Stock from RyMed Technologies, Inc. Jha assisted Smith & Nephew with their purchase of all of the capital stock of Kalypto Medical and is viewed by a colleague as “an outstanding corporate lawyer.” “The entire team is outstanding and their business attorneys are just an extension of the culture the firm has implemented,” believes one client. “We knew when we went to them that they could handle any of our concerns at a moment’s notice.” Wiggin and Dana Partners Patricia Kavee Melick and James Farrington are the main reason why competitors view Wiggin and Dana as “one of the best life sciences licensing and collaboration firms in the country.” Clients share a similar sentiment stating, “Each time we worked with them they have handled our portfolios perfectly and have found the right fit for our company’s present and future.” The firm represents a lot of startup and mid-market companies in these transactions, including its representation companies like Affibody AB, a cancer treatment developer, in an agreement with Creative Antibiotics AB to use both companies’ capabilities to discover and develop anti-cancer drugs. Farrington chairs the firm’s Biotechnology and Life Sciences practice group and is viewed by a peer as “affable and a really sound attorney.” He advised Purdue Pharma in a strategic, multiyear research collaboration agreement with ElMindA, a developer of an innovative technology capable of providing drug developers with great research on the effect of therapeutic interventions on brain function. WilmerHale Clients are more than thrilled working with WilmerHale in the life sciences space. “I would trust any of my financial legal issues with WilmerHale. They are no doubt among the best in the business,” believes one client. Like other full-service life sciences firms, WilmerHale implements its industry group culture into each of its practice areas – their corporate group is no different. “There isn’t an area in the corporate sector that they don’t have the expertise,” explains one competitor. Its Boston headquarters allows the firm to excel in work with academic institutions in the area. For decades, WilmerHale has advised the Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization, a non-profit organization consisting of universities and research institutions in Boston, on agree ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????M????M??????????????????????????????????????qM????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t?????????????????????M?????e??????????
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