2026 San Francisco Life Sciences Forum

1:00 – 1:30 pm Registration
1:30 – 4:30 pm Panel discussions
4:30 – 6:30 pm Networking Reception

• State of the Market – Key financial and market trends shaping the life sciences industry.
• Chadwick Mills – Partner, Cooley
• Innovation to Commercialization: Strategic Transactions Shaping Nextgen Biopharma – As innovation becomes increasingly global and commercialization more strategic, biopharma companies are rethinking where growth comes from and how best to access it. This panel will explore how partnering, licensing, acquisitions and cross-border transactions are shaping the next generation of biopharma growth, including the rise of China as a source of innovative therapeutic assets and the strategic choices facing early commercial-stage companies as they expand and diversify. Drawing on real-world transactions, panelists will share practical insights into how management teams and boards evaluate opportunities, deploy capital and build sustainable long-term value.
• Stephen Abreu (moderator) – Partner, Cooley
• Andrew Wong – Head of US Partnering, Chugai US
• Chieze Ibeneche-Nnewihe – Senior Director of BD and Corporate Strategy, BioMarin
• Michael Listgarten – General Counsel, ALX Oncology
• Creating Exit Optionality: Navigating Pathways to Value – In an evolving life sciences market, companies and boards are increasingly focused on preserving strategic flexibility and creating multiple pathways to value realization. This panel will examine how companies evaluate potential exit strategies across M&A, reverse mergers, public-market transactions and dual-track processes, and how market conditions, financing needs, valuation and strategic objectives influence the path ultimately pursued. Drawing on recent transaction experience, panelists will discuss how companies can build optionality, evaluate competing alternatives and navigate the execution considerations that can determine whether a transaction ultimately delivers value for shareholders.
• Jamie Leigh (moderator) – Partner, Cooley
• Ben Beerle (moderator) – Partner, Cooley
• Ben Carpenter – Senior Managing Director, Evercore
• Francis Sarena – Chief Operating Officer, 89bio
• Venture Capital Perspectives: How Investors Evaluate Life Sciences Opportunities – Life sciences investors are navigating a market defined by tighter capital, shifting public-private market dynamics, evolving exit pathways and continued scientific innovation. This panel will bring together venture capital and private equity perspectives on how investment strategies are changing, what LPs and investors are prioritizing, and how firms are evaluating opportunities across private financings, public markets, structured transactions, M&A and IPOs. Panelists will also discuss the scientific and regulatory developments shaping investment decisions and what they are watching for as the sector enters its next phase of growth.
• Denny Won (moderator) – Partner, Cooley
• Kevin Dai – Partner, Vivo Capital
• Jamie Brush – General Partner, Frazier Life Sciences
• Gorjan Hrustanovic – Partner, Biotechnology Value Fund (BVF Partners LP)

An opportunity to close the day with Cooley at a post-panel happy hour and connect with our life sciences team and peers from across the industry. For more information, please email Cooley’s life sciences events team.

At Cooley, we don’t just advise – we accelerate your achievements. Our collaborative approach draws upon unparalleled experience and our extensive industry network to drive strategic solutions and resolve challenges.

With Cooley as your catalyst, you’re not just part of the life sciences industry – you’re shaping it.

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