John Lavoie

Cooley advised Thayer Ventures Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company affiliated with Thayer Ventures, on its completed business combination with innovative luxury travel subscription brand Inspirato. Lawyers Daniel Peale, John McKenna, Milson Yu, Michelle Peleg, Shawn Fateh, Jonathan Camello, Brian Kloeblen and Angel Nwachukwu led the Cooley team advising Thayer Ventures.

Cooley advised Asymchem, a Chinese-based contract development and manufacturing company serving the global pharmaceutical and biotech industry, on its definitive agreement to acquire Snapdragon Chemistry, a US-based chemical technology company. Partner Yiming Liu led the Cooley team.

As a result of the transaction, Asymchem will significantly expand its footprint in the US, offering customers a seamless path from preclinical process R&D through commercial current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) production. Snapdragon will operate as a stand-alone Asymchem division, and continue with its ongoing lab and manufacturing facility expansion for additional capacity to support larger, pilot-scale manufacturing in Waltham, Massachusetts.

"We believe continuous flow manufacturing is a revolutionary technology and represents the future of pharmaceutical production, not only generating advantages to process safety and cost, but also bringing tremendous environmental benefits," Hao Hong, chairman and CEO of Asymchem, said in a news release. "Asymchem has been deeply committed to flow chemistry technology development and its application expansion in the pharmaceutical industry for more than a decade. We are excited that this strategic acquisition will further strengthen our capabilities in continuous manufacturing, as well as broadening our service scope and client pool."

Cooley assisted PN Hoffman in acquiring and starting construction of "The Wharf" in Southwest DC. PN Hoffman is known for developing upscale condominium residences and mixed-use properties in the Washington, DC area.

The Wharf is a $2 billion, world-class, mixed-use waterfront development located on the historic Washington Channel. The $800 million first phase is scheduled to include 200,000 square feet of retail, 435,000 square feet of office, 140,000 square feet of cultural and performing arts space, a 680 key hotel, 240 condominiums and 648 apartment units. When complete The Wharf will feature approximately 3 million square feet of new residential, office, hotel, retail, cultural and public uses including waterfront parks, promenades, piers and docks.

Cooley real estate was able to position The Wharf as a key to accomplishing the major goal of reconnecting the city to its waterfront, providing DC residents with a world-class public destination. The project is promised to turn the area into a regional draw and economic hub with strong retail and restaurant markets. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is calling the Wharf "a truly transformative development that will help reconnect the waterfront to the rest of the District."

PN Hoffman & Associates, is one of Washington's premier developers of urban residential and mixed-use neighborhood transformation projects. Since its formation in 1993, PNH has successfully completed 35+ projects, including the first nationally recognized LEED-certified residential high rise in Washington.

Shanghai – Cooley advised Johnson Controls on the formation of a global automotive interiors joint venture with Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems.

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader, creating quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles.

Yanfeng Automotive Trim Systems is a wholly owned subsidiary of Huayu Automotive Systems, the component group of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., which is China's largest state-owned automaker.

The joint venture, which has not yet been named, will form the largest automotive interiors company in the world with revenues reaching approximately $7.5 billion. Yanfeng will hold a 70 percent share in the joint venture and Johnson Controls will hold a 30 percent share. The company will be headquartered in Shanghai with global engineering, development and customer centers in the United States, Europe, China, Japan and India. It will have more than 90 plants located across China, Europe and North America.

The joint venture will be incorporated in the new Shanghai Free Trade Zone and will be the largest manufacturing enterprise to be established in the zone. The venture also signifies a major step by Huayu Automotive Systems, Yanfeng's parent, as part of its globalization strategy in the context of a new round in China's restructuring of its state-owned business.