Experience

Kyverna Therapeutics Closes $85 Million Series B

January 28, 2022

Cooley advised Kyverna Therapeutics on its $85 million Series B financing. Partners Laura Berezin and Sara Semnani led the Cooley team advising Kyverna, a developer of new cell-based therapeutics designed to offer treatments and cures for serious autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.

Related contacts

Laura Berezin
Partner, Palo Alto
Sara Semnani
Partner, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Han Wang
Associate, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Amy Saldamando
Paralegal Specialist, Los Angeles Santa Monica

Five Prime Therapeutics Agrees to Sell to Amgen for $1.9 Billion

April 27, 2021

Cooley advised Five Prime Therapeutics, a publicly traded clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing immune modulators and precision therapies for solid tumor cancers, on its agreement to sell to Amgen in an all-cash transaction with an equity value of approximately $1.9 billion. Partners Jamie Leigh, Ian Nussbaum and Laura Berezin led the Cooley team advising Five Prime.

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Related contacts

Jamie Leigh
Partner, San Francisco
Laura Berezin
Partner, Palo Alto
Jaime L. Chase
Partner, Washington DC
Polina A. Demina
Associate, New York
Wendy Brenner
Partner, Palo Alto
Natasha Leskovsek
Of Counsel, Washington DC
Howard Morse
Partner, Washington DC
David Burns
Special Counsel, Washington DC
Amanda Pacheco
Associate, Palo Alto
Barbara Mirza
Partner, Los Angeles Santa Monica

Ovid - $75 Million IPO

December 1, 2020

Cooley advised Ovid on its $75 million initial public offering of 5,000,000 shares of common stock. Ovid, which now trades on The NASDAQ Global Select Market as “OVID,” is a biopharmaceutical company focused exclusively on developing impactful medicines for patients and families living with rare neurological disorders.

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Related contacts

Laura Berezin
Partner, Palo Alto
Div Gupta
Partner, New York
Jaime L. Chase
Partner, Washington DC
Sara Semnani
Partner, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Jeramie Perez
Senior Paralegal, Palo Alto
Jason Minio
Senior Paralegal, Boston
Natasha Leskovsek
Of Counsel, Washington DC
Phil Mitchell
Partner, New York
Ivor Elrifi
Partner, New York
Heidi A. Erlacher
Partner in Charge – Boston, Boston
David Walsh
Partner, Reston
Mary Maher Lewis
Special Counsel, Reston
Francis Wheeler
Partner, Colorado

ALX Oncology – $186 Million IPO

July 22, 2020

Cooley advised underwriters on ALX Oncology’s $185.7 million initial public offering of 9,775,000 shares of common stock, including full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. Jefferies, Credit Suisse, Piper Sandler and Cantor acted as joint book-running managers and LifeSci Capital acted as lead manager for the offering. ALX Oncology’s securities now trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “ALXO.” Partners Dave Peinsipp, Kristin VanderPas, and Laura Berezin led the Cooley team.

Related contacts

David Peinsipp
Partner, San Francisco
Kristin VanderPas
Partner, San Francisco
Laura Berezin
Partner, Palo Alto
Denny Won
Partner, San Francisco
Alexander Davis
Associate, San Diego
Madhuri Roy
Partner, Palo Alto

Vir Biotechnology - $143 Million IPO

October 17, 2019

Cooley advised Vir Biotechnology on its $142.9 million initial public offering of 7,142,858 shares of common stock. Vir Biotechnology, whose securities now trade on Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "VIR", is a clinical-stage immunology company focused on combining immunologic insights with cutting-edge technologies to treat and prevent serious infectious diseases. Partners Laura Berezin, Charlie Kim and Kristin VanderPas led the Cooley team.

Related contacts

Laura Berezin
Partner, Palo Alto
Charlie Kim
Partner, San Diego
Kristin VanderPas
Partner, San Francisco
Sara Semnani
Partner, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Carlos Ramirez
Partner, San Diego
Alexa M. Smith (Ekman)
Associate, San Diego
Chen Chen
Associate, Palo Alto
Alexander Davis
Associate, San Diego
Mary C. Wilbourn
Associate, Palo Alto
Sarah Choi
Associate, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Karen Tsai
Special Counsel, Washington DC
Mary Maher Lewis
Special Counsel, Reston
Alexander Lee
Partner, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Francis Wheeler
Partner, Colorado
Ivor Elrifi
Partner, New York
Natasha Leskovsek
Of Counsel, Washington DC
Rick Jantz
Associate, Los Angeles Santa Monica
Mark Windfeld-Hansen
Senior Counsel, Palo Alto
Phil Mitchell
Partner, New York
Wendy Brenner
Partner, Palo Alto
Koji Fukumura
Partner, San Diego
Kate Hillier
Partner, Seattle
David Burns
Special Counsel, Washington DC
Selin Akkan
Associate, Palo Alto
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Rankings & accolades

Best Lawyers in America: Lawyer of the Year: California (2023)

Best Lawyers: Lawyer of the Year – Securities Regulation (2021)

Chambers USA: Life Sciences: Corporate/Commercial – California (2022)

Best Lawyers in America: Biotechnology Law, Securities and Capital Markets Law and Securities Regulation

Best Lawyers: Lawyer of the Year – Biotechnology Law 

LMG Life Sciences Corporate Attorney of the Year (2018)

Legal 500 US: Life Sciences, Capital Markets and M&A: Venture Capital and Emerging Companies

PLC – Which Lawyer? Equity Capital Markets and Corporate Life Sciences

Daily Journal: Top 25 Biotech Lawyers in California (2011)