Among the most active markets in private equity, the life sciences sector provides ripe investment opportunities for funds that can navigate the complex regulatory landscape and fast-paced deal environment. At the Life Sciences Dealmaking Symposium and VC Investing Bootcamp, seasoned dealmakers, industry executives and technical experts will join McDermott's leading life sciences and private equity lawyers to help broaden your field of vision as you navigate this dynamic industry.
This “must attend” event for life sciences dealmakers will provide exclusive networking opportunities and in-depth, practical guidance to help you succeed within the vibrant and complex life sciences deal landscape, including:
• Access to 300+ life sciences executives and investors
• Best practices from seasoned dealmakers, industry executives and technical experts
• Insight on the critical business, transactional and regulatory issues that impact growth and profitability
Exclusively open to venture capital investment professionals, this program is dedicated to the critical IP, regulatory, reimbursement and transaction issues facing VCs making investments in life sciences start-ups.
If you are interested in attending the VC Bootcamp, please submit your information via the button below and a member of our team will contact you shortly.
The 23rd Commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, will join McDermott FDA Practice Co-Chair Vernessa Pollard for a lunchtime fireside chat.
Dr. Gottlieb’s work focuses on advancing public health through developing and implementing innovative approaches to improving medical outcomes, reshaping healthcare delivery, and expanding consumer choice and safety.
Note: This is a preliminary list of confirmed speakers. Panels are currently still in formation. Agenda subject to change.
Opportunities abound for dealmakers who can navigate the ever-changing global life sciences deal landscape. However, the transformative transactions in today’s hottest life sciences growth sectors also present new—and sometimes daunting—challenges for your organization. This opening panel will focus on the latest trends in life sciences M&A, and set the stage for the rest of the day’s discussion.
Moderator: Byron Kalogerou, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Charlie Attlan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, Boston Scientific
Brittany Bradrick, Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development, Insulet Corporation
Andrew "Cal" Callaway, Managing Director, U.S. Healthcare Investment Banking, RBC Capital Markets
Peter Lafer, Vice President, General Atlantic
Paris Panayiotopoulos, Managing Director, Blackstone Life Sciences Group
As an increasingly vital ingredient in the development of new drugs, devices, and diagnostics, data is creating new opportunities for collaboration. The proliferation of data creates challenges in structuring these partnerships because of the unique regulatory, privacy and cybersecurity issues involved. This panel will focus on how partners can create new products using data in this complex and evolving regulatory landscape.
Moderator, Jiayan Chen, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Eric Bowlin, Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Ed Esplin, Clinical Geneticist, Invitae
Debbie Lin, Executive Director, Boehringer-Ingelheim Venture Fund
Sadiqa Mahmood, Senior Vice President of Medical Affairs, Health Catalyst
Emmanuelle Trombe, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
From gene therapy to digital health and the microbiome, this panel of experienced early-stage investors will discuss where the dollars are going, and the factors that early-stage investors are considering in the current environment as they source and vet new investment opportunities.
Moderator, Brian Bunn, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Aftab Kherani, Partner, Aisling Capital
Bruce Robertson, Managing Director, H.I.G. Capital
Akhil Saklecha, MD, MBA, Partner, Cleveland Clinic Ventures
Amarpreet Sawhney, President and Chairman, Instylla
Caitlin Tolman, Vice President, Silicon Valley Bank
It’s an increasingly small world when it comes to collaboration and investment in the life sciences, with cross-border deals redefining the landscape. This panel will discuss trends to look out for in the year ahead, and the role that investment controls such as CFIUS will play in shaping the cross-border marketplace.
Moderator, Sarah Hogan, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Anne Altmeyer, Chief Business Officer, Sigilon Therapeutics
Gabriele Brambilla, CEO, Alira Health
Kleem Chaudhary, Head of Business Development & Licensing, Biogen
Curt Dewan, Business Development Executive, Servier Pharmaceuticals
From start-ups to global life sciences leaders, life sciences companies are using AI technology in a variety of ways to improve operations. This panel will explore some of the many use cases, and identify some of the key issues business development teams, investors and in-house counsel need to be aware of.
Moderator, Dale Van Demark, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Richie Bavasso, Co-Founder, nQ Medical
Stephanie Godfrey, Counsel, Aetna
Susan Harrington, Vice President of Corporate Development, Fresenius Medical Care
Peter Seufer-Wasserthal, Chief Business Development Officer, Origenis GmbH
Mergers require the synchronizing of corporate structures and corporate cultures, while raising unique regulatory concerns. This panel will discuss how effective pre-merger planning can avoid antitrust concerns, and the potential pain points in managing post-merger integration.
Moderator, Jon Dubrow, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Clarissa Crain, Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Adam Daly, Vice President, Business Development & Regional General Counsel, Straumann
Albert Li, General Counsel, Ottobock
Jeffrey Prowda, Senior Legal Executive (formerly Head of Corporate Counsel at Shire plc)
Karen Valentine, Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel, Constellation Pharmaceuticals
Whether it be an asset acquisition, a licensing agreement or a full-fledged merger, a lot of factors go into figuring out what an asset is worth. This panel of experts will discuss those factors, and the role that comprehensive due diligence plays in ensuring that you are getting what you pay for.
Moderator, Jonathan Ursprung, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Scott Chamberlin, Senior Vice President and Head of Innovation Banking, Cambridge Trust
Howard Hechler, Vice President of Medtech, Locust Walk
Michael Rachlin, Senior Manager, Deloitte & Touche LLP
Lynn Haddad Sommer, Managing Director, Cabrillo Advisors
Health-focused private equity investors are moving heavily into life sciences and pharma services. This panel will discuss the risks and opportunities for private equity investors in the life sciences sectors.
Moderator, Kristian Werling, Co-Chair, Life Sciences Group, McDermott Will & Emery
David Haigh, Managing Director, Atlantic Global Risk
Jeffrey Schwartz, Managing Director, Bain Capital
Tiffany Yu, Senior Associate, Equality Asset Management
Life Sciences Innovators are increasingly using real world evidence to understand safety and efficacy, and to support applications for regulatory approval. This panel will focus on privacy, regulatory and business considerations for the collection and use of real world evidence, including the use of apps and wearables.
Moderator, Michael Ryan, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Mujadala "MJ" Abdul-Majid, Legal Director, Regulatory, Ro
Shelby Buettner, Attorney, Washington DC
Marilyn Hanzal, Privacy Officer, Flatiron Health
Mika Newton, CEO, xCures, Inc.
IP assets are at the heart of every deal. This panel will focus on how to protect and maximize the value of your IP assets as you go about making deals with others.
Moderator, Nicole Clouse, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
John Mayfield, Director of Corporate and Business Development, Voyager Therapeutics
Rich Person, Associate General Counsel, Amgen
Aaron Schwartz, Director of R&D Search and Evaluation, Novo Nordisk
Karoline Shair, Head Counsel, IP Program Portfolio, Biogen
Corporate Venture Capital arms (CVC’s) and Corporate Innovation Centers (CIC’s) are playing an increasingly important role in early-stage investment, and the formation of new partnerships and collaborations. This panel, featuring representatives from leading CVC’s and CIC’s, will reveal the priorities that these organizations are pursuing, and the impact that they are having on the life sciences marketplace.
Moderator, Albert Sokol, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Christine Brennan, Ph.D., Partner, MRL Ventures Fund
Vikas Goyal, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Pandion Therapeutics
Campbell Murray, Managing Director, Novartis Venture Fund
Peter Stebbins, Vice President, Business Development, J&J Innovation
With the first digital therapeutics receiving FDA clearance, the future is now in data-driven care management and clinical decision-making. This panel will highlight this emerging space, the unique regulatory issues involved, and the impact of this trend on dealmaking and partnerships.
Moderator, Vernessa Pollard, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery
Uma Makhija, Associate Director of Business Development, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies
Kwame Ulmer, Venture Partner, Wavemaker Three-Sixty Health
Joris van Dam, Head of Digital Therapeutics, Novartis
ACCOMMODATIONS
For your convenience, a limited number of sleeping rooms have been contracted and blocked at the Royal Sonesta Boston. Please book your room reservations online here, or call +617 806 4200.
PARKING
There are a few options available at The Royal Sonesta for this event:
Overnight parking: $42.00 rate
Day rates: $24.00 Valet / $22.00 Self-Parking
SUGGESTED ATTIRE
Business casual attire is recommended for this program.
WEATHER
Boston's typical weather ranges from 63 during the day to 43 degrees at night in October.
