Graham Robinson

Mr. Robinson regularly represents public and private companies in acquisitions and divestitures, both negotiated and contested. He has significant experience advising companies in preparing for and responding to unsolicited acquisition proposals, as well as advising companies in dealing with activist investors. According to Deal Point Data, Mr. Robinson is ranked first (by both deal value and number of deals) among U.S. attorneys for public biotechnology M&A transactions completed since January 1, 2016. Mr. Robinson also regularly advises boards of directors and special committees in addressing corporate governance matters and internal investigations. He is a former member of Skadden’s governing body, the Policy Committee.

Mr. Robinson’s representations include:

• Alcon in its $753 million acquisition of Aerie Pharmaceuticals;
• Antares Pharma in its sale to Halozyme for $1 billion;
• Bottomline Technologies in its acquisition by Thoma Bravo for $2.6 billion;
• Dicerna Pharmaceuticals in its sale to Novo Nordisk for $3.3 billion;
• AspenTech in its $11 billion combination with Emerson Electric’s industrial software business;
• Amicus Therapeutics in ARYA Sciences Acquisition Corp IV’s acquisition of Amicus’ gene therapy business;
• MorphoSys in its $1.7 billion acquisition of Constellation Pharmaceuticals and its related financing from Royalty Pharma totaling over $2 billion;
• Adverum Biotechnologies in its successful defense of a proxy contest by Sonic Capital, in which none of Sonic’s nominated directors were elected to Adverum’s board of directors;
• WeWork in its merger with BowX Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, as a result of which WeWork would become a public company with an implied initial enterprise value of $9 billion;
• Pandion Therapeutics in its sale to Merck for $1.8 billion;
• Strongbridge Biopharma in its merger with Xeris Pharmaceuticals;
• Boston Dynamics in its sale to Hyundai Motor Group for $1.1 billion;
• Ionis Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of the remaining outstanding stake of Akcea Therapeutics for $500 million;
• CerSci Therapeutics in its sale to ACADIA Pharmaceuticals for up to $939.5 million;
• Stemline Therapeutics in its sale to Menarini Group for up to $677 million;
• Gilead Sciences in its $4.9 billion acquisition of Forty Seven;
• the special committee of the board of directors of Legg Mason in its proposed $4.5 billion acquisition by Franklin Templeton;
• ArQule in its sale to Merck for $2.7 billion;
• Carbonite in its sale to OpenText for $1.42 billion;
• WeWork in an $8 billion transaction in which SoftBank provided financing to the company and proposed to acquire a majority of its outstanding shares through a tender offer;
• Achillion in its sale to Alexion for up to $1.225 billion;
• Alder BioPharmaceuticals in its sale to Lundbeck for up to $1.95 billion;
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of Semma Therapeutics for $950 million;
• Gilead Sciences in its $5.1 billion investment in, and expanded collaboration with, Galapagos NV;
• Array BioPharma in its $11.4 billion sale to Pfizer;
• Nightstar Therapeutics in its $800 million sale to Biogen;
• Clementia Pharmaceuticals in its sale to Ipsen for up to $1.31 billion;
• WeWork in connection with its $6 billion investment from SoftBank;
• Carbonite in its $618.5 million acquisition of Webroot;
• Juno Therapeutics, Inc. in its acquisition by Celgene Corporation valuing Juno at over $11 billion;
• Gilead Sciences in its $11.9 billion acquisition of Kite Pharma;
• Synergy Pharmaceuticals in its Chapter 11 filing and proposed sale of assets to Bausch Health for $200 million;
• Strongbridge Biopharma in its sale of Macrilen to Novo Nordisk for $145 million plus royalties, and in the related $36.7 million equity investment by Novo Nordisk in Strongbridge;
• Unidine in its acquisition by Compass Group;
• Gilead Sciences in its acquisition of Cell Design Labs for up to $567 million;
• WeWork in its acquisitions of Meetup, Conductor and Naked Hub;
• WeWork in its $4.4 billion investment from SoftBank Group and SoftBank Vision Fund;
• Ultragenyx in its successful topping bid for Dimension Therapeutics;
• BlueFocus International in its attempted combination with Cogint;
• Cempra in its combination with Melinta Therapeutics;
• Merrimack Pharmaceuticals in its asset sale to Ipsen for up to $1.025 billion;
• Tobira Therapeutics in its sale to Allergan for up to $1.7 billion;
• Qlik Technologies in its sale to Thoma Bravo for $3 billion;
• Gilead Sciences in its acquisition of Nimbus Apollo for up to $1.2 billion;
• Almirall, S.A. in its acquisition of an option to acquire ThermiGen LLC, and later exercise of that option;
• WeWork Cos. in its sale of series F preferred stock to Hony Capital, Legend Holdings and other investors;
• Gilead Sciences in its collaboration with, and $425 million equity investment in, Galapagos NV;
• NPS Pharmaceuticals in its $5.2 billion sale to Shire. Mr. Robinson was named as a Dealmaker of the Week by The American Lawyer for his role on this transaction (January 16, 2015);
• Dendreon Corporation in its Chapter 11 filing and proposed restructuring of $620 million of convertible notes, its sale of Provenge and other assets to Valeant for $495 million, and in the sale of its New Jersey immunotherapy manufacturing facility to Novartis for $43 million;
• Gilead Sciences in its acquisition of Phenex Pharmaceuticals for up to $470 million;
• Rhythmia Medical in its sale to Boston Scientific for up to $265 million;
• Skyworks Solutions in its acquisition of SiGe Semiconductor for up to $275 million;
• Progress Software in its $162 million acquisition of IONA Technologies PLC;
• PerkinElmer, Inc. in its $600 million acquisition of Caliper Life Sciences, its $300 million acquisition of ViaCell, its acquisition of the metabolic screening business of Pediatrix Medical Group and its $650 million acquisition of Packard Bioscience;
• Arlington Tankers Ltd. in its $2 billion merger with General Maritime; and
• Savient Pharmaceuticals in its defense against activist shareholder Tang Capital and in the $176 million sale of its Rosemont Pharmaceuticals subsidiary to Close Brothers Private Equity.

Mr. Robinson has been listed in the most recent rankings of Chambers Global, Chambers USA and The Best Lawyers in America, which named him its 2023 Boston Mergers and Acquisitions Law Lawyer of the Year. He is the only corporate lawyer based in New England listed in Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America. He also was named M&A Attorney of the Year in 2021 and a Financial & Corporate Star by LMG Life Sciences. Mr. Robinson was named a 2018 Client Choice Award winner as an attorney who “stands apart for excellent client care.” In 2013, Mr. Robinson was named by The M&A Advisor as one of the top 40 M&A professionals under the age of 40 in the United States. In 2011, he was named by the Boston Business Journal as one of its 40 Under 40 business and civic leaders in the city of Boston. Mr. Robinson is an overseer of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a former member of the board of fellows of Harvard Medical School and a former member of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Chapter of the March of Dimes.

Mr. Robinson also is a former member of the board of directors of Project Step, a nonprofit organization that seeks to identify musically talented children from underrepresented Boston communities, provide them with comprehensive music and string instruction, and prepare them to compete and succeed as professionals in the world of classical music.