Oliver Mobasser

Latham & Watkins has advised Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Rhythm), a global commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on transforming the lives of patients and their families living with rare neuroendocrine diseases, on its global licensing agreement with LG Chem Life Sciences (LG Chem), a Korean life sciences company, for LB54640, an investigational oral small molecule melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) agonist now in Phase 2 clinical trials. The Latham licensing team was led by partner Steven Chinowsky with associates Oliver Mobasser and Ami Sodha. The corporate team was led by partners Peter Handrinos and Elizabeth Mims Slawsby. Advice was also provided on antitrust matters by partners Mandy Reeves and Hector Armengod, with counsel Patrick English; on public company matters by partners Jennifer Yoon and Jenna Cooper, with associates Hamna Ahmad and Naseem Faqihi Alawadhi; on tax matters by partner Kirt Switzer and associate Derek Gumm; and on patent diligence by counsel Darryl Steensma.~~

Jan 8

1 min

Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB (publ) (Sobi) (STO:SOBI) has announced that it has entered into an agreement and plan of merger with CTI BioPharma Corp. under which Sobi has agreed to acquire CTI, a biopharmaceutical company focused on blood related cancers and rare diseases. Sobi will commence a cash tender offer to acquire all issued and outstanding shares of CTI for US$9.10 per share, corresponding to a total equity value of US$1.7 billion. Latham & Watkins LLP represents Sobi in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by Orange County partner Scott Shean and New York partner Leah Sauter, with New York associates Jennifer Wong, Ozden Samur-LaBruna, and Emma Green. Advice was also provided on healthcare and FDA regulatory matters by Washington, D.C. partners Elizabeth Richards, Christopher Schott, Paris/Brussels partner Eveline Van Keymeulen and Washington, D.C. counsel Nicole Liffrig Molife, with Washington, D.C. associates Kathryn Culver, Margaret Rote, Daniel Machado, Maria Malas, and Paris associate Jeanne Fabre; on intellectual property matters by San Diego partner Steven Chinowsky and counsel Darryl Steensma and London associate Oliver Mobasser;* on data privacy matters by Bay Area partner Michelle Ontiveros Gross, with associate Adriana Beach and London associate Oliver Mobasser;* on tax matters by Bay Area partners Grace Lee and Kirt Switzer, with associates Alexander Farris and Rasha Suleiman; on employment, benefits and compensation matters by Los Angeles/ Orange County partner Michelle Carpenter, with associates Sara Schlau and Viva Iemanjá Jerónimo; on antitrust matters by Bay Area partner Joshua Holian, Brussels partner Héctor Armengod and Washington, D.C. counsel Patrick English; on sanctions and anticorruption matters by Washington, D.C. partner Erin Brown Jones and counsel Andrew Galdes, with associate Allison Hugi; on finance matters by Los Angeles partner Nathan Whitaker and counsel Jonathan Shih, with associate Julia Steinberg; and on securities matters by New York associate David Califano. *On secondment to the New York office of Latham & Watkins LLP. Admitted to practice in England & Wales only.~~

May 10

1 min

Alkermes plc (Nasdaq: ALKS) has announced that it has completed the previously announced sale of its development and manufacturing facility in Athlone, Ireland to Novo Nordisk. In connection with the closing of the transaction, Alkermes will receive a one-time cash payment for the facility and certain related assets of approximately US$91 million. Latham & Watkins advised Alkermes in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by New York partner Aaron Gardner, Boston partner Julie Scallen, and New York counsel Eliot Choy, with associates Oliver Mobasser, Zhao Wang, Austin Wruble, Jake Hummer, and Jihoo Kim.~~

May 2

1 min

Latham & Watkins advised Jersey Telecom (JT) on the sale of its Internet of Things (IoT) division to Perwyn Private Equity. The sale follows detailed discussions with the Government of Jersey as its sole shareholder, with the new business keeping its headquarters in Jersey. The IoT division was created in 2014 as part of JT's international expansion, and has doubled in size every year for the last three years. It provides connectivity services to customers around the world, and there are now almost 10 million JT SIMs in active use. The sale, to Perwyn, aims to maximise the growth potential of the business by securing investment from a new owner who specialises in rapidly growing technology companies. JT will continue to benefit from this growth by supplying services to the new company and retaining a minority stake in it. The Latham team was led by London corporate partner Mike Turner, with associates Jon Fox and Zoe Liu. Additional advice was provided by partner Christian McDermott and associate Oliver Mobasser.~~

Jun 24

1 min

Zentalis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule therapeutics targeting fundamental biological pathways of cancers, has announced that it has agreed to sell 953,834 of its common shares at a price of US$26.21 per share to Pfizer for gross proceeds of US$25 million. The common shares were offered and sold to Pfizer in a registered direct offering conducted without an underwriter or placement agent. The offering is expected to close on or about April 29, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Zentalis intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to help fund ongoing and planned clinical trials and for working capital and general corporate purposes. In addition, the parties have entered into an agreement to collaborate to advance the clinical development of ZN-c3, a selective Wee1 inhibitor designed to induce synthetic lethality in cancer cells. Latham & Watkins LLP represents Zentalis Pharmaceuticals in the transaction with a corporate team led by New York partner Nathan Ajiashvili, with New York associates Salvatore Vanchieri, Matt DeSilva, and Darby Dietrich. Advice was also provided on collaboration matters by San Diego counsel Darryl Steensma; on tax matters by Los Angeles/Century City partner Pardis Zomorodi and Century City/Orange County partner Sam Weiner, with Century City associate Ryan Brenner; and on data privacy & security matters by Bay Area partner Heather Deixler and London partner Fiona Maclean, with London associates Oliver Mobasser and Lorenzo Meusburger.~~

Apr 28

1 min