On December 12, leading biotechnology company Amgen Inc. announced its acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics plc for approximately $27.8 billion. Willkie represented Morgan Stanley as financial advisor to the board of directors of Horizon Therapeutics on the transaction.

Under the proposed acquisition, Pillartree Limited, a newly formed private limited company wholly owned by Amgen, will acquire Horizon for $116.50 per share through a scheme of arrangement transaction. The board of Horizon has unanimously recommended that its shareholders vote in favor of the acquisition.

Headquartered in Dublin, Horizon is a global biotechnology company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of medicines that address critical needs for people impacted by rare, autoimmune and severe inflammatory diseases.

The Willkie team advising Morgan Stanley was led by partners Robert Stebbins and Laura Delanoy and included associate Madison Wiles-Haffner.