Deals & Corporate Governance

  • June 28, 2024

    Chevron's End Is Just The Start For Energized Agency Foes

    By knocking down a powerful precedent that has towered over administrative law for 40 years, the U.S. Supreme Court's right wing Friday gave a crowning achievement to anti-agency attorneys. But for those attorneys, the achievement is merely a means to an end, and experts expect a litigation blitzkrieg to materialize quickly in the aftermath.

  • June 28, 2024

    In Chevron Case, Justices Trade One Unknown For Another

    The U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overrule a decades-old judicial deference doctrine may cause the "eternal fog of uncertainty" surrounding federal agency actions to dissipate and level the playing field in challenges of government policies, but lawyers warn it raises new questions over what rules courts must follow and how judges will implement them.

  • June 28, 2024

    Shkreli Asks High Court To Toss $64M Disgorgement Order

    Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, who gained notoriety for hiking the price of HIV/AIDS medication before serving more than four years in prison for securities fraud, is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to toss a disgorgement order requiring him to pay $64 million for monopolistic price-gouging.

  • June 27, 2024

    State AGs Want Stay Lifted In Generic Drug Pricing Suit

    The attorneys general of New York and Connecticut have asked a federal judge to lift a partial discovery stay in three state-led generic drug pricing lawsuits against the pharmaceutical industry, saying it is no longer necessary because sentencing is complete in a parallel U.S. Department of Justice proceeding.

  • June 27, 2024

    Insurers Call Rite Aid Ch. 11 Opioid Deal Unfair

    Counsel for bankrupt drugstore chain Rite Aid told a New Jersey bankruptcy judge Thursday that it hopes to reach an agreement with at least some of its insurers on payments into an opioid settlement fund before closing arguments in its Chapter 11 plan confirmation Friday.

  • June 27, 2024

    AbbVie Buys Bowel Disease Biotech Celsius For $250M

    Chicago-based pharmaceutical company AbbVie said Thursday it has acquired Celsius Therapeutics Inc., a privately held clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapies for patients with inflammatory disease, for $250 million.

  • June 25, 2024

    Cigna Objects To Ch. 11 Sale Of Western Pa. Nursing Homes

    Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. filed an objection in Pennsylvania bankruptcy court to the proposed sale of a group of Pittsburgh-area nursing homes, seeking assurances that it will be warned if the nursing homes intend to leave behind their contracts with Cigna as part of the sale.

  • June 25, 2024

    In Antitrust Climate, Deal Attys Face More 'Pull And Refiles'

    Large mergers requiring notice to federal agencies are seeing an increase in so-called pull and refile requests, a trend playing out in healthcare and other industries under the regulatory microscope.

  • June 25, 2024

    Tracking The FTC's Latest Moves In Healthcare

    The Federal Trade Commission has its eye on the healthcare industry, targeting a range of deals the agency says would hurt competition and drive up prices. Law360 Healthcare Authority tracks recent FTC actions targeting hospital systems, digital health entities and pharmaceutical companies.

  • June 25, 2024

    Chancery OKs $71M Premier Deal, $14M Four-Firm Fee

    Shareholder attorneys led by Friedlander & Gorris who negotiated a $71 million settlement to end derivative Delaware Chancery Court litigation with healthcare-purchasing giant Premier Inc. will get $14 million for their efforts, the total fee award they sought.

  • June 21, 2024

    Drugmakers Decline To Drop Patent Listings After FTC Letters

    The eight pharmaceutical companies that the Federal Trade Commission warned in April may have improperly listed patents for its products in a key federal database have chosen not to remove any patents or otherwise alter their listings, according to a document released Friday.

  • June 21, 2024

    Ex-CEO Found Liable For $1 Now Seeks Atty Fees For Del. Suit

    The ex-CEO of a biopharma company who was found liable in 2021 for breaching his fiduciary duties but ordered to pay just $1 in damages after Delaware's Court of Chancery found that no real harm had been done is now suing for his attorney's fees and court costs.

  • June 21, 2024

    3 Firms Build $540M Take-Private Sale Of Healthcare Data Biz

    Digital health company Sharecare Inc. on Friday announced that it has agreed to be bought by healthcare-focused private equity firm Altaris LLC in a $540 million take-private deal built by three law firms.

  • June 21, 2024

    Atrium Accused Of Tanking $62M Medicare Advantage Plan

    An insurance provider that partnered with Atrium Health to offer a new Medicare Advantage plan is now suing for breach of contract, saying in a North Carolina state court complaint that Atrium tanked the rollout by refusing to engage in much-needed marketing efforts.

  • June 21, 2024

    Taxation With Representation: Travers Smith, Potamitis Vekris

    In this week's Taxation With Representation, RSK Group Ltd. gets a £500 million ($632 million) investment, Boston Scientific Corp. acquires Silk Road Medical Inc., Masdar takes a part of Terna Energy SA, and Tate & Lyle PLC buys CP Kelco from JM Huber Corp.

  • June 20, 2024

    $13B Antitrust Suit Is Class Cert 'Antithesis,' Delta Dental Says

    The nation's largest dental insurance system and its members have blasted service providers' bid for class treatment in multidistrict litigation targeting an alleged $13 billion antitrust scheme, telling an Illinois federal judge that the providers' case "is the very antithesis of a proper class action."

  • June 18, 2024

    The Rise Of Carveout Deals In Healthcare

    More healthcare companies are turning to deals in which a buyer snaps up a specific product or service line from a seller instead of the whole business. The trend is driven by economic pressures and a preference for "pure play" models over diversified approaches.

  • June 18, 2024

    Fla. Immune To Contract Suit Over COVID Tests, 4th Circ. Says

    The Fourth Circuit reversed on Tuesday a district court decision denying a motion to dismiss by a Florida state agency in a breach of contract case involving COVID-19 tests, finding the lower court erred in ruling that the state did not have sovereign immunity and remanding the case for further proceedings.

  • June 18, 2024

    Novant Drops NC Hospital Merger After 4th Circ. Pauses Deal

    Novant Health has abandoned its plans to purchase two North Carolina hospitals for $320 million after a split Fourth Circuit panel on Tuesday granted the Federal Trade Commission's bid for an emergency injunction putting the deal on hold indefinitely.

  • June 18, 2024

    Biotherapeutics Co. Hires Seasoned Atty As General Counsel

    Boston-based biotherapeutics company Seaport Therapeutics announced Tuesday that a life sciences and corporate attorney with more than two decades of experience in-house and in private practice was named its new general counsel.

  • June 18, 2024

    Latham Leads Boston Scientific On $1.16B Silk Road Deal

    Latham & Watkins-advised Boston Scientific Corp. said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire medical device maker Silk Road Medical Inc., represented by Wilson Sonsini, at an enterprise value of approximately $1.16 billion.

  • June 14, 2024

    Biotech Clinches Latest Funding Round With $55M In Tow

    Biotechnology company Enveda Biosciences on Friday announced that it has closed its most-recent financing round after raising $55 million from investors, bringing the Boulder, Colorado-based company's total capital fundraising to $230 million.

  • June 14, 2024

    NC AG Wants Counterclaims Canned In Hospital Contract Suit

    North Carolina's attorney general has sought to dodge counterclaims in a suit accusing a for-profit health network of reneging on promises it made when it bought an Asheville hospital, saying he should be immune and the claims are otherwise redundant.

  • June 13, 2024

    Pa. Nursing Home Creditors OK With $43.7M DIP Loan

    Creditors of a Pittsburgh-area nursing home network indicated Thursday they were open to $43.7 million in debtor-in-possession financing as the group prepares to potentially sell off a portion of its footprint in a Chapter 11 sale.

  • June 12, 2024

    Yale Hospital OK With Merging Suits Over Stalled $435M Sale

    Yale New Haven Hospital has consented to combining two dueling lawsuits over its stalled $435 million deal to buy three Connecticut facilities operated by California-based Prospect Medical Holdings Inc., agreeing that judicial efficiency and economy is best served by consolidating both entities' claims into one proceeding.

Expert Analysis

  • The Merger Cases That Will Matter At ABA Antitrust Meeting

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    While the American Bar Association's Antitrust Spring Meeting this week will cover all types of competition law issues in the U.S. and abroad, expect the federal agencies' recent track record in merger enforcement to be a key area of focus on the official panels and in cocktail party chatter, say attorneys at Freshfields.

  • Planning For Healthcare-Private Equity Antitrust Enforcement

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    U.S. antitrust agency developments could mean potential enforcement actions on healthcare-related acquisitions by private equity funds are on the way, and entities operating in this space should follow a series of practice tips, including early assessment of antitrust risks on both the state and federal level, say Ryan Quillian and John Kendrick at Covington.

  • Why Oncology Deal Making Continues To Fuel Biotech M&A

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    The biotech sector's potential for advancements in cancer care continues to attract deal-maker interest, and the keys to successful mergers and acquisitions include the ability to integrate innovative therapies, leverage technological advancements and respond to the dynamic needs of patients, say Bryan Luchs and Mike Weir at White & Case.

  • Tips For Healthcare M&A Amid Heightened Antitrust Scrutiny

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    As the Biden administration maintains its aggressive approach to antitrust merger enforcement, prudent healthcare M&A counsel will consider practical advice when contemplating their next transaction, including carefully selecting a merger partner and preparing for a potentially long waiting period prior to closing, say attorneys at Davis Wright.

  • Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents

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    Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.

  • 5 Trends To Watch As Value-Based Healthcare Gains Steam

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    Value-based care has grown and evolved as healthcare providers, payors and policymakers seek to improve patient results while containing costs, and this shift in the industry is expected to accelerate in the near future, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

  • What's At Play In Rising Lanham Act Cases At The ITC

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    Amid an uptick in Lanham Act claims involving false advertising related to medical devices at the U.S. International Trade Commission, Brian Busey and Maryrose McLaughlin at MoFo discuss recent ITC complaints from Eli Lilly and R.J. Reynolds, Lanham Act claim limits under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and the issues practitioners face in this realm.

  • What Workplace Violence Law Means For Texas Healthcare

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    While no federal laws address violence against healthcare workers, Texas has recently enacted statutory protections that take effect later this year — so facilities in the state should understand their new obligations under the law, and employers in other states would be wise to take notice as well, say attorneys at Bradley Arant.

  • 5 Models For Structuring Health Provider-Payor Partnerships

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    With recent data showing that the U.S. continues to spend more and get less for healthcare services compared to other industrialized nations, providers and payors should consider a variety of partnership structures that can help achieve the so-called triple aim of improving the health of individuals and populations while reducing per capita costs, says John Howard at Thompson Coburn.

  • What FTC's 'Killer Acquisition' Theory Means For Pharma Cos.

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    The Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit to block Sanofi's acquisition of a pharmaceutical treatment developed by Maze Therapeutics builds on previous enforcement actions and could indicate the agency's growing willingness to use its so-called killer acquisition theory against perceived attempts to eliminate nascent competition, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.

  • Lessons For D&O Policyholders From Pharma Co. Ruling

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    A California federal court's recent decision in AmTrust v. 180 Life Sciences, requiring insurers to advance defense costs for a potentially covered claim, provides a valuable road map for directors and officers insurance policyholders, rebutting the common presumption that a D&O insurer's duty to advance costs is more limited than under other policies, say attorneys at Pasich.

  • ESG Around The World: Gulf Cooperation Council

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    The Gulf Cooperation Council is in the early stages of ESG policy implementation, but recent commitments by both states and corporations — including increases in sustainable finance transactions, environmental commitments, female representation on boards and human rights enforcement — show continuing progress toward broader ESG goals, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Oregon Law Would Compromise Management Service Orgs

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    If passed, a proposed Oregon law would materially limit physician corporate practice of medicine structures, causing significant disruption to the provision of medicine and hindering professional corporations' ability to focus on the clinical components of their practice, say Christina Bergeron and William Shefelman at Ropes & Gray.