Vinita Kailasanath works with leading and emerging companies in connection with strategic intellectual property and data-driven transactions and the development, commercialization, sourcing, and protection of new products and technologies. Her practice focuses on technology and life sciences transactions, including the IP aspects of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; complex licenses and collaborations; SaaS/PaaS/IaaS arrangements (including associated service-level and support agreements); cybersecurity, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML), hardware, mobile, IoT and cloud-related considerations; licensing of enterprise and consumer software; data rights arrangements; strategic investments; and development, manufacturing, supply and distribution agreements. Vinita’s experience spans the technology, finance and banking, advertising, entertainment, environmental and life sciences sectors. A former clerk at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Ms. Kailasanath also regularly advises on IP-related disputes and settlements as well as confidentiality, trade secret, digital economy, social media and technology escrow issues.
Vinita leads the MedTech practice at Freshfields and has represented life sciences companies, technology companies, healthcare companies and providers, and investors in connection with the execution of their cutting-edge MedTech and digital health strategies. Vinita has advised clients on transactions involving medical devices (including SaMD), wearables, mobile apps, telemedicine and AI/ML.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Vinita conducted graduate-level neuroendocrinology research; worked in the legal department of a leading alternative energy company specializing in the production of algal oils and bioproducts; and assisted companies with product launches and other marketing and sales matters.
Vinita is the co-chair of the Freshfields Asian, Pacific, South Asian American Employee Resource Group and serves on the Stanford Law School Board of Visitors.
Select Tech and MedTech Transactions
- Strava on its acquisition of Runna.
- CrowdStrike on its acquisition of Adaptive Shield.
- Johnson & Johnson on its $13.1bn acquisition of Shockwave Medical, Inc.
- Agilent on its sale of Resolution Bioscience.
- Berkeley Lights (Nasdaq: BLI), a life sciences research tools company, on its acquisition of IsoPlexis (Nasdaq: ISO), a company empowering labs to leverage cells and the proteome, in an all-stock transaction valued at $57.8m.
- Zymergen on its $300m sale to Ginkgo Bioworks—the first-ever sale of a publicly-listed public benefit corporation.
- Industry leader on comprehensive genomic profiling and a leading provider of electronic medical record (EMR) technology and real-world evidence data solutions, in a multi-million-dollar collaboration with OneOncology to advance personalized cancer care.
- World Bank Group on structuring a variety of complex technology and IP-related development and licensing matters in support of its international development mission to help address the world's development challenges with innovative solutions.
- TIME'S UP on its strategic relationships, social media activities and IP matters in support of its mission to prevent sexual harassment and gender inequality.
- Subsidiary of a Fortune 100 company on a series of technology and services contracts, including platform creation, SaaS and service level agreements, to create and launch a novel service.
Select Other Life Sciences Transactions
- Standard BioTools in the strategic sale of SomaLogic to Illumina.
- Cencora on its $4bn+ acquisition of Retina Consultants of America.
- Cartography Biosciences on its strategic collaboration and license agreement with Gilead Sciences, Inc., related to triple-negative breast cancer and adenocarcinoma, including a $20m upfront payment + development, regulatory and commercial milestones and royalties.
- AstraZeneca in its acquisition of Fusion Pharmaceuticals Inc., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, worth up to $2.4bn.
- Capsida Biotherapeutics on its expanded strategic collaboration with AbbVie to develop genetic medicines for eye diseases, which includes $70m upfront + equity and up to $595m in option fees and R&D milestones with potential for future commercial milestones and royalties.
- Capsida Biotherapeutics on its CNS gene therapy collaboration with Prevail Therapeutics for $55m (upfront + equity) and R&D milestones up to $685m, as well as tiered royalties and a U.S. co-development/co-commercialization option in exchange for a gross margin share.
- AstraZeneca on its agreements for the funding and global distribution of the University of Oxford's COVID-19 vaccine, as well as in the establishment of its global manufacturing and supply chain for the vaccine, including an agreement with the Serum Institute of India (SII).
- Global pharmaceutical company on its divestment of a subsidiary that included two key Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) treatments and associated transition services agreements.
- Fortune 200 healthcare company on its critical supply agreement with a sole-source supplier in connection with the settlement of nine-figure litigation.
- Multiple pharmaceutical and specialty pharmaceutical companies on global clinical trial agreements, letters of indemnification and informed consent forms, and related issues including ePRO.
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