Freshfields is advising Merz Therapeutics, a leader in the field of neurotoxins, in its agreement with Acorda Therapeutics, Inc (Nasdaq: ACOR), under which Merz will purchase substantially all of the assets of Acorda for $185 million and receive the rights to two commercially available medicines to treat phases of Parkinson's disease and gait disorders in multiple sclerosis.

The sale will be conducted through a court-supervised process under Section 363 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code under which Merz is serving as the "stalking horse" bidder. Acorda filed a voluntary petition to commence Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on April 1. 

Learn more about this transaction here. 

The cross-practice Freshfields team is led by Restructuring partner Scott Talmadge, Life Sciences and M&A partner Adam Golden and M&A partner Sanjay Murti. The full team includes senior associate Alex Rich and associates Ali Muffenbier and Ellen Lawrence on restructuring matters; senior associate Dilara Alpli and associates Brayden Koslowsky, Maria Koroleva and Adam Weston on corporate and M&A matters; associates Tanny Kang, Dylan O’Connor and Shannon O’Hara on life sciences/intellectual property matters; partner Sarah Ghulamhussain and associate Chaim Leggiere on executive compensation and benefits matters; partner Christopher Stothers on intellectual property (patent) matters; partners Jenny Leahy, Meghan Rissmiller and Gian Luca Zampa, special counsel Meytal McCoy and Charles Ramsey, counsel Alessandro Di Giò and Enrique Carrera, advisor Valeria Losco, senior associate Alvaro Puig, and associates Fabian Bickel, Sabina Pacifico and Emily Strickland on antitrust matters; partner Aimen Mir, special counsel Christine Laciak and associate Andrew Gabel on foreign investment matters; partner Thomas Walsh and senior associate Cameron Russell on commercial litigation matters; partner Stephanie Brown Cripps and associates Andrew Bulovsky and Alice Jeon on sanctions matters; partners Christine Lyon and Brock Dahl and associate Christine Chong on data security and privacy matters; counsel Jeremiah Nelson and staff attorney David Perry on real estate matters and partner Joe Soltis and senior associate Brendan Counihan on tax matters.