Healthcare and Life Sciences

Cravath represented the underwriters in connection with the €700 million registered notes offering of Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., a global leader in musculoskeletal healthcare. The transaction closed on November 20, 2024.

On November 4, 2024, DRI Healthcare Trust (“the Trust”), a global leader in providing financing to advance innovation in the life sciences industry, announced it has acquired a royalty interest in the worldwide net sales of all formulations of sebetralstat, an investigational oral plasma kallikrein inhibitor for the treatment of Hereditary Angioedema, from KalVista Pharmaceuticals ("KalVista") for an aggregate purchase price of up to $179 million, comprised of a $100 million upfront payment, up to $57 million in a sales-based milestone payment and a one-time $22 million optional payment. Additionally, the Trust is making a $5 million investment in KalVista’s common stock in a private placement transaction. Cravath is representing DRI Healthcare Trust in connection with the transaction.

On October 3, 2024, DRI Healthcare Trust, a global leader in providing financing to advance innovation in the life sciences industry, announced that one of its wholly owned subsidiaries acquired a portion of Editas Medicine, Inc.'s payment rights under a non‑exclusive license of Editas' Cas9 gene‑editing technology for CASGEVY®, the only approved gene‑edited cell therapy for sickle cell disease and transfusion‑dependent beta thalassemia, for an upfront purchase price of $57 million. The transaction entitles DRI Healthcare to specific payments based on a sublicensing agreement between Editas and Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated. The payments include a share of the annual license fees that Vertex pays to Editas, which can range from $5 million to $40 million, including certain sales‑based annual license fee increases, and a portion of a $50 million contingent payment to which Editas is eligible under the Vertex sublicensing agreement. Cravath is representing DRI Healthcare in connection with the transaction.

Cravath represented the initial purchasers in connection with the €1.85 billion 144A/Reg. S high‑yield senior secured notes offering of Rossini S.à r.l., a CVC‑controlled holding company that indirectly owns a majority interest in Recordati S.p.A., an international specialty pharmaceutical company. The notes were listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. The transaction closed on July 18, 2024.

On June 24, 2024, Illumina, Inc. (“Illumina”), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, announced the successful completion of the spin-off of GRAIL, a healthcare company whose mission is to detect cancer early. This follows Illumina’s previously announced plans to divest GRAIL, and GRAIL is now a public and independent company. The separation was achieved through the distribution of 85.5% of the outstanding shares of GRAIL to holders of Illumina common stock on June 24, 2024. In addition to retaining their shares of Illumina common stock, Illumina shareholders received one share of GRAIL common stock for every six shares of Illumina stock held as of close of business on the record date of June 13, 2024. Illumina retained 14.5% of the outstanding shares of GRAIL common stock. Cravath represented Illumina in connection with the transaction.

On December 11, 2024, Cravath’s antitrust practice was ranked among the “Elite” in Global Competition Review’s 2025 edition of GCR 100, a guide to the world’s leading competition law and economics practices. This is the thirteenth consecutive year the Firm has been ranked in the highest tier among New York Firms by GCR. The publication highlighted Cravath’s “bountiful antitrust work,” including its role representing clients Epic Games in litigation against Google and Apple; Meta in putative class action and individual antitrust litigation; and Amgen in a successful defense against an FTC challenge to its $27.8 billion acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics.

On December 10, 2024, Cravath was recognized by the Financial Times in connection with its annual “North America Innovative Lawyers” report, which showcases “the most innovative work and legal services that lawyers have developed for their clients in North America.” In the “Dispute Resolution” category, the Firm received “Highly Commended” honors for its representation of Epic Games in securing a unanimous jury verdict, on all counts, in its antitrust lawsuit against Google.

On November 12, 2024, Cravath partner Rachel Skaistis was profiled in Lawdragon’s “Lawyer Limelight” series alongside her sister Hannah Ross, who is a partner at a different New York-based law firm. In the joint Q&A, Rachel and Hannah discussed their parallel paths to partnership and reflected on their individual practices in securities law. Describing what she is proudest of in her work, Rachel said: “I have had the privilege of working with such amazing lawyers, and I’ve gotten to learn from so many litigation styles. But it is nice to get to a point where you feel like you have found a style of practicing and advising your clients that is true to who you are.” The sisters also spoke about the mentors and role models, including each other, who helped shape their careers as female litigators.

Cravath partner Mark I. Greene was named to Crain’s New York Business’s inaugural list of “Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law,” published on December 9, 2024. The feature honors professionals who “excel in their fields” and “embody the spirit of New York in their creativity and achievement.”

On October 29, 2024, Cravath partner Noah J. Phillips spoke at Cedar’s annual Financial Leadership Council, which convened healthcare CFOs, revenue cycle officers and senior finance leaders and was held from October 28‑30 in New York. Noah spoke at a session that reviewed the regulatory environment surrounding healthcare M&A, the FTC's current approach and key scrutiny areas and potential changes.