November 20, 2007
Willkie client Pharmion Corp., a leading manufacturer of blood cancer treatments, agrees to be sold to biotechnology company Celgene Corp. for $2.9 billion in cash and stock.
On November 18, it was announced that Willkie client Pharmion Corp., a leading manufacturer of blood cancer treatments, agreed to be sold to biotechnology company Celgene Corp. for $2.9 billion in cash and stock. The deal calls for Celgene to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Pharmion common stock for $72.00 per share payable in a combination of cash and shares of Celgene common stock. Pharmion Corporation is a leading global oncology company focused on acquiring, developing and commercializing innovative products for the treatment of hematology and oncology patients in the U.S., Europe and other international markets. Willkie has served as counsel to Pharmion since its founding in 2000. After assisting the company in its founding, Willkie nurtured it through three successful rounds of venture capital financing, negotiated its major product licenses and acquisitions, and represented it in its IPO and two follow-on public offerings.
Willkie’s role in this deal was reported widely in the press, including the November 19 Wall Street Journal. The transaction was handled by a multidisciplinary Willkie team, including partners Peter Jakes, William Gump, Jacques-Philippe Gunther, Bernard Nigro, Christopher Peters, William Rooney, David Rubinsky and Christoph Schmid; special counsel Kim Walker; special European counsel David Tayar; and associates Michael Brandt, Michael Caplan, Bret Cohen, Jason Ertel, Jeffrey Korn, Thomas Mark, Sarah Schandler and Faustine Viala.
