Jim McGarrah Photo

James R.

McGarrah

Co-Founder and Principal

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Industry Experience

Counsel

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited)

Counsel

The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) (now The J. Craig Venter Institute)

Joe is the Managing Principal of Faber Daeufer & Itrato. Joe often serves as outside general counsel for venture-backed drug discovery and development companies. In addition, he functions as lead outside transactional counsel for emerging companies seeking strategic business partnering or private financing, as well as for mature companies seeking to acquire technologies and platforms.

Jim is a co-founder of Faber and successfully handles a wide range of agreements for early stage research activities at companies and non-profit organizations in the life sciences. He focuses on client transactions that advance research and development of novel therapeutic assets and applications for unique technologies. These agreements cover the spectrum from discovery to development and commercialization - evaluations, sponsored research, option rights and exclusive development and commercialization licenses. Many of his projects have involved leading academic or non-profit entities with research expertise of strategic importance to a commercial client’s early progress milestones.

Jim routinely works on multi-party consortium agreements among industry and non-profit entities, sorting the respective interests and goals for the contributions of each party and providing advice on how to manage the results of joint work. He also frequently assists clients in negotiations with non-profit research institutions, including active research efforts, options and licenses, helping to set realistic expectations regarding technology access, and transfer to industry. His contributions also include representation of research organizations working on various scientific collaborations with similarly situated entities and companies.

experience +

experience –

Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited)

Counsel

  • Provided legal support for the company’s drug discovery activities and major corporate alliances
  • Negotiated numerous multi-year, sponsored research collaborations with leading academic institutions involving multi-million-dollar research budgets
  • Served as Millennium’s primary counselor on evolving issues in the areas of medical privacy and informed consent requirements for research
  • Legal representative on business development initiatives to license discovery tools and early stage drug candidates, and to establish and conclude product-specific development programs

The Institute for Genomic Research (TIGR) now The J. Craig Venter Institute, one of the first non-profit research centers to incorporate novel technologies in large-scale gene discovery research.

Counsel

  • Established key parts of the legal framework for its activities with industry and academia
  • Negotiated the terms of early stage research collaborations and agreements covering transfer of materials and confidential information, database access and publication of research results
  • Member of the Institute’s Institutional Review Board; helped assure its compliance with applicable regulations and conditions of federal research grants

Recent Client Work +

Recent Client WOrk –

  • Exclusive license agreements with Stanford University, the Broad Institute, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for portfolio companies of a leading venture fund
  • Continuing advice to newly founded Institute for Protein Innovation (non-profit) for exchange of materials, collaborative research programs and organizational matters
  • Exclusive license agreement with Italian research university and novel technology access agreement with Northwestern University for Lysosomal Therapeutics
  • Collaboration and sponsorship agreements for staged research projects among multiple universities and a single disease-focused start-up company with significant federal funding
  • Establish core principles and agreement terms for treatment of research results and collaborative research projects for newly established Boston-based non-profit research institute
  • Terms for template documents (material transfer, sponsored research and consulting) for multiple start-up companies
  • Exclusive license for bioprocessing technology for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals with Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Exclusive license agreement and sponsored research funding for Alnylam Pharmaceuticals with Mount Sinai School of Medicine
  • Exclusive license between the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and new company relating to cell survival technology invented by Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator
  • Consolidation of multiple licenses with predecessor entities into comprehensive amended and restated license agreement for Siamab Therapeutics with University of California - San Diego
  • Sponsored research, subcontracts and collaborative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with NIH and defense agencies, universities and companies for clients with novel technologies and funding sources, including government grants and private grant programs. Recent work for AesRx, Antidote Therapeutics, Vedantra Therapeutics, Paratek Pharmaceuticals
  • Sponsored research and license agreement with Brown University for Takeda Pharmaceuticals covering research with propriety materials of Takeda, and including specific rights and commercialization terms applicable to results
  • Advice with respect to technology access for strategic uses complementing a client’s novel approach to discovery and funding for key research with Columbia University
  • Continuing advice to nonprofit Global Alliance for TB drug development on multiple matters for exchanges of materials, including for studies of combination therapies for tuberculosis among multiple parties; standardized documents with hybrid terms covering research and commercialization rights for results among mix of non-profit research entities and industry

Community +

Community –

Joe is or has been involved in a wide range of philanthropic and community organizations, including:

  • The Center for Discovery. Pro bono counsel for R&D initiatives at a leading provider of medical and clinical care and education services for people with complex developmental disabilities.
  • Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Partners in Health. Pro bono counsel for an international health services joint venture.
  • Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Board of DirectorsTrustees.
  • Partners Healthcare Center for Personalized Genetic Medicine, Genetics Advisory Council, past member.
  • Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, Medical Science and Technology Council, past member.
  • CAVU Foundation, Board of Directors, past member. CAVU  supported community programs that enhance the health care of underserved children in Massachusetts.
  • Venturing Out, Board of Directors, past member. Venturing Out was an innovative not-for-profit organization that taught entrepreneurship to incarcerated and court-involved adults and high-risk youth.
  • The Possible Project, Co-Founder of a not-for-profit that helps young people imagine, create and run their own business.
  • Slow Money, Maine and New York chapters. Joe worked with leadership to create pathways for individuals and families to provide financial assistance to farmers and agriculture businesses promoting sustainable local food systems. He also developed novel “patient loan” structures that have been used to raise critical financing for businesses that are re-building agricultural and fisheries food infrastructures.

Joe has spoken on business law and ethics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Program of Health Sciences and Technology), Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan (Net Impact Conference), and Boston College Law School.

Joe was a member of the National Finance Council and actively involved in the voter protection team for the Stacey Abrams for Governor campaign.

Bar Admissions
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
Education 
  • ‍William & Mary Law School, J.D.
  • Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, B.S.F.S.
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