Launching a drug development company with novel technology from academia
Our corporate group has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs at this stage to help them optimally and efficiently select and form the appropriate legal entity
Ken Itrato
Principal
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member, Business Department,
Ken is a valued and experienced advisor to his clients in addressing a wide range of transactional, financing and strategic business issues.
He handles a wide range of strategic and funding transactions, including venture capital, private equity, angel financing, and debt and also has a strong mergers and acquisitions practice. As a trusted team member, Ken advises clients with respect to the legal implications of their day-to-day operations, from complex customer and supplier relationships to employment and equity compensation. He effectively counsels on mission-critical licensing and partnering transactions involving core assets, technologies and/or products.
Ken’s clients include entrepreneurs, venture-backed companies investors, and both closely held and publicly traded companies across various technology-based industries, including life sciences, software, SAAS, internet, and engineering technologies. His counsel has included transactions involving hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and private equity transactions. He has also assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions valued in the billions, and mission-critical licensing and partnering transactions. Ken’s vast experience includes hundreds of agreements relating to the day-to-day operations of clients, including agreements relating to sales of goods and services, joint ventures, business development, manufacturing, supply, licensing, employment and equity compensation, leases, borrowing and lending, confidentiality, and numerous other matters. Ken has been a member of the National Venture Capital Association model legal documents drafting committee.
Ken is also a member of the firm’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Council.
Ken’s clients include entrepreneurs, venture-backed companies investors, and both closely held and publicly traded companies across various technology-based industries, including life sciences, software, SAAS, internet, and engineering technologies. His counsel has included transactions involving hundreds of millions of dollars in venture capital and private equity transactions. He has also assisted clients with mergers and acquisitions valued in the billions, and mission-critical licensing and partnering transactions. Ken’s vast experience includes hundreds of agreements relating to the day-to-day operations of clients, including agreements relating to sales of goods and services, joint ventures, business development, manufacturing, supply, licensing, employment and equity compensation, leases, borrowing and lending, confidentiality, and numerous other matters. Ken has been a member of the National Venture Capital Association model legal documents drafting committee.
Ken is also a member of the firm’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee Council.
More about Ken
General corporate and transactional law
- WilmerHale
- Foley Hoag, LLP
Private Financing
Recent Company-side Equity Financings of:
- Aerium Therapeutics, Inc.
- Brillouin Energy, Inc.
- Gleason Technology, Inc.
- Liteboxer, Inc.
- Micropsi Industries GmbH
- Mnemo Therapeutics, SAS
- Muzooka, Inc.
- Neroshield, Inc.
- Apic Bio, Inc.
- Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- AnTolRx, Inc.
- Blue Oak Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Increvet, Inc.
- Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc.
- AuthAir, Inc.
- Codiscope, LLC
- Gleason Technology
- Juliet Marine Systems, Inc.
- PIC Therapeutics, Inc.
- Summation Bio, Inc.
- Synqy, Inc.
- Theragnostics Ltd.
- Vizgen, Inc.
Recent Investor-side Equity Financings:
- 5AM Ventures of Arvinas, Aurora Bio, Inc., Chrono Therapeutics, Inc., Cycloporters, Disc Medicines, Inc. EnLiven Therapeutics, Entrada, Escient Pharmaceuticals, Expansion Therapeutics, Georgiamune, Inc., Ideaya Biosciences, Impel Neuropharma, Karius, Inc., Kinaset, Inc., Latigo, Inc., Maplight Therapeutics, Inc., Nido Biosciences, Inc. Nodthera, Pear Therapeutics, Portal Instruments, Purigen Bio, RareCyte, Inc., Scientics.com, Inc., Tectonic, Inc., TMRW Life Sciences, and VOR Biopharma, Inc.
- Advanced Technology Ventures, Inc. of Artax Biopharma, Inc. and Aleta, Inc.
- Arboretum Ventures of undisclosed portfolio company
- Columbus Venture Partners of Aleta BioTherapeutics, Inc.
- Delos Capital of Zenas BioPharma, Inc.
- Family Office interests in Biolumen, Compass Beauty, FitBiomics, HBox, Jesmond Venture, Juvenescence, Majestic, Menwell, Mixlab, Optimeos, Luca Biologics, Pendulum (Wholebiome), Red Maple, Seed Health, Solarea, Sonoma Brands, Symbiome, Syocin, Ubiome, Weiss Bio, US Data Mining Corp.
- Flare Capital Partners of Annum Health, Inc.
- GIMV NV of Kinaset, Inc.
- Orbimed Advisors LLC
- Termeer family office of Advent Life Sciences, Aleta Therapeutics, Amylyx, Chrysalis Genetics, and X4 Pharma
- 5AM Ventures of Arvinas, Cycloporters, EnLiven Therapeutics, Escient Pharmaceuticals, Expansion Therapeutics, Georgiamune, Inc., Ideaya Biosciences, Impel Neuropharma, Nodthera, Pear Therapeutics, Portal Instruments, Purigen Bio, and TMRW Life Sciences,
- Private investors of Beme, Inc., Digital Animal PLC, GCM-MIR, LLC, Jetaport, Inc., MyLockBox, Inc., Plyfe, Inc., Pop and Bottle, Inc., Printi, LLC, Retail MLS, LLC, StarTek, LLC, Swaggable, Inc., and Urban Compass, Inc.
- Advent Life Sciences of Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- Accomplice, various investments
- Epidarex Capital of Nothera Ltd.
- Private Investor of X4 Pharmaceuticals and Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- Lilly Ventures of Hydra Biosciences, Inc.
- Lime Street Ventures of Volta Networks, Inc.
- MVM Partners LLP
- NOGRA Group of Elysium Health
- .406 Ventures of CloudPercept, Rapid Focus, Terbium Labs, Inc., Trilio Data and others
- Advanced Technology Ventures of Hydra Biosciences, Inc.
- Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Forma Therapeutics
Debt and venture debt financings:
- Project financing by private investor of BioStar, LLC, Eco Plexus, Xtreme Power, Blue Bird, LLP, and Advanced Building Products
- JENTEK Sensors
- Various Clients by Silicon Valley Bank
Strategic Transactions/M&A
Acquisition, Sale or Option of:
- Palette Life Sciences, Inc. to Teleflex Corporation
- Arbor Biotechnologies, Inc. acquisition of undisclosed
- Arxspan, Inc. to Bruker Company
- Straight Shot Solutions, Inc. to undisclosed
- Theragnostics, Inc. to Ariceum
- Casco Media Corp. sale of substantially all of its assets to RELX Group
- Codiscope, LLC
- DMWare, Inc. to Certica Systems, Inc.
- Faria Watchdog, Inc.
- Goodwin Group International to SAGE Inc.
- HighRes Biosolutions, Inc. to Axel Johnson, Inc.
- Immunogen (product-line sale)
- Jisto, Inc. (investor interests)
- Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc.
- Parking Edge, LLC to ParkWhiz, Inc.
- PoroGen Corporation (controlling interest to private investor)
- PoroGen Corporation to Air Liquide SA
- Profit Tools, Inc.
- Sheffield Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (multiple product lines)
- Smiths Detection (certain assets) to Vizsafe, Inc.
- UberTags, LLC to X+2, Inc.
- VGo Communications, Inc. to Vecna Technologies, Inc.
Ken has been active in various professional and community activities. He served as a mentor for the MIT $100K and ICE business plan competitions and as an advisor to CCTEC, the technology licensing office of Cornell University. Ken has also served on the Cornell University Life Sciences Board and worked with the university’s Entrepreneurial Network, as well as the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network. He is a member of the Cambridge Boat Club and Lowell’s Boat Shop.
General corporate and transactional law
- WilmerHale
- Foley Hoag, LLP
Private Financing
Recent Company-side Equity Financings of:
- Aerium Therapeutics, Inc.
- Brillouin Energy, Inc.
- Gleason Technology, Inc.
- Liteboxer, Inc.
- Micropsi Industries GmbH
- Mnemo Therapeutics, SAS
- Muzooka, Inc.
- Neroshield, Inc.
- Apic Bio, Inc.
- Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- AnTolRx, Inc.
- Blue Oak Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
- Increvet, Inc.
- Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc.
- AuthAir, Inc.
- Codiscope, LLC
- Gleason Technology
- Juliet Marine Systems, Inc.
- PIC Therapeutics, Inc.
- Summation Bio, Inc.
- Synqy, Inc.
- Theragnostics Ltd.
- Vizgen, Inc.
Recent Investor-side Equity Financings:
- 5AM Ventures of Arvinas, Aurora Bio, Inc., Chrono Therapeutics, Inc., Cycloporters, Disc Medicines, Inc. EnLiven Therapeutics, Entrada, Escient Pharmaceuticals, Expansion Therapeutics, Georgiamune, Inc., Ideaya Biosciences, Impel Neuropharma, Karius, Inc., Kinaset, Inc., Latigo, Inc., Maplight Therapeutics, Inc., Nido Biosciences, Inc. Nodthera, Pear Therapeutics, Portal Instruments, Purigen Bio, RareCyte, Inc., Scientics.com, Inc., Tectonic, Inc., TMRW Life Sciences, and VOR Biopharma, Inc.
- Advanced Technology Ventures, Inc. of Artax Biopharma, Inc. and Aleta, Inc.
- Arboretum Ventures of undisclosed portfolio company
- Columbus Venture Partners of Aleta BioTherapeutics, Inc.
- Delos Capital of Zenas BioPharma, Inc.
- Family Office interests in Biolumen, Compass Beauty, FitBiomics, HBox, Jesmond Venture, Juvenescence, Majestic, Menwell, Mixlab, Optimeos, Luca Biologics, Pendulum (Wholebiome), Red Maple, Seed Health, Solarea, Sonoma Brands, Symbiome, Syocin, Ubiome, Weiss Bio, US Data Mining Corp.
- Flare Capital Partners of Annum Health, Inc.
- GIMV NV of Kinaset, Inc.
- Orbimed Advisors LLC
- Termeer family office of Advent Life Sciences, Aleta Therapeutics, Amylyx, Chrysalis Genetics, and X4 Pharma
- 5AM Ventures of Arvinas, Cycloporters, EnLiven Therapeutics, Escient Pharmaceuticals, Expansion Therapeutics, Georgiamune, Inc., Ideaya Biosciences, Impel Neuropharma, Nodthera, Pear Therapeutics, Portal Instruments, Purigen Bio, and TMRW Life Sciences,
- Private investors of Beme, Inc., Digital Animal PLC, GCM-MIR, LLC, Jetaport, Inc., MyLockBox, Inc., Plyfe, Inc., Pop and Bottle, Inc., Printi, LLC, Retail MLS, LLC, StarTek, LLC, Swaggable, Inc., and Urban Compass, Inc.
- Advent Life Sciences of Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- Accomplice, various investments
- Epidarex Capital of Nothera Ltd.
- Private Investor of X4 Pharmaceuticals and Artax Biopharma, Inc.
- Lilly Ventures of Hydra Biosciences, Inc.
- Lime Street Ventures of Volta Networks, Inc.
- MVM Partners LLP
- NOGRA Group of Elysium Health
- .406 Ventures of CloudPercept, Rapid Focus, Terbium Labs, Inc., Trilio Data and others
- Advanced Technology Ventures of Hydra Biosciences, Inc.
- Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Forma Therapeutics
Debt and venture debt financings:
- Project financing by private investor of BioStar, LLC, Eco Plexus, Xtreme Power, Blue Bird, LLP, and Advanced Building Products
- JENTEK Sensors
- Various Clients by Silicon Valley Bank
Strategic Transactions/M&A
Acquisition, Sale or Option of:
- Palette Life Sciences, Inc. to Teleflex Corporation
- Arbor Biotechnologies, Inc. acquisition of undisclosed
- Arxspan, Inc. to Bruker Company
- Straight Shot Solutions, Inc. to undisclosed
- Theragnostics, Inc. to Ariceum
- Casco Media Corp. sale of substantially all of its assets to RELX Group
- Codiscope, LLC
- DMWare, Inc. to Certica Systems, Inc.
- Faria Watchdog, Inc.
- Goodwin Group International to SAGE Inc.
- HighRes Biosolutions, Inc. to Axel Johnson, Inc.
- Immunogen (product-line sale)
- Jisto, Inc. (investor interests)
- Lysosomal Therapeutics, Inc.
- Parking Edge, LLC to ParkWhiz, Inc.
- PoroGen Corporation (controlling interest to private investor)
- PoroGen Corporation to Air Liquide SA
- Profit Tools, Inc.
- Sheffield Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (multiple product lines)
- Smiths Detection (certain assets) to Vizsafe, Inc.
- UberTags, LLC to X+2, Inc.
- VGo Communications, Inc. to Vecna Technologies, Inc.
Ken has been active in various professional and community activities. He served as a mentor for the MIT $100K and ICE business plan competitions and as an advisor to CCTEC, the technology licensing office of Cornell University. Ken has also served on the Cornell University Life Sciences Board and worked with the university’s Entrepreneurial Network, as well as the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network. He is a member of the Cambridge Boat Club and Lowell’s Boat Shop.
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