John W. Campbell, III

Partner

San Francisco, (415) 268-7197

Download vCard

Education

Duke University (A.B., 1979)
;
Yale Law School (J.D., 1982)

Practices

Emerging Companies + Venture Capital

Corporate

Capital Markets

Bar Admissions

California

Clerkships

U.S. District Court, C.D. California (1982-1983)

John Campbell has focused his practice on transactional matters, including venture capital finance, public and private placements of securities by domestic and foreign issuers, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Campbell has completed more than 200 venture capital financing transactions for companies, venture capital firms and private investors, including equity, debt, recapitalization, restructuring and other transactions. He has advised on more than 50 public securities offerings, including more than 20 initial public offerings, and hundreds of acquisition transactions ranging in size from a million dollars or less to more than $40 billion. Mr. Campbell assists clients in resolving complex business structuring, legal and regulatory issues.

Mr. Campbell's practice experience includes semiconductors, optics, software, life sciences, finance, consumer products and media. His clients have included some of the largest and most successful companies in these sectors, as well as early stage ventures.

Mr. Campbell served as co-chair of Morrison & Foerster's Life Science Group from 2004 through 2008. He was as a member of the supervisory board of VPSA and the manager of FCPR (formerly Viventus Partners), the venture capital and private equity division of Vivendi Universal.

InvenSense Funding.

Represented InvenSense, the leading provider of integrated motion sensing solutions for mobile and consumer applications, in $11 million in Series B funding.

InvenSense $19-million in Series C Funding.

Secured $19 million in Series C funding for InvenSense from key strategic investors from Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.

Dynavax Technologies Corp. $45-million IPO.

Represented Dynavax Technologies Corporation in its $45-million initial public offering of common stock.

Textainer Group Holdings Limited\'s $148.5-million IPO.

Successfully closed a $148.5-million initial public offering of common shares by Textainer Group Holdings Limited, the world's largest lessor of intermodal containers based on fleet size.

Strategic Patent Counseling.

Assisted an entrepreneur in assessing a patent that was available for licensing as well as identified some unique aspects of the potential market to help in investment decisions.

Sale of Westaff, Inc. in a merger transaction with Select Staffing.

Successfully completed the sale of Westaff, Inc., a leading provider of staffing services, in a public merger transaction with Select Staffing, including the negotiation of the definitive merger agreement in connection with a distressed target and the filing of the proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for a special meeting of stockholders to approve the merger.

Aviir Series B Funding.

Represented Aviir in $15-million Series B financing from Bay City Capital, New Leaf Ventures, Aberdare Ventures, Ritchie Capital, and Pfizer Corporation.

Astellas Pharma Inc. $537 million Acquisition

Represented Astellas Pharma Inc., Japan's second-largest drug maker, in its acquisition of Agensys Inc., a leading U.S.-based biotechnology unit developing several novel cancer treatments.

Astellas Phama Inc. $815 Million Acquisition.

Represented Astellas Pharma Inc. in its $815 million acquisition of rest of world rights to certain products being developed by FibroGen Inc.

Century Theatres, Inc. Acquisition

Advised Century Theatres, Inc., and its parent Syufy Enterprises LP, on its $1.05-billion acquisition by Cinemark USA, Inc.

BetaWave Corporation $10.3-million PIPE Transaction.

Successfully completed the sale of $10.3-million senior convertible notes and related warrants by GoFish Corporation (now known as Betawave Corporation) in PIPE transaction and the filing of subsequent resale registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Betawave Corp. Loan Transaction.

Successfully advised Betawave Corp. in securing a secured loan transaction involving revolving credit lines and accounts receivable-based borrowings.