James Gubbins is a UK-qualified partner in the London office of Morrison & Foerster.

Mr. Gubbins has more than 18 years of experience in the provision of advice on IPOs and other securities issues, private equity transactions and mergers & acquisitions. His clients include corporates, private equity funds and investment banks. Mr. Gubbins’ practice covers a range of industries.

Mr. Gubbins’ recent transactions include:

• Arrow Therapeutics Ltd. Advising the shareholders of Arrow, a privately owned UK biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of anti-viral therapies, in its $150 million acquisition by AstraZeneca;
• DomantisLimited. Advising the selling shareholders of Domanits in relation to the $450 million acquisition of Domantis by GlaxoSmithKline plc;
• Hunter Fleming Ltd. Advising the selling management and shareholders of UK biotech company, Hunter Fleming Ltd, in relation to their disposal of the entire issued share capital of Hunter Fleming to Newron Pharmaceuticals Spa;
• KuDOS. Advising the shareholders of KuDOS, a privately-owned UK biotechnology company, in relation to the $210 million acquisition of KuDOS by AstraZeneca;
• Oxford Biomedicaplc. Advising Oxford Biomedica, a gene therapy company, on a proposed placing and open offer and related investment by Sigma-Aldrich to raise £30.1 million; subsequently advising the company on its £16 million acquisition of Oxxon Therapeutics, a UK based company developing immunotherapies to treat cancer and chronic infectious diseases;
• Oxford ImmunotecLimited. Advising on a number of transactions including in relation to a $40 million financing round, the second largest financing round for 2 years for a European diagnostics company;
• Silverjetplc. Advising Silverjet plc on its IPO on AIM raising £24 million. Also advising on a £12 million placing and £10 million convertible loan from TFB (Mortgages) Ltd.

Mr. Gubbins spent a number of years with Clifford Chance and joined Morrison & Foerster in 2005 from the London office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges.