Morrison Foerster Welcomes Prominent Life Sciences Partner Kathleen Kean in Boston

(March 25, 2026) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Kathleen Kean as a partner in the Life Sciences Transactions + Licensing and Technology Transactions Groups in the Boston office. Kean brings more than 20 years of combined private practice and in-house experience advising biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and medical device companies on complex licensing, commercialization, and multibillion-dollar collaboration and M&A-adjacent transactions.

Kean joins Morrison Foerster from another leading global firm, where she led numerous high-profile life sciences transactions. Kean’s extensive life sciences experience includes counseling clients in connection with licensing arrangements, collaboration agreements, pre-clinical, clinical and commercial contracts, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring transactions, and IP migration transactions. She routinely acts as outside general counsel for biotech companies in managing their licensing and contract needs. Kean’s presence adds immediate senior-level depth further expanding the firm’s life sciences transactions and licensing capabilities. Earlier in her career, Kean served as in-house counsel at two Boston-based global biotech and technology corporations.

“We are seeing increased demand, particularly from sophisticated multinational life sciences clients seeking deep experience in licensing, collaboration structures, and commercialization arrangements,” said Matt Karlyn, Morrison Foerster Life Sciences Transactions + Licensing partner. “Kathleen’s significant life sciences transactions experience fits squarely within these in-demand areas, making her an outstanding and meaningful strategic addition to the team, to the Boston office, and to the firm.”

“Morrison Foerster is a life sciences and technology industry leader with a tremendous global platform and transactional capabilities,” said Kean. “I am thrilled at the prospect of growing my practice on the ground in Boston’s thriving market and collaborating with my new colleagues across the firm’s offices to help our life sciences and biotech clients solve their most complex, cutting-edge transactions and licensing matters.”