Six firms lead $3.2 billion pharma merger

Six firms have advised on the $3.2 billion merger between Biovail, Canada's largest public pharmaceutical company, with California-based Valeant Pharmaceuticals. Cravath, Swaine & Moore advised Biovail on the deal with a team that included corporate partner Erik Tavzel, banking and finance partner George Zobitz, tax partner Michael Schler, executive compensation chair Eric Hilfers, antitrust partner Karen DeMasi, and senior banking and finance attorney Christopher Kelly. Blakes, Cassels & Graydon M&A partner David Toswell served as Canadian counsel to Biovail, while Sullivan & Cromwell M&A partner Alison Ressler represented a special committee of the company's board of directors. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom advised Valeant on the deal with a team that included M&A partners Stephen Arcano and Jeffrey Brill, banking and finance partner Robert Copen, and tax partner David Rievman. Valeant called upon Ogilvy Renault to provide Canadian counsel, and the firm put forward a team that included M&A partners Gino Martel, Niko Veilleux, and Miguel Manzano, antitrust partner Denis Gascon, tax partner Derek Chiasson, regulatory partner Brian Daley, and banking and finance partner George Maughan. Goldman Sachs, who served as the financial advisor to Valeant, was advised by Ethan Klingsberg, an M&A partner in the New York office of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.

Six firms lead $3.2 billion pharma merger amlawdaily.typepad.com Tue, Jun 22, 2010