Join LES-SVC for a high-impact, in-person event bringing together legal, licensing, and business development leaders shaping the future of life sciences innovation and dealmaking. Hosted at Wilson Sonsini’s Palo Alto HQ, this lunch session delivers a unique combination of data-driven insights, real-world deal experience, and networking with Silicon Valley’s biotech and licensing professionals.
AGENDA
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Registration, Lunch, and Networking
12:00 PM – 1:20 PM: Program (Keynote, LES Life Sciences Survey Preview, Panel Discussion)
1:20 PM – 2:00 PM: Networking
KEYNOTE CONVERSATION
Ian B. Edvalson, Partner, Technology Transactions at Wilson Sonsini (bio), will kick off the event with a strategic talk on building durable relationships in today’s high-stakes licensing environment.
DATA SPOTLIGHT
Natalie J. Punnilathil, Ph.D., Director of Business Development & Licensing at Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, will provide a brief preview of the 2025 LES Life Sciences Royalty Rates and Deal Terms Survey, which offers exclusive benchmarking data and trends across upfronts, royalties, milestones, and more.
EXPERT PANEL DISCUSSION
Join a panel discussion moderated by Natalie that will bring together diverse experts to discuss the current state of life sciences licensing, exploring the dominant trends in deal-making, from upfront payments and royalty structures to the most sought-after therapeutic areas and technologies. Panelists will highlight the critical challenges faced by both licensors and licensees, and explore key trends, deal dynamics, early-stage valuation challenges, and emerging opportunities, offering actionable advice for navigating this evolving field.
PANELISTS
Cristina Ghenoiu, Ph.D., Partner, Mubadala Capital
Cristina Ghenoiu is a partner in Mubadala Capital’s venture business, focusing on biotech investments. She came to Mubadala from RA Capital, where she was a principal on the venture team. Prior to that, while a vice president on the biotech team at Longitude Capital, she helped spin out, amongst others, Rivus (scientific co-founder), 89bio (ETNB), and Epirium Bio, which she joined and served as senior vice president, R&D operations & new product planning. Before Longitude Capital, Cristina was an associate analyst in Biotechnology Equity Research at TD Cowen covering publicly traded large and smid cap biotech stocks. Cristina trained as a postdoc at The Rockefeller University, published first author papers in Science, Molecular Cell and JCB; holds a PhD in Chromosome and Cell Biology from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry from Mount Holyoke College, Magna cum laude and High Honors for Computational Quantum Chemistry Thesis.
Timothy Herpin, Ph.D., Fractional CBO to multiple biotech startups
Tim Herpin has over 20 years of business development experience in biotech and pharmaceutical companies. Until recently, he was Chief Business Officer at Santa Ana Bio, a precision immunology company developing antibodies and ADCs for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. During the pandemic, he served as Vice President, Janssen Business Development, Infectious Diseases and Vaccines, leading the strategy and planning of all business development activities in support of the therapeutic area. Before J&J, he was the Chief Business Officer at Caribou Biosciences, a privately held gene editing company based in the Bay Area. Prior to that, Tim was Vice-President, Head of Transactions at AstraZeneca and led a group of business development professionals involved in all aspects of transaction negotiation and execution. Tim joined AstraZeneca in 2011 as Vice-President, Strategic Partnering and Business Development, covering all business development activities for the Neuroscience disease area and subsequently for the Oncology disease area. Prior to AstraZeneca, Tim spent eight years in the business development organization at Bristol-Myers Squibb, covering both search and evaluation as well as transactions in multiple disease areas. Over his business development career, Tim has led deals of all sizes from research collaborations to multi-billion M&A, and deals of all shapes from licensing transactions to Series B financing. Tim started his career as a medicinal chemist at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Aventis, and Pharmacopeia.
Todd Pazdera, Ph.D., Director, Business Development, UCSF Innovation Ventures
Todd has over 15 years of business development and licensing experience and is currently the director of BD and Licensing in Innovation Ventures at UCSF. Todd leads both the EOD and Licensing teams which are engaged in identifying, prioritizing, developing and partnering UCSF innovations. Todd and his teams also lead efforts to cultivate and launch new startups based on UCSF discoveries. Todd received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and a B.S. in Cell and Structural biology from the University of Illinois.
David Pirko, Partner, Technology Transactions, WSGR
David Pirko represents leading life science companies and venture capital investors in strategic transactional and corporate matters, including partnering and collaboration agreements, licensing agreements, services agreements, clinical trial agreements, manufacturing and supply agreements and other complex transactional matters, as well as in corporate formations, corporate governance, venture financings, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic corporate matters. David’s practice extends from startups to public companies operating in all sectors of the life sciences industry. David regularly counsels his clients with respect to complex transactions with major biopharmaceutical companies, leading investors, and internationally recognized public and private research universities and institutions.
Prior to joining the firm, David was an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP, where he represented clients in complex litigations. He also served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Janis Sammartino of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
.png){kind=logo}
