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William T. Whelan

Member

[email protected]

+1.617.348.1869

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Bill applies his extensive mergers and acquisitions and venture capital financing experience primarily to deal work for life sciences companies. He helps clients thrive at every stage of the corporate life cycle by piloting them through the initial organization phase, stock and debt financings, IPOs, alliances, and business combinations. He ably advises biotechnology, medical technology, healthcare IT, and other types of technology companies. Bill also counsels venture capital firms about their portfolio investments.

Bill focuses his practice on securities law, venture capital, and mergers and acquisitions. He regularly represents technology-based companies, principally in the areas of biotechnology, medical technologies, healthcare IT, and other technology sectors. He routinely counsels these clients on many aspects of their corporate development, from initial organization and acquisition of technology, through private financing and initial public offering, to strategic alliances and business combination transactions. He regularly represents venture capital firms in portfolio investment activities and underwriters in public offerings and private placements of equity securities. Bill is also a key contributor to MintzEdge, an online resource for entrepreneurs that includes useful tools and information for starting and growing a company.

Bill is a member of Mass Medical Angels and the New England Healthcare Executives Network, and regularly participates in activities of BIO and MassMEDIC.

During law school, he served as editor-in-chief of the Boston University Law Review. Bill is a former law clerk to the Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Bill applies his extensive mergers and acquisitions and venture capital financing experience primarily to deal work for life sciences companies. He helps clients thrive at every stage of the corporate life cycle by piloting them through the initial organization phase, stock and debt financings, IPOs, alliances, and business combinations. He ably advises biotechnology, medical technology, healthcare IT, and other types of technology companies. Bill also counsels venture capital firms about their portfolio investments.

Experience

Mergers & Acquisitions

  • Represented Censa Pharmaceuticals in its option/collaboration/acquisition transaction with Retrophin (NASDAQ: RTRX)
  • Represented Allegro Diagnostics in its merger with Veracyte, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCYT)
  • Represented Ember Corporation in its merger with Silicon Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ: SLAB)
  • Represented Pluromed, Inc. in its merger with Sanofi
  • Represented Boston Biomedical, Inc. in its merger with Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd.
  • Represented Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALP) in its merger with PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI)
  • Represented Visigen Biotechnologies, Inc. in its merger with Invitrogen Corporation (currently known as Life Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LIFE))
  • Represented V.I. Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: VITX) in its merger with Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PANC)
  • Represented EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EPIX) in its merger with Predix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • Represented Caliper Life Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: CALP) in its merger with Xenogen Corporation (NASDAQ: XGEN)
  • Represented Focus Technologies Holding Company in its acquisition by Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE: DGX)
  • Represented the MacGregror Group, Inc. in its acquisition by Investment Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE: ITG)

Public & Private Offerings for Public Companies

  • Represented Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX) in its initial public offering
  • Represented NuCana (NASDAQ: NCNA) in its initial public offering
  • Represented Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICPT) in its initial public offering
  • Represented BG Medicine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BGMD) in its initial public offering
  • Represented Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: COLY) in its initial public offering
  • Represented Panacos Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: PANC) in a follow-on public offering
  • Represented EPIX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EPIX) in its initial public offering and a Rule 144A offering of convertible notes
  • Represented Predix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in its initial public offering

Venture Capital Financings

  • Represented Quanterix Corporation in its Series D Preferred Stock financing
  • Represented Vedanta Biosciences in its Series B Preferred Stock financing
  • Represented ERX Pharmacueticals, Inc. in its initial institutional preferred stock financing
  • Represented Caribou Biosciences, Inc. in its Series B Preferred Stock financing
  • Represented Biogen Inc. in its preferred stock investment in Yumanity, Inc.
  • Represented Anchor Therapeutics, Inc. in various preferred stock and debt financings
  • Represented Pulmatrix, Inc. in various preferred stock and debt financings
  • Represented Luminus Devices, Inc. in various preferred stock and debt financings
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viewpoints

This edition covers return-to-work challenges, insight on patenting AI innovations, FDA guidance on medical devices, transactional and IP activity in the life sciences, and recent Mintz work for life sciences clients.
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The Mintz and Mergermarket report on recent M&A activity in the life sciences sector examines deal drivers and companies’ post-closing integration experiences.
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News & Press

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187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

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BOSTON – Mintz has earned top rankings in the 2023 edition of Legal 500 United States guide. The firm is recognized in 14 practice categories, and 59 individual attorneys are also recognized in the guide, some in more than one category.

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Mintz represented CXL Ophthalmics (CXLO), a clinical-stage company developing a minimally-invasive treatment for keratoconus, in a $32 million Series A round of fundraising.

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Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz Member and Co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Practice William Whelan was quoted in an article published by Fierce Pharma discussing the findings of a Mintz / Mergermarket report, which provides insight into recent M&A activity and market views, as well as interesting comparatives to the previous year.
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Mintz Member and Co-chair of the firm's Life Sciences Practice William Whelan was selected to participate in Law360’s 2021 Life Sciences Editorial Advisory Board, which is a designated group of attorneys that provide feedback on the publication’s life sciences news coverage and insights on how best to shape future coverage.
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Mintz Member and Co-chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Practice William Whelan was quoted in an article published by STAT on valuations of biotech companies.
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In New Report, Dealmakers across the Life Sciences Industry Identify Top Deal Drivers, Successful Integration Strategies, and More.
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In the latest guide, Mintz garnered rankings as a top national firm in eight practice areas, and 32 firm attorneys were individually recognized.
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Mintz Member and Co-Chair of the firm’s Life Sciences Practice William T. Whelan was among the industry leaders featured in an article published by The American Lawyer on the ongoing success of several big law life science practices in 2020, including Mintz, despite economic difficulties created by COVID-19.
Mintz represents NuCana, which completed its approximately $114 million initial public offering. The United Kingdom-based clinical-stage company focuses on improving treatment outcomes for patients with cancer.
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Best Lawyers named 85 Mintz attorneys to its 2018 list of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, Mintz attorneys Matthew J. Gardella and Samuel M. Tony Starr were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Mintz has been named an official sponsor of the Powering Precision Health Summit 2016. The summit brings together the world’s foremost physicians, scientists, and health and technology innovators to present the latest technologies that are advancing personalized medicine.
Firm’s National Healthcare Practice, NY Corporate/M&A and Litigation: General Commercial Among Newest Rankings
The 2015 Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide names 52 Mintz, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C.  attorneys as “Leaders in Their Fields.”
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Events & Speaking

Speaker
Chair
Jun
1
2023

M&A Panel on Current Trends in the HCLS Industry

9th Annual IBA World Life Sciences Conference

Conference Reference Image
Panelist
Oct
23
2019
Speaker
Apr
5
2019
Moderator
Oct
27
2017

MassMEDIC MedTech Showcase

Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council

Westin Hotel, 70 3rd Ave, Waltham, MA

Panelist
Dec
6
2016

Northeast M&A and Life Sciences Innovation Forum

Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute

Boston, MA

Moderator
May
6
2015

Boston Biotech CEO Conference

Boston Biotech Conferences

Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

Moderator
Mar
27
2015

Innovative Ways to Fund Your Early Stage Company

MassBio 2015 Annual Meeting

Royal Sonseta Hotel, Cambridge, MA

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Bill applies his extensive mergers and acquisitions and venture capital financing experience primarily to deal work for life sciences companies. He helps clients thrive at every stage of the corporate life cycle by piloting them through the initial organization phase, stock and debt financings, IPOs, alliances, and business combinations. He ably advises biotechnology, medical technology, healthcare IT, and other types of technology companies. Bill also counsels venture capital firms about their portfolio investments.

Recognition & Awards

  • Recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Healthcare: Life Sciences (2013, 2015 - 2022, 2024)

  • Chambers USA: Massachusetts – Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions (2014 – 2017)

  • Best Lawyers in America: Biotechnology and Life Sciences Practice (2013 – 2025); Securities and Capital Markets Law (2023 – 2025)

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent

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Bill applies his extensive mergers and acquisitions and venture capital financing experience primarily to deal work for life sciences companies. He helps clients thrive at every stage of the corporate life cycle by piloting them through the initial organization phase, stock and debt financings, IPOs, alliances, and business combinations. He ably advises biotechnology, medical technology, healthcare IT, and other types of technology companies. Bill also counsels venture capital firms about their portfolio investments.

Involvement

  • Editorial Board, Life Sciences, Law360 2022
  • Past member, MIT Innovations Committee
  • Member, American Bar Association
  • Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
  • Member, Boston Bar Association
  • Member, 4th Annual International Bar Association (IBA) World Life Sciences Conference Supporting Committee (2016)
  • Member, Mass Medical Angels
  • Member of the Advisory Board of Boston Ballet
  • Member, Japan Society of Boston
  • Board Member, Animal Rescue League of Boston
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