Christopher Barnstable-Brown

Practice Areas

Chris Barnstable-Brown, vice chair of WilmerHale’s Corporate Practice and co-chair of the M&A Practice, focuses his nationally recognized practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and financing transactions, with particular emphasis on the technology and life sciences industries. Client sources in Chambers USA (Corporate/M&A) said, “Chris gives practical, actionable advice. He has a great disposition and is a great business person,” adding that “he has excellent awareness of client priorities and is very effective at negotiating constructively to find solutions to difficult issues,” and that “it’s a pleasure to work with him.”

Chris advises a diverse array of clients, including public and private companies, venture capital funds and private equity sponsors, and financial institutions. He regularly advises on bet-the-company M&A and strategic transactions across industries, as well as a range of corporate governance, financing, public company and emerging company matters. Chris has particular expertise working with technology, life sciences, fintech and AI-focused companies, investors and sponsors.

Chris has been repeatedly recognized as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by, among others, Chambers USA (New York), The Legal 500, The M&A Advisor and New York Super Lawyers. Chris is a frequent speaker and author on corporate and M&A matters, and he has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg Law and Law360. Chris has recently led transactions for Medtronic, Google Ventures, Biogen, Blue Apron, RA Capital, Telix Pharmaceuticals, Climb Bio, Solid Biosciences, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Revvity (f/k/a PerkinElmer), EquityZen, Mersana, Marley Spoon, Bluestone Equity Partners, IVERIC Bio, Leerink Partners and Goldman Sachs.

Work Highlights

Medtronic plc on numerous M&A and strategic transactions, including its acquisitions of Avenu Medical and Visionsense, its strategic transaction with Cosmo Pharmaceuticals to pursue artificial intelligence driven medtech devices, and $337 million product funding arrangements with Blackstone

Blue Apron in numerous transactions, including its “asset-light” asset sale transaction with FreshRealm and subsequent sale to Wonder Group, founded by Marc Lore

Various investment funds on numerous transactions, including: Google Ventures’ investments in various private companies; RA Capital in PIPE investments in Vor Biopharma, Inhibrx, UroGen and SAB BIO; and Bluestone Equity’s investments in Qloo and Rhombus

Telix Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of QSAM Biosciences

Revvity (f/k/a PerkinElmer) in its acquisition of Oxford Immunotec for $591 million

Climb Bio in its acquisition of Tenet Medicines, and concurrent PIPE financing

Durata Therapeutics in its sale to Allergan for $675 million plus CVRs of up to $155 million

Amplitude Healthcare Acquisition Corporation in its $550 million deSPAC business combination with Jasper Therapeutics

Solid Biosciences in its acquisition of AavantiBio, and concurrent PIPE financing

PTC Therapeutics in its acquisition of Agilis Biotherapeutics

CARISMA Therapeutics in its merger with Sesen Bio, and concurrent PIPE financing

WeWork in numerous acquisition and sale transactions, including in respect of Teem Technologies, Prolific Interactive, SpaceIQ and Conductor

Private equity firm Lindsay Goldberg in its acquisition of the Applied Technology Division of Computer Sciences Corporation

Archer Daniels Midland Company in its agreement to acquire GrainCorp Ltd. of Australia for $3.5 billion

ZebiAI Therapeutics in its acquisition by Relay Therapeutics

Leerink Partners as financial advisor in connection with the merger between ARS Pharmaceuticals and Silverback Therapeutics

Acquco in its $160 million Series A financing

XLMedia plc in its acquisition of the CBWG sports media, gaming and betting business

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals in its merger with AcelRx Pharmaceuticals and its later agreement to be acquired by Melinta Therapeutics

Career

Before joining WilmerHale, Chris was a corporate associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP and a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin, Jr. of the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Chris was born in Louisville, Kentucky.

Professional Memberships

Bar Admissions:

New York

Publications

2026 M&A Report - WilmerHale

SEC Exemptive Order Authorizes Accelerated Tender Offers - WilmerHale

2024 IPO Report - WilmerHale

Awards

Experience

Clerkships

The Hon. Boyce F. Martin, Jr., US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Education