Jeffrey P. Libson is a Corporate and Securities partner in the Berwyn office of Pepper Hamilton LLP. He is the head of the firm’s life sciences practice. Mr. Libson’s practice is devoted primarily to the areas of securities law, venture financing, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and the commercialization, licensing and acquisition of intellectual property.
He represents a number of publicly traded and closely held life science companies in ongoing representations as outside general counsel. He also represents a number of nonprofit entities that support the life sciences industry.
Within the securities and venture financing practice areas, Mr. Libson has represented investment banks and issuers in public offerings (including initial public offerings) and private placements of equity and debt securities, and has represented both funding sources and companies in venture financing transactions.
Within the mergers and acquisitions practice area, Mr. Libson has represented buyers, sellers and investors in numerous acquisition, disposition and combination transactions, affecting both public and private companies. Company industries include biotech, diagnostics, pharmaceutical, health care and e-health, and communications, among others.
Within the intellectual property practice area, Mr. Libson has represented numerous companies, including pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, consumer products companies, computer software developers and R&D contractors, in corporate partnering transactions, the acquisition and licensing of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets, and in the development of new products and technologies.
Mr. Libson is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the specialties of biotechnology law and venture capital law and in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business for his experience in mergers and acquisitions and private equity. He was selected as a Life Science Star in LMG Life Sciences 2012. He also was selected for inclusion on the 2012 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers list and was named to the 2011 Legal Elite list by Philadelphia SmartCEO magazine. Mr. Libson is a recipient of the Entrepreneurial Advocate Award given in connection with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Innovation Awards. In 2011, he was recognized as Best Consultant to the life sciences industry in connection with the Philadelphia Business Journal Life Sciences Awards program.
Representative transactions in which Mr. Libson has participated include the following. He has represented:
- a publicly traded biotechnology company in the establishment of a “universal shelf” registration statement and an $80 million underwritten “take down” public offering
- a publicly traded biotechnology company in a $150 million private placement of convertible debt under Rule 144A
- the largest U.S. biotechnology venture capital fund and other venture capital funds in more than 200 financing and related transactions
- a biotechnology company in a coordinated international licensing and development program, including the licensing of patents and trade secrets from multiple U.S. and foreign patent holders, the negotiation and documentation of research and development agreements with multiple U.S. and foreign research institutions, and the negotiation and documentation of debt and equity financing to fund the research and development program
- a U.S. government-funded program for maximizing manufacturing agility in the development and organization of a consortium of manufacturers and service providers formed to develop and manufacture products utilizing agile manufacturing practices
- a biotechnology company in a “corporate partnering” transaction with a multinational corporation, which included elements of research and development, intellectual property licensing, product manufacture and supply, along with a significant equity investment by the multinational corporation in the biotechnology company
- a venture capital-backed biotechnology company (vaccine development) in connection with its merger into a publicly traded biotechnology company
- a biotechnology company in connection with a multi-million dollar private placement of its common stock
- a biotechnology venture capital fund in several public offerings of “portfolio company” securities
- several biotechnology companies in initial, follow-on and mezzanine venture capital and institutional equity financing transactions
- a regional investment bank in public offerings of securities
- a majority shareholder of a public company in the sale of the company through a merger funded by a foreign public offering
- a German pharmaceutical company in the purchase of a U.S. manufacturer of prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical products
- a consumer products company in the sale of several product lines
- an R&D company in the licensing of a new health care product to a major consumer products company.
Mr. Libson is the secretary and a member of the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association. He also is active in the community. He was co-chairman of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Venture Conference as well as co-chairman of the 2004 and 2003 Biotech Symposia jointly sponsored by the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association and the Biotechnology Council of New Jersey. He also was the inaugural co-chairman of the 2003 Early Stage East Bio-Life-Tech venture capital conference. He is the 2003 recipient of the Entrepreneurial Advocate award given in connection with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Ben Franklin Innovation Awards.
Mr. Libson is an adjunct professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches a graduate business course on life sciences entrepreneurship. He also is an adjunct professor in the Lehigh University School of Business and Economics where he teaches entrepreneurship and venture capital financing.
