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James Halstead is a partner in the Corporate Practice and is resident in Covington's London office.
Mr. Halstead advises on a range of corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, public and private financings, and restructurings. Mr. Halstead also advises on commercial transactions including technology transfers, intellectual property pipeline arrangements, licensing and joint ventures.
Mr. Halstead acts for companies at all stages of development, as well as investors and management teams. His practice covers a wide range of industries; he has particular expertise in advising on deals in the life sciences and technology sectors.
According to Chambers UK (2017), "he is experienced in venture capital investments, which helps make the negotiation and drafting of transaction documents more efficient."
- Central European Media Enterprises Ltd., a company listed on NASDAQ and the Prague Stock Exchange, in the $262.2 million sale of its broadcast operations in Croatia (“Nova TV”) and in Slovenia (“POP TV”) to a subsidiary of United Group B.V, a private company which is majority owned by U.S. investment firm KKR.
- Advised the management team on The Foundry’s investment from HgCapital under the terms of which HgCapital assumed majority ownership from The Carlyle Group for an enterprise value of £200 million ($312 million USD). The Foundry is a leading provider of award-winning creative software.
- Advised Nikon Corporation on its €72 million public takeover over of Metris NV, a Belgian metrology company listed on Euronext Brussels.
- Advised Johnson & Johnson on the sale of its vaccine manufacturing business in Solna, Sweden to Valneva, a French pharmaceutical company listed on Euronext, Paris.
- Advised OCP S.A. a leading producer of phosphate rock and phosphoric acid, on its acquisition of approximately 10% of the share capital of, and on its entry into a long-term supply agreement with, Brazilian listed fertilizer company, Fertilizantes Heringer S.A.
- Advised hit musical producer, Cameron Mackintosh Limited, on its acquisition of the Victoria Palace Theatre, London.
- Advised Axis-Shield plc, on the £235 million all cash public takeover offer from Alere, Inc., a U.S. company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Axis-Shield develops and manufactures diagnostic testing equipment and was then dual listed in London and Oslo.
- Advised Spanish pharmaceutical company, Laboratorios Esteve, S.A. in a global multi-programme discovery and development collaboration, with payments potentially exceeding $1 billion, with Mundipharma Laboratories GmbH and its independent associated company, Purdue Pharmaceuticals LP, to bring to market important next generation products for the management of pain.
- Advised AstraZeneca and MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, on the acquisition of Spirogen, a privately-held biotech company focused on antibody-drug conjugate technology for use in oncology.
- Advised the visual effects (VFX) software company, The Foundry, on its acquisition of Luxology LLC and various other corporate and commercial matters.
- Advised ReNeuron Group plc, an AIM listed stem cell therapy company, on its £33m fund raising.
- Advised Imperial Innovations on various investments, including portfolio companies Crescendo Biologics and Inivata.
- Advising Abingworth on its investment in GammaDelta Therapeutics Ltd, an immunotherapy company.
- Advised the syndicate of investors, including Imperial Innovations, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Inc., Cambridge Innovation Capital and Woodford Patient Capital Trust, on their £31.5 million Series A investment in Inivata Limited, a clinical cancer genomics company employing the precision of ctDNA analysis to improve personalized healthcare in oncology.
- Advised Kesios Therapeutics on its £19 million Series A financing by a syndicate of investors including SVLS, Imperial Innovations and Abingworth. Kesios is developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of multiple myeloma and other cancers.
- Advised Johnson & Johnson on the acquisition of XO1 Limited, an asset-centric biopharmaceutical company founded to develop the anti-thrombin antibody ichorcumab.
- Advised GammaDelta Therapeutics Limited on a strategic collaboration with Takeda to develop GammaDelta Therapeutics’ novel T cell platform, which is based on the unique properties of gamma delta (γδ) T cells derived from human tissues.
July 12, 2017
LONDON—Covington is advising Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME) on the sale of its broadcast operations in Croatia and Slovenia to Slovenia Broadband S.à r.l for approximately $262.2 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2017. CME is a NASDAQ-listed media and entertainment company operating leading businesses in six Central and ...
March 29, 2017, Covington Alert
A number of new pieces of legislation have recently come into force or are due to come into force shortly which impose certain reporting obligations on both companies and limited liability partnerships in the UK.
March 17, 2017
LONDON—Covington advised AstraZeneca on its strategic collaboration with Circassia Pharmaceuticals plc, a respiratory biopharmaceutical company, for the development and commercialisation of Tudorza and Duaklir* in the U.S. Tudorza and Duaklir are inhaled respiratory medicines for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Tudorza was ...
March 16, 2016, Covington Alert
Covington Advises Esteve on Global Collaboration
January 15, 2015
LONDON, January 15, 2015 — Covington & Burling advised Laboratorios Esteve, S.A. (Esteve) in a global multi-programme discovery and development collaboration with Mundipharma Laboratories GmbH and its independent associated company, Purdue Pharmaceuticals LP, to bring to market important next generation products for the management of pain. Under the agreements, ...
January 15, 2015
LONDON, January 15, 2015 — Covington & Burling advised OCP S.A. on the acquisition of approximately 10% of the share capital of Brazilian listed fertilizer company, Fertilizantes Heringer S.A., for R$145.415.034,00 (approximately US$55 million) and on a long-term supply agreement for phosphatebased products. OCP Group is the largest global producer of phosphate ...
Starting the Commercialisation Process – What Issues do you need to Address
January 28, 2014, NanoEntrepreneurs Workshop "What does it take to commercialise micro & nanoscale research & development?
Covington Advises AstraZeneca/ MedImmune on Acquisition of Spirogen and Investment in and Collaboration with ADC Therapeutics
October 18, 2013
LONDON, 18 October, 2013 — AstraZeneca announced that MedImmune, its global biologics research and development arm, has acquired Spirogen, a privately-held biotech company focused on antibody-drug conjugate technology for use in oncology. Covington & Burling advised AstraZeneca on the transaction working alongside AstraZeneca’s in-house legal team. MedImmune has ...
July 22, 2013
LONDON, 22 July, 2013 — Covington & Burling acted for AIM listed stem cell therapy company, ReNeuron Group plc, on its £33 million fund raising. ReNeuron today announced that £25.35 million (before expenses) will be raised through an oversubscribed placing of new shares to fund the company’s therapeutic programmes through Phase II trials, together with a £7.8 ...
April 6, 2012
LONDON, 6 April, 2012 — Covington & Burling advised ReNeuron Group plc, an AIM-listed clinical stage stem cell business, in connection with a firm placing and open offer to existing shareholders to raise up to £9.4 million before expenses. In addition, investors in the firm placing are being issued warrants to subscribe for ordinary shares, which could raise up ...
March 5, 2012, Inside EU Life Sciences
Article originally published in PLC Life Sciences Handbook 2012 M&A in the life sciences sector has remained robust, driven by factors such as: The need to replenish shrinking product pipelines. The need to maintain revenues as patents on top-selling products expire. The strategic diversification of business lines. Expansion into emerging ...
2012, PLC Life Sciences Handbook 2012
December 8, 2011
LONDON, 8 December, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP is pleased to announce that Kristian Wiggert has joined the firm’s European corporate group as a partner in London. Mr. Wiggert is a US-qualified lawyer with extensive experience in cross-border financings, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and securities. His practice covers a wide range of industries, ...
10/21/2011
LONDON, 21 October, 2011 — Covington & Burling LLP is advising Axis-Shield plc on the recommended £235 million all cash public takeover offer from Alere, Inc., a US company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Axis-Shield is a Scottish-Norwegian company, listed on the London and Oslo Stock Exchanges, that develops and manufactures in vitro diagnostic tests for ...
Financing UK Life Sciences
2010, PLC Life Sciences Handbook
- LMG Life Sciences Europe, Life Sciences Star - Financial & Transactional (United Kingdom) (2014-2015)
- Super Lawyers - London, Corporate Finance (2013)
- Chambers UK, Private Equity: Venture Capital Investment (2016-2017)
- Chambers UK, Life Sciences: Transactional (2011-2012)
- Legal 500 UK, M&A - Upper Mid-Market & Premium Deals (2013, 2016)
- Legal 500 UK, Venture Capital (2012, 2016)
- Legal 500 UK, Media & Entertainment (2015)
- Legal 500 UK, Equity Capital Markets (2012)
- Legal 500 UK, Flotations, Small and Mid-Cap (2011-2012)
- Legal 500 UK, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology (2011)
Practices
Industries
Education
College of Law, Chester, L.P.C., 1998
College of Law, Chester, C.P.E., 1997
University of Cambridge, B.A., 1996
Bar Admissions
- Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales