Milan Thakker

Advised Novartis on its 2015 portfolio transformation (three-part asset swap with GlaxoSmithKline Plc (GSK)), and particularly (i) the up to US$ 7.1 billion (inc. milestones) sale of Novartis’ vaccines business to GSK, and (ii) the creation of a joint venture, with 2013 pro forma revenues of £6.5 billion, involving the combination of Novartis’ OTC business with GSK’s consumer health business.

Advised a large European pharmaceutical company on a series of divestitures of rights to a variety of mature ophthalmology, oncology, and dermatology products, with deal values of between US$15 million and US$200 million across various geographies, and the associated licensing of intellectual property and provision of manufacturing and supply services.

Advised Novartis on the up to US$210 million divestment of the U.S. rights to Proleukin (aldesleukin) to the Clinigen Group plc, including an associated purchase option agreement with Nestlé Health Science (the exclusive U.S. distributor of Proleukin via its subsidiary, Prometheus Laboratories).

Advised Corning Incorporated in relation to the English law aspects (transaction governed by New York law) of its acquisition of a majority of Becton, Dickinson and Company's Discovery Labware unit for US$730 million.

Advised Symphony Technology Group, a California-based private equity firm focused on investing in software, Internet services, and technology-enabled business services, on:

• its minority (40%) interest in Graphnet Health Ltd, a major supplier of shared care record software for the NHS and the social care sector;
• its minority (20%) investment in Shearwater Systems Ltd, responsible for the design, development, and deployment of the Rapport range of software products, providing mobile clinical applications and health records for the NHS, care professionals, and patients;
• its acquisition of Jobrapido S.r.l., the job search engine division of the Daily Mail Group’s digital recruitment business (known as Evenbase); and
• the English law aspects (transaction governed by New York law) of its acquisition of the scientific practices division of United BioSource Corporation.

Advised Novartis on its US$355 million divestment to Alcon Inc. of the U.S. commercialization rights to Simbrenza®, a fixed combination ophthalmic suspension indicated for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension

Advised the management of Actavis, one of the world's leading generic pharmaceutical companies, in relation to the disposal of the Actavis Group to Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. for up to €4.5 billion.

Advised Novartis on its acquisition of Gyroscope Therapeutics Holdings plc, a clinical-stage gene therapy company focused on ophthalmology indications, for up to US$1.5 billion (inc. US$700 million due upon the achievement of certain milestones).

Advised Sandoz on its acquisition of GlaxoSmithKline Plc’s cephalosporin antibiotics business, comprised of three established brands (Zinnat®, Zinacef®, and Fortum®), for up to US$500 million.

Advised Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited on its acquisition of Thomas Cook Group plc's entire 77 percent stake in its Indian operations, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, for approximately £94 million.

Advised a group of holders of lower tier 2 bonds issued by The Co-operative Bank plc in relation to the governance aspects of the bank’s recapitalization plan, under which holders of the lower tier 2 bonds received a 70 percent equity stake, while The Co-operative Group retained a 30 percent equity stake.

Advised General Electric on its US$4.3 billion acquisition of the aviation business of Avio S.p.A., an Italy-based manufacturer of aviation propulsion components and systems for civil and military aircraft (and a Cinven portfolio company).

Advised a special situations fund managed by one of the UK's largest and leading investment managers (with more than US$10 billion of assets under management), on its various disposals of power and fuel barges to a range of international sellers and buyers (sale price of each power barge c. US$60 million).

Advised the China Investment Corporation on its co-investment of up to US$100 million in Eaton Towers Holdings Limited, a London-based infrastructure sharing company providing passive network infrastructure and related services to mobile telecommunications operators in Africa.

Advised Liberty Global, Inc. on the English law aspects of its stock and cash merger with Virgin Media Inc., valued at approximately US$23.3 billion.

Advised Novartis on its US$8.7 billion acquisition of AveXis Inc., a NASDAQ-listed clinical-stage gene therapy company, whose subsequently approved lead product, AVXS-101 (now marketed as Zolgensma), is the first-ever one-time gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Advised Qalaa Holdings (previously known as Citadel Capital SAE), a leading private equity firm in the Middle East and Africa, and the shareholders of its investment vehicle, Ambience Ventures Limited, on the acquisition of a controlling stake in Rift Valley Railways Investments (Pty) Ltd (RVR), the concession holding company in respect of the privatized railways in Kenya and Uganda. This mandate was after having previously advised Primefuels (Kenya) and its founder management on their RVR contribution to, and management participation in, Ambience

Advised Electra Private Equity (formerly managed by Epiris, and then known as Electra Partners) on its secondary management buy-out investment in Hotter Shoes, the UK's largest shoe manufacturer.

Advised a private investor on the management buy-out of Searcys, a catering company operating restaurants and bars from a number of landmark locations around London.

Advised Novartis on its acquisition of Spinifex Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical-stage, private, venture capital-backed company whose lead product, EMA401, had established clinical proof of concept for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Advised Viacom on its minority equity investment in Zeebox Limited, whose business is based on the "zeebox" second screen application (available on laptops, iPhones, iPads, or Android smartphones), joining an elite group of other investment and strategic partners in the media industry, including NBCUniversal, Comcast Cable, and BskyB.

Advising Francisco Partners, a leading technology-focused private equity firm based in San Francisco, in relation to the English law aspects (transaction governed by New York law) of its acquisition of the entire capital stock of Avangate Corporation N.V

Advised a major Indian conglomerate on an auction sale of its business process outsourcing business.

Advised Eland Oil & Gas Limited on two rounds of fundraising by private placement of 5 percent secured and unsecured convertible loan notes. The £105 million raised was used to fund a US$154 million acquisition from Shell, Total, and ENI of a 45 percent participating interest in an onshore oil and gas block in Nigeria.

Advising Lecta S.A. on its acquisition of PaperlinX's Italian operations, Polyedra, for an enterprise value of €45 million.

Advised a trust services arm of a major investment bank on the reorganization of the ownership structure of a South American family's supermarket business, from direct local ownership into an offshore trust holding structure, thereby minimizing the local expropriation risk (availing of a more favorable treatment afforded under international treaties).

Advised a high-profile Eastern European business magnate on the c. US$54 million acquisition of 50 percent of the equity interest in a joint venture company that owns and operates a multi-seed oil crushing plant in Ukraine.

Advised MMA Insurance on its investment in Coverzones, a price comparison website for tailor-made business insurance products, in exchange for a minority stake amongst a group of high-profile private investors.

Advising Anglo American plc in relation to the English law aspects (transaction governed by New York law) of its sale of a 4.1% shareholding in Anglo American Sur S.A., a Chilean company, to Inversiones Mineras Becrux SpA, a Chilean joint venture of Codelco and Mitsui, for cash consideration of approximately $890 million.

Advising, SunGard Data Systems Inc. in relation to the English law aspects (transaction governed by New York law) of the sale of its Higher Education businesses to affiliates of Hellman & Friedman for an aggregate cash transaction purchase price of $1.775 billion.