Renata Hesse 

Hailed as a titan of antitrust law, Renata Hesse’s razor-sharp wit and keen understanding of the legal system have earned her the respect and admiration of her peers, making her a force to be reckoned with in the courtroom and beyond.

Her expertise in antitrust and IP issues, combined with her experience handling major antitrust matters, has made her a sought-after legal powerhouse, setting her apart from the rest.

In the past year, Renata has served as lead counsel for major companies on a range of high-stakes antitrust matters, including advising Seagen in the largest all-cash pharma takeover in history and the largest-ever all-cash acquisition of a pre-profitability company in any industry.

Renata also recently advised pharmaceutical company Biohaven in an innovative deal. “Biohaven is the producer of Nurtec ODT, a very successful migraine drug, and has six other drugs in development. I helped Biohaven secure antitrust approval for its $11.6 billion acquisition by Pfizer in October of 2022,” Hesse proudly recalls.

What made this deal groundbreaking? The firm’s inventive approach to including what may be the first spinoff of pipeline assets by a U.S.-listed biopharma company. The acquisition of rimegepant and zavegepant by Pfizer provided long-term benefits for New Biohaven, ensuring the company has the necessary resources to continue its research and development efforts.

“We pioneered a creative structure to optimize value to Biohaven shareholders through a spinoff to those shareholders of a new company, called New Biohaven, which would hold Biohaven’s pipeline drugs, followed by the merger of Biohaven into Pfizer. So now, New Biohaven can prioritize developing the pipeline drugs.”

By spearheading this innovative strategy, Renata has positioned New Biohaven at the forefront of developing life-changing drugs for those affected by debilitating diseases.

—Douglas Saunders