The Legal 500

Within Healthcare and life sciences, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. is a third tier firm,

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., primarily centered on Boston and Washington DC, provides corporate, compliance, finance and regulatory advice to healthcare service providers including hospitals, long-term care facilities, testing and ambulatory services. It also represents insurers and health plans, manufacturers, pharmacies and distributors as part of a comprehensive package of services. Clients include Caris Diagnostics, CVS Caremark, Immogen, Kindred Healthcare and Voyager HospiceCare. On the investment side, clients include venture capital and other funds, banks and underwriters. The well-regarded Stephen Weiner in Boston replaced Robert Clark as head of the healthcare practice after the latter departed to Ober Kaler in 2010. In the same office, biotechnology head Jeffrey Wiesen is admired for his practice.

Within M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m), tier 4

On the East Coast, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. has offices in New York, Boston, Stamford and Washington DC, while its West Coast presence is run from Los Angeles, Palo Alto and San Diego. The firm also boasts an Israeli liaison office. The practice has an established track record in the following sectors: life sciences/biotechnology; energy; telecommunications and media; financial services and insurance; health care; real estate and construction; and retail and consumer products. Boston member Jonathan Kravetz advises high technology, emerging biotechnology and medical device companies in numerous contractual and strategic matters. New York member Joel Papernik frequently guides acquisitions in the biotechnology field. Recent highlights include a cross-disciplinary team of attorneys advising Velocity Technology Solutions in its $56m cash acquisition of the Lawson and Kronos hosting business, formerly NetASPx, from NaviSite. The New York office represented NewLead Holdings, an international shipping company, in its drop-down acquisition of five dry bulk vessels, including two new builds with long-term quality time charters attached and the right of first refusal for three additional new builds from Grandunion. The practice also closed the acquisition of a seven-strong VLCC tanker fleet from a Hong Kong-based shipping company for an aggregate purchase price of $587m on behalf of Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation, an owner and operator of tanker vessels focusing on the transportation of petroleum products.

Within Venture capital and emerging companies, tier 4

Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. has a strong focus on life sciences, technology, digital media and telecoms. In December 2010, it advised Mission Ventures and Columbia Capital Equity on its $12m Series C financing of Access 360 Media. Amongst a number of high-profile life sciences transactions, it represented Dicerna Pharmaceuticals on two Series B financings, including one of $25m. While much of the firm’s expertise is on the East Coast, principally Boston, it has made progress on the West Coast, through its offices in Palo Alto, Los Angeles and San Diego. Boston-based chair of the biotechnology practice Jeffrey Wiesen has an excellent reputation, as does fellow Boston partner and co-chair of the venture capital and emerging companies group Lewis Geffen.