Former Daiichi Sankyo executive associate general counsel brings life sciences transactional experience.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has announced that Seth Flaum has joined the firm’s technology transactions department as a partner in the New York office, where he will focus on representing life sciences clients. He brings more than 25 years of broad transactional experience, representing companies in complex strategic transactions and various corporate matters. The addition reflects the continuing growth of Wilson Sonsini’s New York office and ongoing demand for life sciences transactional experience.

Prior to joining the firm, Flaum was executive associate general counsel for Daiichi Sankyo, Inc., a global pharmaceutical company based in Tokyo, where he advised on an array of strategic transactions and managed a team of lawyers and business professionals responsible for implementing intellectual property and business development transactions.

While at Daiichi Sankyo, Flaum counseled on strategic transactions, structuring, negotiating, and drafting strategic collaboration agreements, licensing agreements, research and development agreements, co-promotion agreements, commercialization agreements, option agreements, material transfer agreements, clinical trial agreements, CRO agreements, distribution agreements, and manufacturing and supply agreements, as well as other types of transactions. He also has experience representing clients in public and private M&A transactions; conducting due diligence for all transactions, including licensing and M&A transactions; and advising on antitrust issues and filings, FINRA inquiries, SEC filings, and corporate governance matters.

Before joining Daiichi Sankyo in 2006 as a corporate attorney for administrative and commercial operations, Flaum worked as a senior associate at a law firm in New York from 2002 to 2006. Previously, he served as general counsel at H&H Bagels from 1997 to 2002. He was also corporate counsel at Thompson Medical Company and Slim Fast Foods Company, and started his legal career as an associate at a law firm based in Rockville, Maryland.

“The healthy business activity in the U.S. and globally among life sciences companies and investors means that clients are seeking deal-making experience, including expertise with R&D agreements, collaborations, and other sophisticated transactions,” said Doug Clark 

the Palo Alto-based managing partner at Wilson Sonsini. “With his 16-plus years of in-house experience at a global pharmaceutical company, Seth’s broad transactional, IP, and corporate experience makes him a valuable resource for the firm’s life sciences clients. We’re pleased to welcome him to the firm.”

The firm’s life sciences practice has grown to include more than 275 professionals, including attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors. A substantial number of the firm's practitioners have advanced degrees in biology, chemistry, engineering, or other scientific fields, and many of them have experience working in laboratory, medical, or research settings. The team also includes attorneys who, like Flaum, have served as in-house legal counsel for major life sciences companies.

“I look forward to bringing my extensive transactional experience to Wilson Sonsini and working with so many outstanding attorneys, including members of the firm’s technology transactions team, whom I’ve come to know during the course of my career,” said Flaum. “I’m excited about the opportunity to continue working with innovative life sciences clients and collaborating with the entire team in New York to help the firm expand its client base in various life sciences markets on the East Coast.”