Ropes & Gray Awarded M&A and Health Care/Life Sciences “Deals of the Year”
M&A Advisor’s 6th Annual International M&A Advisor Awards, which recognize the leading cross-border transactions and dealmakers of the year, honored Ropes & Gray with the “M&A Deal of the Year (Over $100 million to $250 million)” for the firm’s representation of Summit Partners in Actix International, Ltd.’s sale to Amdocs, Ltd.
M&A Advisor also awarded Ropes & Gray the “Healthcare/Life Sciences Deal of the Year (Over $1 billion)” for the firm’s representation of Johnson & Johnson in its acquisition of Aragon Pharmaceuticals. A Ropes & Gray team, which included private equity associate Michael Gilbert (Boston), in the transaction, in which Johnson & Johnson notably acquired the rights to Aragon's second-generation prostate cancer drug ARN-509 for $650 million in cash upfront and up to $350 million in contingent payments. The deal enhances Johnson & Johnson’s leadership in prostate cancer drug development, a main areas of focus for the company, and provides the potential for novel approaches to treat prostate cancer patients.