Yahel Kaplan is an associate in the venture capital & emerging companies practice group at Ropes & Gray.
He advises life sciences and technology companies and venture capital, institutional and strategic investors on venture capital, growth equity and other minority equity and debt financing transactions, and a variety of strategic transactions including licensing, collaboration and commercial agreements, underwritten agreements and PIPEs and other general corporate and governance matters.
Prior to joining Ropes & Gray, Yahel was an associate in the emerging companies and venture capital group at another international law firm in New York.
Experience
Venture Financing Experience
- Represented the lead investor, a venture capital fund, in a $75 Million financing of an autonomous vehicles and systems manufacturer.*
- Represented the lead investor, a venture capital fund, in multiple financings with a value of $450 Million, which include, including milestone closings and warrants, cramdown and recapitalization, of a insure-tech company.*
- Represented thirteen venture capital funds in venture and debt financing, bridge loans and convertible notes, of biotechnology, life science and technology companies with an aggregate value of $350 Million. These transactions included tranched-based financing and downround negotiations.*
- Represented life science and technology companies in various financing transactions, including SAFEs, bridge loans and convertible notes.*
- Represented biotechnology company in a complex, cross border merger with a Japanese biotechnology company, and continued representing the merged company through its $51 Million venture financing.*
- Represented twelve biotechnology, life science and cutting-edge AI companies in complex venture and debt financing, which included managing the domestication process of foreign company into the U.S., for an aggregate of $300 Million.*
Life Science Transactions Experience
- Represented a next-generation gene-editing company in a comprehensive license and collaboration agreement with a leading biotechnology company that specializes in discovering and developing RNA-targeted therapeutics, to pursue validated and novel genetic targets.*
- Represented several mature biotechnology companies in the computational biology, AI, and gene therapy spaces, in connection with drafting and negotiating master services agreements, license agreements, material transfer agreements and equipment lease and sale agreements.*
Capital Markets Experience
- Represented a leading Asian hospitality group in a $21 Million PIPE and debt financing of a leading cell-therapy biotech company.*
- Represented several investment banks in five follow on equity financing of several biotech companies with an aggregate amount of $450 Million.*
- Represented several investment banks in the following transactions: $150 Million underwritten public equity offering of a Real-Estate Investment Trust.*
- $120 Million underwritten public equity and debt offering of a Real-Estate Investment Trust.*
- $110 Million underwritten public equity offering of a Real-Estate Investment Trust.*
- At-the-Market equity offerings for an aggregate of $500 Million.*
- Represented several investment banks in numerous continuous equity offerings (At-the-Market Offering programs) of leading biotech and life-science companies for an aggregate amount of $1 Billion.*
- Represented a global biotech company in an approximately $300 Million de-SPAC transaction, including a bridge loan and PIPE financing, each for over $100 Million.*
- Ongoing representation, including preparation of ‘34 Act filings and financing (equity financing and PIPE transaction) of a Nasdaq-listed biotech company.*
Companies Representation, Financing and Corporate Experience
- Represents clients in connection with:*
- Draft various corporate and commercial agreements, including employment, services and consulting agreements, rental agreements, confidentiality agreements and licensing agreements.
- Draft corporate consents, including board and stockholders’ consents, board committee charters, and participated in board meetings as company outside legal advisor.
- Draft equity compensation plans, stock award plans, and managed companies’ capitalization on equity management platforms.
- Advise management teams in the drafting of investors presentations and pitch decks.