Baker McKenzie has advised French pharmaceutical laboratory Servier on the acquisition of the global oncology business from British company Shire for $2.4 billion. The closing should take place during the second or third quarter of 2018, once authorisation has been obtained from the competent merger control authorities.

This operation will enable Servier to establish a direct commercial presence in the United States and will reinforce its portfolio of oncology medication in the territories where the Group is already present, in particular via the acquisition of two principal drugs used in the fight against cancer: ONCASPAR (treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) and ONIVYDE (liposomal injection for pancreatic cancer treatment).

In Paris, Baker McKenzie advised Servier with a team led by Stéphane Davin, partner, with Hugo Sanchez de la Espada, partner, and Diane Kisler, associate, on M&A aspects. Nathalie Marchand, partner, and Pauline Celeyron, associate, worked on intellectual property aspects while competition law matters were covered by Léna Sersiron, partner, assisted by Romain Travade and Laurianne Coq, associates. In the United States, the Baker McKenzie team included Mike DeFranco, Thomas Hughes, J. Brook Mestre and Michelle Carr.