Shellie Weisfield Freedman

Overview
Experience
Representative Matters
Public Company Representations
- Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBD) on a new corporate structure that will comprise two divisions: Global Linear Networks and Streaming & Studios, enhancing strategic flexibility and creating future value-creation opportunities for each division
- Eli Lilly:
- in its strategic collaboration with AdvanCell, a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company, to leverage proprietary technology and develop new radiotherapeutic drugs for hard-to-treat cancers
- in its $1.4 billion acquisition of POINT Biopharma (NASDAQ: PNT), a radiopharmaceutical company
- $1.925 billion acquisition of Versanis Bio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
- $1.075 billion sale of its BAQSIMI product, a nasally administered glucagon, to Amphastar Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: AMPH)
- in its acquisition of Akouos, a precision genetic medicine company that is developing gene therapies for the treatment of hearing loss and other inner ear conditions
- in its acquisition of Protomer Technologies, Inc., a developer of a proprietary protein-engineering platform
- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dermira, in an outbound license agreement with Evommune for three development programs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases
- Moderna in its research and development collaboration agreement with Immatics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, for the development of innovative mRNA-enabled oncology therapeutics
- Biopharmaceutical company in its acquisition of a private biotechnology company with a portfolio of assets for well-validated targets in oncology and inflammation
- Global pharmaceutical company in its acquisition of a European private biopharmaceutical company developing novel antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of cancers with high unmet needs
- Arya Sciences Acquisition Corp., a sponsor by an affiliate of Perceptive Advisors and leading life sciences-focused investment firm, in its:
- $1.3 billion combination with Nautilus Biotechnology
- $1.3 billion business combination with Cerevel Therapeutics, Inc.
- proposed acquisition of the gene therapy business of Amicus Therapeutics (NASDAQ: FOLD), a global, patient-dedicated biotechnology company
- AbbVie in its acquisition of Soliton (NASDAQ: SOLY) for approximately $550 million
- McDonald’s Corporation:
- in its sale of Dynamic Yield to Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
- in its sale of McDTech Labs to IBM (NYSE: IBM)
- Wyndham Destinations on its acquisition of the Travel + Leisure brand, travel clubs, and all other related assets from Meredith Corporation, together with a long-term license back to Meredith Corporation for its magazine and digital content operations, along with multiple content and data licenses
- Carvana Co. (“Carvana”), the leading e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars, in various capital markets transactions, including an exchange offer for up to $1 billion of Carvana’s five tranches of unsecured notes and related transactions
Private Equity Sponsor Transactions
- Blackstone in its $1.6 billion acquisition of Hipgnosis Songs Fund and a catalog of more than 45,000 songs by artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Journey, and Shakira, and in its asset-backed securitization of such assets
- Blackstone-Controlled MNRK Music Group in its sale of Death Row Records brand to Snoop Dogg
- Blackstone, a leading alternative investment manager, in its transformative partnership with Hipgnosis Song Management to deliver c.$1 billion to acquire and manage song catalogues, with follow-on catalogue purchases from iconic artists including Kenny Chesney, Leonard Cohen, Erika Ender, Justin Timberlake, TMS and Justin Bieber
- Chantecaille Inc., USA, a leading prestige beauty company, in its acquisition by Beiersdorf AG
- KKR, a leading global investment firm, in its:
- acquisition of CoolIT Systems, a provider of scalable liquid cooling solutions
- sale of Calabrio, a customer experience intelligence company
- acquisition of Corel Corp., a software company specializing in graphics processing
- Wind Point Partners in its acquisition of FoodScience Corporation, a formulator, manufacturer and marketer of high-quality nutritional supplements for humans and pets
- WHP Global, a brand management firm focused on consumer fashion brands, in its acquisition of TRU Kids Inc., parent company of the Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us brands
- Motive Partners in its majority stake investment in the investment services business of Fiserv, Inc.
- Helios Holdings Limited in its combination with Fairfax Africa Holdings Corporation to create a leading pan-Africa focused listed alternative asset manager
- Clearhaven Partners LP in its acquisition of TimeTrade Systems, Inc.
- Delphi Technologies PLC in its $3.3 billion sale to BorgWarner Inc.
- KKR in its $4.475 billion acquisition of the Atlantic Aviation business of Macquarie Infrastructure Corp.
- Altas Partners in its acquisition of DuBois Chemicals, Inc.
- Cint, a portfolio company of Nordic Capital, in its acquisition of P2Sample
- EQT in its acquisition of Acumatica
- Le Tote Inc. in its acquisition of Lord + Taylor
- BC Partners in its acquisition of Presidio, Inc.
- Eurazeo in its acquisition of Elemica from Thoma Bravo
- Apax Digital Fund in its acquisition of MetaMetrics
- Funds advised by BC Partners in the recapitalization of GardaWorld
- Trilantic North America on its investment in AEGIS Hedging Solutions, a leading fintech and advisory solutions provider for commodity price and interest rate risk management
- Bain Capital Private Equity in its acquisition of a majority stake in Imperial Dade
- Butterfly Equity in its acquisition of Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company
- Nexus Capital Management LP, in its carve-out acquisition of Pearson’s US K12 courseware business
- Gen II Fund Services, LLC in its strategic investment from General Atlantic, Hg and IHS Markit
- The Carlyle Group, in its acquisition of Weiman, a leading manufacturer of specialty surface cleaners
- L Catterton-led consortium in its acquisition of Truck Hero, Inc.
Strategic Alliances, Collaborations and Service Agreements
- Global entertainment company in a complex services agreement
- Chain of cardiovascular healthcare clinics in a joint venture to establish a larger network of facilities
- Nonprofit organization with its data security policy
- Property management software company in its data security addendum and data security negotiation playbook
Capital Markets Transactions
Capital markets transactions in the life sciences industry, including:
- V-Wave, a provider of medical devices, in its $1.7 billion sale to Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
- Pharvaris, a clinical-stage company focused on therapies for certain hereditary conditions, in its $190.2 million initial public offering
- Evotec, a company that provides drug discovery solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, in its $100 million initial public offering
Prior to joining Kirkland, Shellie was involved in matters including the following:
- Merck in connection with a global strategic oncology collaboration with AstraZeneca to co-develop and co-commercialize certain antibody therapies
- Merck in connection with several potential strategic acquisitions in the oncology space
- A global medical device manufacturer in connection with its carve-out divestiture of assets related to certain product manufacturing processes and entry into a long-term supply arrangement
- Colgate-Palmolive Company in the entry into multiple strategic alliances, license and development agreements and asset acquisitions related to smart toothbrush technology and other consumer products
- The Clorox Company in its strategic acquisition of Nutranext, a health and wellness company
Clerk & Government Experience
Law ClerkHonorable Victor MarreroUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York2013–2014
Prior Experience
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Recognition
Recognized by Lawdragon as a leading Global Entertainment, Sports & Media Lawyer, 2025
Recognized for Technology Transactions (2019–2020), Outsourcing (2020–2023), Patents: Licensing (2020, 2022) and Media and Entertainment: Transactional (2022–2023) by The Legal 500 United States
Memberships & Affiliations
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2013New York
Courts
- United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Education
- New York University School of LawJ.D.2012
Order of the Coif
Florence Allen Scholar
Notes Editor, New York University Law Review
- University of California, BerkeleyM.S., Molecular and Cell Biology2007
- Yale UniversityB.S., Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry2005