Overview
Amber Harezlak is a technology & IP transactions partner in the Salt Lake City and Bay Area offices of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Amber works closely with Kirkland’s M&A practice on technology, intellectual property, cybersecurity and data privacy aspects of complex corporate transactions. She also represents clients in connection with strategic commercial agreements such as joint ventures, licenses, and collaborations. Amber’s practice spans numerous industries, including software, semiconductors, business services, and consumer products. She also leverages her scientific background and degrees in bioengineering in connection with representing clients in the life sciences industry. Amber was recognized by Utah Business among its 2024 “Legal Elite,” and in the 2021 edition of the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch for Technology Law.
Experience
Representative Matters
Since joining Kirkland, Amber has worked on the following deals:
Life Sciences & Healthcare
- KKR and Everstone Capital-backed Slayback Pharma, a provider of generic and specialty pharmaceutical products, in its sale to Azurity Pharmaceuticals
- Waud Capital Partners-backed PharmAlliance in its acquisition of Biobridges, a drug development consulting business, from Soliant Health
- EW Healthcare Partners in its acquisition of Enercon Technologies, a provider of electronic product development and manufacturing services
- GTCR in its acquisition of Biocoat, a medical device contract manufacturing organization specializing in hydrophilic coatings for medical devices
- GTCR and Carlyle-backed Resonetics in its $900 million acquisition of Memry Corporation and SAES Smart Materials, the medical nitinol business from SAES Getters (BIT: SG)
- Knox Lane in its investment in Spectrum Science, a marketing, communications and media firm focused on the pharmaceutical, biotech and broader life science industry
- Abry Partners in its acquisition of Ascend Healthcare, a provider of outsourced telepsychiatry and related behavioral health services
- Patient Square Capital, as part of a consortium including Elliott Investment Management and Veritas Capital, in the $7.1 billion acquisition of Syneos Health (NASDAQ: SYNH), a provider of biopharmaceutical solutions
- Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) in its:
- agreement with OpenAI to harness generative AI to develop new treatments to overcome antimicrobial resistance
- $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)
- acquisition of Akouos (NASDAQ: AKUS), a precision genetic medicine company
- collaboration agreement with Schrodinger, Inc. to discover and optimize small molecule compounds
- collaboration agreement with Genesis Therapeutics to identify best-in-class drug candidates across a range of therapeutic areas with assistance from the Genesis AI-enabled drug discovery platform
- Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY) in its:
- $4.1 billion acquisition of Turning Point Therapeutics (NASDAQ: TPTX), a clinical-stage precision oncology company
- $5.8 billion acquisition of Mirati Therapeutics (NASDAQ: MRTX), a commercial stage research and development biotechnology company
- SOC Telemed, the largest national provider of specialty acute care telemedicine, in its acquisition of Forefront Telecare
- Resonetics in its:
- acquisition of FISO Technologies from Nova Metrix LLC
- acquisition of Hudson Medical Innovations
- acquisition of Agile MV, an emerging leader in product development and turnkey device assembly serving the high-growth electrophysiology and interventional cardiology catheter market
- Novo Holdings in its acquisition of Medical Knowledge Group from Court Square Capital and Aisling Capital
- Underwriters in connection with the initial public offering of Vaxxinity
- Ares Management Corporation in its strategic investment in LaserAway
Software & Services
- McDonald’s Corporation in its sale of McDTech Labs to IBM
- Francisco Partners in the:
- acquisition of Litmos from SAP SE
- sale of portfolio company TrellisRx, a technology-enabled specialty pharmacy services provider, to CPS Solutions
- TA Associates in its:
- formation of Advantive through its simultaneous carve-out acquisition of Kiwiplan and acquisitions of Advantzware, DDI Systems, Distribution One, Infinity QS, and VIA
- acquisition of a majority interest in Green Street, a provider of commercial real estate intelligence and analytics, from WCAS
- Sun Capital Partners in its acquisition of LoanLogics, Inc.
- Thoma Bravo in its $2 billion take-private acquisition of QAD Inc. (NASDAQ: QADA, QADB), a provider of next-generation manufacturing and supply chain solutions in the cloud
- TPG Capital in its $100 million growth investment in EIS Software, a core and digital platform provider for insurers
- Centerbridge Partners in its sale of a majority stake in AHEAD, a provider of enterprise cloud services, to Berkshire Partners
- Blackstone Growth in its investment in Cloudinary
- HGGC in its $115 million strategic equity investment in Upland Software (NASDAQ: UPLD), a leader in cloud-based tools for digital transformation
- RapidRatings in its $200 million strategic investment led by Spectrum Equity and 22C Capital
Consumer Products, Services, & Brands
- Victoria’s Secret & Co. (NYSE: VSCO) in its acquisition of Adore Me, Inc., a digitally-native intimates brand
- Oak View Group (OVG) in connection with its acquisition of Spectrum Catering, Concessions & Event Services
- Full Sail IP Partners in its:
- acquisition of the Odwalla Brand from Coca Cola
- acquisition of the Weatherbeater Brand from Transform SR Brands
Materials & Manufacturing
- Knox Lane in connection with a definitive agreement to invest in Elevation Labs, a formulator and manufacturer of premium beauty products
- Gryphon Investors and SK Capital on Gryphon’s majority investment in materials design company Techmer PM
- American Securities in its acquisition of Hexion Holdings
Energy & Infrastructure
- Brookfield Infrastructure Partners (NYSE: BIP) in its definitive agreement with Intel to jointly fund Intel’s under-construction semiconductor fabrication facility
Other Matters
- ALT Finance Foundation ― established by Apollo, Ares and Oaktree ― a nonprofit focused on developing curriculum, fellowships and scholarships available to students at historically black colleges and universities
Prior to joining Kirkland, Amber worked on the following deals:
- KKR & Co in its:
- acquisition of Envision Healthcare Holdings for $9.9 billion
- majority acquisition of Nature’s Bounty Co.
- acquisition of 1-800 Contacts
- acquisition of WebMD, LLC for $8.1 billion
- Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC (PPD) in the sale of PPD to Thermo Fisher Scientific for $17.4 billion
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Microsoft Corp. in its acquisition of LinkedIn Corporation for $26.2 billion
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Dell Technologies in its spin-off of VMWare
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Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners in is acquisition of Astound Broadband for $8.1 billion
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Apax Partners in connection with the spin-off of BD’s respiratory solutions business
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Computershare in its carve-out acquisition of Wells Fargo’s corporate trust business
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BrightSpring Health Services in its add-on acquisition of Abode Healthcare
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Certara, Inc. in its $768.5 million initial public offering
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Medical device manufacturer in connection with multiple joint development agreements
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Global investment company in connection with its formation of a new vertical farming company and related joint development agreement
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Large charitable foundation in connection with numerous license and supply agreements
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Biotechnology company in its strategic supply agreement with a large pharmaceutical company
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Biotechnology start-up in its patent license to a diagnostics company
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Biotechnology start-up in its professional services arrangement with a large biotechnology company
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Start-up in the green technology industry in its joint development agreement with a multinational oil and gas company
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Medical device company in connection with numerous supply agreements required for production of its first FDA-approved product
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Privately held, pre-clinical stage biopharmaceutical company in its merger with a public, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company
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Recognition
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 2024Utah
- 2021District of Columbia
- 2015California
Education
- Northwestern Pritzker School of LawJ.D.magna cum laude2015Order of the Coif
- University of PennsylvaniaPh.D., Bioengineering2006
- University of California, DavisB.S., Biological Systems Engineering2002