Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Expands Life Sciences Practice

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, the premier provider of legal services to technology, life sciences, and growth enterprises worldwide, today announced that Michael Rabson has rejoined the firm as a partner. Formerly general counsel and senior vice president at Cytokinetics, Rabson will serve as a strategic advisor to life sciences and clean technology clients, providing them with corporate, technology transactions, and patent counseling and representation. He will be based in the firm's Palo Alto office.

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"In recent years, we have seen tremendous growth in the life sciences industry, which has become broader and more sophisticated," said CEO Steve Bochner. "Our clients will benefit greatly from Michael's experience as a seasoned legal advisor, patent examiner, and senior executive at two public biopharmaceutical firms. His expertise runs the gamut from biopharmaceuticals and other traditional life sciences sectors to clean tech areas such as biofuels and green manufacturing, making him an exceptionally versatile practitioner. We are very pleased to welcome him back to the firm."

Prior to rejoining Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Rabson served as general counsel and senior vice president for business development and legal affairs at Cytokinetics, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of small-molecule therapeutics. Previously, he was general counsel and senior vice president at Maxygen, an international biotechnology company devoted to the production of improved protein drugs. Before his tenure at Maxygen, Rabson was a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where his practice focused on life sciences, including therapeutics, agriculture, and medical devices, as well as material sciences. Earlier in his career, he was a patent examiner specializing in biotechnology and genetic engineering at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Rabson received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 1989, earned a Ph.D. in infectious disease epidemiology from Yale University in 1983, and was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health. He received a B.S. in biological studies from Cornell University in 1975.

About Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's broad range of services and legal disciplines is focused on serving the principal challenges faced by the management and boards of directors of business enterprises. The firm is nationally recognized as a leader in the fields of corporate governance and finance, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities class action litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust, among many other areas of law. With long-standing roots in Silicon Valley, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati has offices in Austin, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and Washington, D.C. For additional information, please visit www.wsgr.com.

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