Tom Wilson | People | Arnold & Porter

Tom Wilson, described as "very much one to watch. A highly competent, diligent and personable corporate lawyer" and "genuinely excellent" by The Legal 500 (2022), advises on a wide range of corporate transactions, including cross-border M&A, licenses and complex collaborations, strategic partnerships and joint ventures, restructurings and fundraisings. He has represented clients in a number sectors, with a particular focus on life sciences and healthcare. Tom has also spent time on secondment at a global pharmaceutical company, and is described as “excellent; speaks up in negotiations, good quality in drafting and suggesting solutions” (The Legal 500 (2025)).

Focus Areas

Experience

Esteve Pharmaceuticals, on a license with Eton Pharmaceuticals for ex-U.S. global rights for Increlex^®, a biologic product used for the long-term treatment of growth failure in patients aged 2 to 18 years due to a condition known as 'severe primary insulin-like-growth-factor-1 deficiency' (SPIGFD).
Touchlight Genetics on an agreement with Ceva Animal Health to use Touchlight’s dbDNA technology in animal health for an undisclosed amount, including an upfront payment, development milestones and royalties.
Essential Pharma, an international specialty pharma group, on its acquisition of Renaissance Pharma, a clinical stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development of life-changing therapies in paediatric rare disease.
Norgine, a leading European specialist pharmaceutical company, on an exclusive license with Fennec Pharmaceuticals, for the commercialization of PEDMARQSI^® in Europe, Australia and New Zealand, for an upfront payment of €40 million and up to € 210 million in additional milestone payments, plus downstream royalties.
Novartis, on (i) an exclusive license and option agreement with Shanghai Argo Biopharmaceutical (a Chinese biotechnology company) for a Phase 1 stage cardiovascular asset and an option to license compounds directed against up to two cardiovascular targets, and (ii) an ex-Greater China exclusive license agreement with Shanghai Argo Biopharmaceutical for a Phase 1/2a stage cardiovascular asset, for an upfront payment of US$185 million plus potential milestone payments and royalties, with a combined potential deal value of up to US$4.165 billion.

Spark Therapeutics, on an exclusive license and collaboration agreement with SpliceBio relating to SpliceBio's proprietary protein splicing platform, for upfront, opt-in and milestone payments of up to US$216 million.
Pfizer on a renegotiation and expansion of a collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation to deliver more than 320 million doses of Pfizer's injectable contraceptive, Sayana^® Press, to enable greater access to injectable contraceptives for millions of women in low- and lower-middle income countries.
Pfizer, on an asset purchase and license agreement for a portfolio of preclinical gene therapy programmes and enabling technologies with Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, for up to US$1 billion.
Novartis, on its acquisition of clinical candidate FAP-2286 from Clovis Oncology, for an upfront payment of US$50 million and up to an additional US$630.75 million on the achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones.
NASDAQ-listed biotech company on the acquisition of a UK-based early stage biotech for an upfront payment plus regulatory and sales milestones.
Novartis, on an exclusive license agreement with 3B Pharmaceuticals GmbH relating to 3BP’s FAP-targeting peptide technology (including FAP-2286), for an upfront payment of US$40 million and up to an additional US$425 million on the achievement of certain regulatory and sales milestones.
Novartis, on its collaboration and license agreement with BicycleTx to develop, manufacture and commercialize BicycleTx's radio-conjugates for two of Novartis' oncology targets, with total value of up to US$1.7 billion.
Sanofi in a collaboration with Scribe Therapeutics in respect of Scribe's proprietary CRISPR platform of wholly owned enzymes to create ex vivo NK cell therapies.
Sanofi in a collaboration with Innovent Biologics, a China-based biopharmaceutical company, to accelerate the development and commercialization of oncology medicines for patients in China with difficult-to-treat cancers.
Touchlight Genetics on its US$125 million funding round.
Touchlight Genetics on renegotiated license with AskBio and joint venture exit.
Wheels Up Experience Inc. on its recommended cash offer for Air Partner plc.
Better HoldCo Inc., a US-based digital homeownership platform, in its acquisition of the UK-based digital mortgage and insurance broker, Trussle.
Pfizer in agreements for the supply to various governmental authorities of Pfizer and BioNTech's mRNA-based vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, against SARS-CoV-2.
TELUS Corporation on the acquisition of Muddy Boots Software Limited.
Advising Norgine B.V., a leading European specialist pharmaceutical company on the acquisition by its wholly owned subsidiary, SpePharm A.G., of SETOFILM® in Europe, Australia and New Zealand from Applied Pharma Research s.a.
Norgine, a leading European specialist pharmaceutical company, on its sale of Arc Medical Design Limited to Olympus Corporation (Olympus).
Bregal Capital LLP and EMK Capital LLP on the sale of the QA Group, an IT training company, to CVC Capital Partners. Selected by Real Deals as the 2018 winner of the UK Mid-Cap Deal of the Year and Grand Prix Deal of the Year.
EMK Capital LLP on the purchase of the Luminati business of Hola Networks Ltd.
Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. in (i) 7 transactions concerning its acquisition and lease of 39 UK healthcare facilities involving UK operator Healthcare Homes Group, (ii) a transaction concerning its acquisition and lease of 18 UK healthcare facilities involving UK operator Gold Care Homes, and (iii) a transaction concerning its acquisition of a 49% interest in a joint venture with Cindat and the lease by the joint venture of 69 UK healthcare facilities involving UK operators HC-One and Maria Mallaband.
The Federal Republic of Nigeria on its US$300 million debut offering of diaspora bonds approved for distribution to retail investors in the UK and U.S.
Health Partners International on all aspects of the acquisition of the company by DAI Global Health.
Bluebird Partners on the sale of its Island View Holidays Group portfolio company, an Isle of Wight-based holiday and caravan park owner-operator, to AG Holiday Parks UK Limited.