Matt Karlyn
Image of Matt Karlyn

Matt Karlyn

Partner

Matt Karlyn has 29 years of experience working with companies across the life sciences ecosystem and in the technology industry on a wide range of commercial licensing and collaboration transactions.

His clients range from some of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and technology companies to biotechs and tech companies within the emerging growth sector. He regularly advises companies on matters involving IP commercialization, complex collaboration transactions, licensing initiatives, subscription-based economics, and business transactions related to the procurement, development, commercialization, and use of intellectual property assets, technology, and life sciences products. He has also worked with a number of clients on corporate transactions including mergers and acquisitions, as well as private equity and venture capital financing.

Life sciences clients, including pharmaceutical, medical device, and healthcare companies, rely on Matt for his breadth of knowledge in licensing, collaboration, and commercialization strategies across a wide range of transactions designed to strengthen operations and maximize value. Matt’s clients come from sectors across the global economy and include emerging companies, privately held companies, and many of the world’s largest companies.

Matt regularly advises on the use of technology in business, pricing strategies, and market terms across a wide variety of technology transactions that benefit clients both large and small. He has extensive experience negotiating a wide range of technology transactions. Additionally, Matt has worked on many of the largest outsourcing transactions in the United States, representing numerous Fortune 100 companies on information technology, business process, finance and accounting, facilities services, and other outsourcing transactions.

Expertise

Industries

Experience

Representative matters

  • CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited: USD 1.5 billion+ exclusive license agreement with Elevation Oncology, Inc. to supply, develop and commercialize SYSA1801, a clinical stage antibody drug conjugate (ADC) targeting Claudin18.2, in all global territories outside Greater China.*
  • CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited: USD 700 million+ exclusive license agreement with Corbus Pharmaceutical Holdings to supply, develop and commercialize SYS6002, a clinical stage ADC targeting Nectin-4, in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and varied European countries.*
  • ACEA Therapeutics: exclusive license agreement with Sorrento Therapeutics to develop and commercialize Abivertinib, a novel small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) that selectively targets both mutant forms of EGFR and Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK).*
  • ACEA Therapeutics: USD 488 million merger and acquisition transaction by their licensee, Sorrento Therapeutics.*
  • Kindred Biosciences: exclusive license agreement with Elanco Animal Health Incorporated to globally develop and commercialize KIND-030, a monoclonal antibody targeting canine parvovirus (CPV).*
  • Kindred Biosciences, Inc.: USD 440 million acquisition transaction by their licensee, Elanco US, Inc.*
  • Sanuwave Health: license and marketing agreement with Celularity Inc. to commercialize BIOVANCE Human Amniotic Membrane Allograft and Interfyl Human Connective Tissue Matrix.*
  • MyChem: privately held provider of proprietary, ultra-pure nucleotides to the diagnostics, pharma, genomics and research markets, in connection with its approx. USD 240 million sale to Maravai (NASDAQ: MRVI).*
  • Special New Fruit Licensing (SNFL): acquisition of International Fruit Genetics (IFG).*
  • Sequlite Genomics: a Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology company, in its sale to Fapon Biotech.*
  • Arbutus Biopharma: Clinical Collaboration Agreement with Assembly Biosciences to evaluate the combination of core inhibitor ABI-H0731 with RNAi therapeutic AB-729 in patients with chronic Hepatitis B virus infection.*
  • OpenInvest: financial technology company, in its sale to J.P. Morgan.*
  • LIVEKINDLY Collective: a collection of heritage and start-up plant-based food brands, on the commercial and IP aspects of establishing, with RCL Foods, a plant-based joint venture, LIVEKINDLY Collective Africa.*
  • Adagene: clinical stage biotech company, in a material transfer and research relationship with a major university.*
  • Vizgen, Inc.: university licensing transaction supporting gene profiling instrumentation and data analysis.*
  • CareDx: precision medicine solutions company focused on healthcare solutions for transplant patients, in licensing and research collaboration agreements with a major university and a material transfer agreement supporting a feasibility study with CRISPR Therapeutics.*
  • Colleges and Universities: represented clients in licensing and other commercial life sciences transactions adverse to universities including Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Stanford, UC San Diego, UC Berkeley, University of Pittsburgh, University of Michigan, Tufts, and Northeastern.*

* denotes prior firm experience

Published Work

  • Has published over 25 articles (including chapters in two books) and given over 175 presentations on licensing, technology, outsourcing, and data security.
  • Co-author of “A Guide to IT Contracting: Checklists, Tools, and Techniques.”

Recognition

Ranked Band 1 for Intellectual Property: Licensing in Massachusetts.
Chambers USA 2023-2026
Accessible and engaged, and he is really focused on getting the right answer for us.
Chambers USA 2023-2026

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted: Bar of the State of Massachusetts

Admitted: Bar of the State of New York

Admitted: Bar of the State of Illinois

Academic

Union College, B.A.

Temple University, J.D.

University of Chicago, M.B.A.

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.