Jenna Ventorino
Partner
Jenna Ventorino is a corporate lawyer who provides ongoing counsel to public and private life sciences and technology companies throughout their lifecycle. She advises clients in the biotechnology, medical technology and software industries in complex transactions including intellectual property licensing, private securities offerings and various exit transactions. She draws on her prior experience as in-house counsel to help her clients navigate their legal and business challenges.
Ms. Ventorino advises clients on various IP-related transactions including technology acquisitions and divestitures, development arrangements, strategic alliances and other collaboration agreements. As well as advising clients on strategic transactions, Ms. Ventorino regularly counsels clients regarding general and complex corporate matters, including venture capital and other financings.
Professional Activities
Ms. Ventorino is an active member of WilmerHale's Women's Leadership Initiative and leads the east coast's Female Founders initiative—an effort that brings awareness to the issues facing leaders and executives from women-led startup businesses.
Additionally, she is a director of the Women's Bar Association, a member of the Boston Bar Association and the Cornell University Alumni Ambassador Association, and an alumni mentor for the Boston University School of Law. She is a former board member of the Cornell University Human Ecology Alumni Association.&
Experience
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Collaborations and Licensing Transactions
- Voyager Therapeutics in its strategic collaboration agreement with Neurocrine Biosciences to advance multiple gene therapies for the treatment of neurological diseases;
- Novo Nordisk in its strategic collaboration with Flagship Pioneering to create a portfolio of transformational medicines;
- an antibody services and technology provider in library development agreements with various partners, including AstraZeneca, Scholar Rock and Biogen;
- a pharmaceutical company focused on treatments for iron deficiency anemia in adult patients in connection with a license and commercialization agreement with Norgine;
- Autobahn Labs in its strategic drug discovery collaborations with the Universities of California Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego;
- Editas Medicine in the buildout of its outlicensing strategy and execution, as well as in the renegotiation of its collaboration agreement with Celgene and its strategic alliance and option agreement with Allergan;
- EQRx in its global strategic partnership with CStone Pharmaceuticals;
- MacroGenics in its collaboration with I-Mab;
- Repare Therapeutics in its global research collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb;
- Spark Therapeutics in its synthetic vaccine particle licensing transaction with Selecta Biosciences, and in its licensing agreement with Novartis Pharmaceuticals to develop and commercialize investigational Luxturna outside the United States; and
- Voyager Therapeutics in its restructured gene therapy relationship with Sanofi Genzyme, and various collaboration agreements with strategic partners, including Neurocrine Biosciences and AbbVie.
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Corporate Transactions
- ZebiAI Therapeutics in its acquisition by Relay Therapeutics;
- Hydra Biosciences in its sale of its lead pre-clinical pain program to Eli Lilly;
- Aileron Therapeutics, Inc. in its initial public offering;
- a global institutional investor in its preferred stock financings of ZipRecruiter and ezCater;
- numerous companies in venture capital and private financings, including Aileron Therapeutics, Altiostar Networks, Accent Therapeutics, Disarm Therapeutics and WizeHire; and
- venture capital firms including MPM Capital, Samsara BioCapital and Spark Capital in various private placement financings and strategic investments.
Recognition
- Named to Boston Magazine’s Top Lawyers list in 2021, 2022 and 2024 in the area of corporate law.
- Named a 2017 and 2018 Massachusetts Rising Star by Super Lawyers for her business/corporate and technology transactions practices.
- Selected to participate in the 2015–2016 Women's Bar Association Women's Leadership Initiative.
Insights & News
Credentials
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Education
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JD, Boston University School of Law, 2008
cum laude Editor, American Journal of Law and Medicine -
MS, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Queens College, City University of New York, 2004
Sigma Xi National Scientific Research Society -
BS, Nutritional Science, Cornell University, 1999
Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
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Admissions
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Massachusetts
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New York
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Credentials
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Education
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JD, Boston University School of Law, 2008
cum laude Editor, American Journal of Law and Medicine -
MS, Nutrition and Exercise Science, Queens College, City University of New York, 2004
Sigma Xi National Scientific Research Society -
BS, Nutritional Science, Cornell University, 1999
Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society
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Admissions
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Massachusetts
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New York
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