AveXis, Inc.’s $8.7 Billion Acquisition by Novartis AG

On April 9, 2018, AveXis, Inc. (“AveXis”), a clinical-stage gene therapy company, announced that it has entered into an agreement and plan of merger with Novartis AG (“Novartis”), pursuant to which Novartis will acquire AveXis for $218 per share or a total of $8.7 billion in cash. Cravath is representing AveXis in connection with the transaction.

The Cravath team is led by partners Faiza J. Saeed and George F. Schoen and includes associates Jason M. Sandler and Sandeep S. Chhabra on M&A matters; partner Lauren Angelilli, senior attorney Andrew Carlon and associate Rebecca L. Fine on tax matters; partner Christine A. Varney and senior attorney Jesse M. Weiss on antitrust matters; partner Jonathan J. Katz and associates Matthew J. Bobby, Sarah W. Colangelo and Alison E. Beskin on executive compensation and benefits matters; senior attorney Annmarie M. Terraciano on environmental matters; and associate Nicholas Kypriotakis on intellectual property matters. Kevin P. Gibson also worked on M&A matters.