Expands Firm’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Industry Focus

BakerHostetler today announced the addition of Partner Michael L. Lawhead to the firm’s Business and Corporate Group, and its healthcare and life sciences industry teams. Resident in the Costa Mesa office, Lawhead comes to BakerHostetler from StradlingYocca Carlson &Rauth.

Lawhead’s practice focuses on corporate matters, particularly capital markets transactions for companies in the healthcare and life sciences industries. He represents public companies in equity and debt securities transactions, as well as mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance and compliance. He also represents privately held companies in offerings of preferred equity and venture capital funds as investors in such transactions. His experience also includes the representation of funds information matters and companies in general corporate issues.

Clients have included healthcare services, digital health, diagnostics, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies, among companies in other industries.
“Mike is a welcome addition to our highly respected team of business attorneys,” said John Gherlein, firmwide chair of the Business Group. “His experience with capital market transactions further bolsters our capabilities serving healthcare and life sciences clients in California and across the country.”

Among some of Lawhead’s recent public company transactions are the representation of:

• A biopharmaceutical company in its $143.8 million underwritten follow-on offering of common stock
• A medical device company in its $110 million underwritten offering of convertible senior notes
• A medical device company in its $75 million underwritten offering of convertible senior notes
• A pharmaceutical company in its initial public offering of common stock

Lawhead has also advised on recent transactions for privately-held companies involving mergers and acquisitions and private offerings of preferred equity, and several venture capital funds as investors in private offerings of preferred equity.

“We continually look for ways to improve our service and offerings for clients in the Orange County region and Mike Lawhead’s arrival is a significant part of that strategy,” said George T. Mooradian, Partner-in-Charge of BakerHostetler’s Costa Mesa office.

“The region has become a hotbed for companies in the healthcare and life sciences sectors and BakerHostetler provides a national platform and full toolbox of legal practices that will benefit my clients,” said Lawhead. “I look forward to joining my colleagues in Costa Mesa as well as the firm’s 13 other offices.”

Lawhead recently spoke at the OCTANe Medical Technology Innovation Forum and the OCTANe Life Science Startup Series. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Washington and Lee University, and a B.A. in political science from University of California, Los Angeles.