Rosemary Reilly is a seasoned corporate lawyer with more than 20 years of experience advising life sciences and technology companies on corporate and securities matters. She provides ongoing counsel for clients ranging from startups and emerging companies to mature public companies, investment banks and venture capital firms. Drawing on her experience as in-house counsel, she has a unique understanding of the legal and business challenges faced by her clients.

In addition to advising clients on a wide range of corporate and securities matters, Ms. Reilly has significant experience with private and public securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, venture capital and strategic financings, and SEC compliance. She regularly advises boards in connection with securities transactions and general corporate matters, and provides advice on governance and commercial transactions.

Ms. Reilly also counsels emerging companies throughout their lifecycle and through complex transactions, including venture capital financings, initial public offerings and acquisitions. Learn more about Ms. Reilly's practice and how she can support your startup on WilmerHaleLaunch.com.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Reilly practiced in the Palo Alto, California office of a prominent international firm and previously in New York, New York, where she began her career as an associate. Her approach to legal advice is informed by her experiences dealing first-hand with the consequences that legal decisions can have on a company's bottom line. Specifically, she worked at two technology companies in Northern California: as general counsel at private technology company Shoreline Communications, Inc. (now ShoreTel, Inc.), and later in the legal department of NASDAQ-traded company Wind River Systems, Inc.

Professional Activities

Ms. Reilly is a frequent speaker on topics relating to corporate and securities transactions.

She is a member of the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association. Ms. Reilly is also a member of the firm's Women's Leadership Initiative and Hiring Committee and is chair of the firm's Boston Senior Associates Committee.

Experience

  • Ms. Reilly represents private companies in various stages of development, publicly traded companies, and venture capital firms with particular focus on the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and life sciences sectors. The clients she represents include Akouos Inc., Astria Therapeutics, Editas Medicine, Inc., Korro Bio, Inc., Kadant Inc., MKS Instruments, Inc., Ribon Therapeutics, Inc., Stealth BioSciences, Inc. and Twentyeight-Seven, Inc.

    Ms. Reilly's recent highlights include representing:

    • numerous companies in venture capital and private financings including Korro Bio, Inc., Orna Therapeutics, Ribon Therapeutics, Twentyeight-Seven, Inc. and Werewolf Therapeutics;
    • venture capital firms and strategic investors;
    • Akouos, Inc., Astria Therapeutics, Editas Medicine, Epizyme, Inc. and Stealth Biosciences, Inc. in their initial public offerings; and numerous companies in M&A transactions, including Potenza Therapeutics in its acquisition by Astellas Pharma, CoStim Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Novartis, Mitobridge, Inc. in its acquisition by Novartis and Viamet Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by NovaQuest Capital.

Recognition

  • Selected by peers for inclusion in the 2019–2024 editions of Best Lawyers in America in the areas of biotechnology and life sciences and named a 2023 Lawyer of the Year.
  • Named to Boston Magazine’s inaugural Top Lawyers list in 2021, 2022 and 2023 in the area of corporate law. 
  • Recommended in the 2017 edition of The Legal 500 United States for her capital markets: equity offerings practice.
  • Awarded one of five Finance and Transactional Impact Cases of the Year by LMG Life Sciences for counseling Editas Medicine in its licensing and collaboration with Allergan.

Insights & News

Credentials

  • Education

    • JD, Columbia Law School, 1994

      Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
    • BA, Wesleyan University, 1989

      with high honors
  • Admissions

    • Massachusetts

    • New York

    • California

Credentials

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