Eric Blanchard

Eric practices corporate and securities law. He counsels domestic and foreign public and private companies, with an emphasis on those in the technology and biopharma industries, as well as investment banks. Eric advises clients on a variety of corporate transactions, including initial public offerings (IPOs), follow-on equity offerings, pre-IPO financings, mergers and acquisitions, investment-grade, high-yield and convertible debt offerings, liability management transactions, proxy contests and acquisitions. He also represents public companies with respect to securities and disclosure issues and corporate governance matters.

Eric is ranked by Chambers USA for Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, and he is described by peers as a “very strong driving force” behind Cooley’s capital markets practice. A client described him as “one of the top capital markets lawyers in the country,” noting that his “securities law knowledge is practical and his solutions-oriented focus is unparalleled.” Eric also is recognized as a key lawyer by The Legal 500 US for capital markets: equity offerings.

Eric’s representative transactions include advising:

IPOs, special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) and follow-on equity

• Lexeo Therapeutics, Inc. in its $100.0 million IPO
• BowX Acquisition Corp. in its acquisition of WeWork
• Xometry in its $347.9 million IPO
• Immunocore in its $273 million IPO
• Landos Biopharma in its $100 million IPO
• Pharming in its direct listing on Nasdaq
• The underwriters in the $334.5 million IPO by LianBio
• The underwriters in the $269.1 million IPO by SOPHiA GENETICS
• The underwriters in the $184 million IPO by GH Research
• The underwriters in the IPO (post-reverse merger) of FuboTV
• Nykode Therapeutics ASA in a placement of shares
• BioNTech in its $150 million IPO*
• Uber Technologies in its $8.1 billion IPO*
• MacroGenics in several equity offerings
• Kadmon Holdings in several equity offerings
• The underwriters in the $150.0 million follow-on offering by Larimar Therapeutics
• The underwriters in several equity offerings for 908 Devices
• The underwriters in several equity offerings for Olink Holding
• The underwriters in the $259 million follow-on offering by Adaptimmune Therapeutics
• The underwriters in several equity offerings for TCR2 Therapeutics
• The underwriters in multiple follow-on offerings by NewAmsterdam Pharma

Mergers and acquisitions

• Landos Biopharma in its sale to Abbvie
• Addex Therapeutics in its sale of assets to Neurosterix
• Tenet Medicines in its sale to Eliem Therapeutics
• Perceptive Advisors in its definitive merger agreement with Vapotherm
• Ensoma in its aquisition of Twelve Bio
• Xometry in its acquition of Thomasnet.com

Shareholder activism 

Eric has advised numerous public company boards, management teams and investors in connection with proxy contests, consent solicitations and other activist situations. 

Investment-grade debt and liability management

• Uber Technologies in its inaugural offering of investment-grade senior notes
• Zoetis in several offerings of investment-grade senior notes
• The underwriters in several offerings of investment-grade senior notes of The Clorox Company
• The underwriters in several offerings of investment-grade senior notes of Jefferies Group LLC and Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
• The dealer-manager in a tender offer for outstanding investment-grade notes of Jefferies Financial Group Inc.
• Johnson & Johnson in several offerings of investment-grade senior notes*
• The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in several offerings of investment-grade notes*
• The Bristol-Myers Squibb Company in a tender offer for outstanding investment-grade notes*
• The underwriters in several offerings of investment-grade notes of Cardinal Health*
• The underwriters in an offering of investment-grade notes of CareFusion in connection with a leveraged spinoff*

Convertible debt

• Core Scientific in its offering of $460.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.00% convertible senior notes due 2029
• Xometry in its offering of $287.5 million aggregate principal amount 1% convertible senior notes due 2027
• Kadmon Holdings in its offering of $240 million aggregate principal amount 3.625% convertible senior notes due 2027
• Illumina in several offerings of convertible senior notes*
• Acorda Therapeutics in multiple offerings of convertible notes*

Private financing

• LEXEO Therapeutics in its Series B private financing
• LUMICKS in several private financings
• Ensoma in several private financings
• Landos Biopharma in its Series B crossover private financing*

* Transaction handled prior to joining Cooley