Brian C. Wheeler

Partner

Brian Wheeler is a seasoned strategic advisor with decades of experience providing legal and business guidance to clients across a wide variety of industries. Both Brian’s work in private practice and his in-house career have given him an extensive background in M&A —particularly cross-border M&A — transactions involving venture-backed companies in the technology and life sciences sectors, growth equity, private equity, and fund structuring.

Brian’s legal acumen extends beyond private practice to his significant in-house tenure at companies on the cutting-edge of the technological revolution. The former general counsel and head of corporate development of Heni, an international technology and art services company, Brian spent five years at SoftBank Investment Advisers, where as managing partner and general counsel he was involved in all aspects of the firm’s formation, expansion, operations, and management, particularly with regards to fund formation, fundraising, fund regulatory matters, and LP relations. At Softbank, Brian led a global team to design a structure for the Softbank Vision Fund, the world’s largest technology-focused investment fund at over US$130bn in invested capital, and managed the fundraising, investing, and compliance functions for the fund.

Prior to moving in-house, Brian was a partner at a global law firm in its Palo Alto office. Proficient in Japanese, Brian previously practiced in Tokyo for seven years and in London for four years.

Representative Experience

  • Represented NASDAQ-listed Move, Inc., operator of realtor.com, in its US$995 million sale to News Corporation.*
  • Represented ProteinSimple in its US$300 million sale to Techne Corporation.*
  • Represented CardioKinetix in its US$50 million financing and entry into a merger option agreement granting Edwards Lifesciences Corporation the right to acquire the company.*
  • Represented Kik Interactive, Inc. in its acquisition of Endemic Mobile, developer of the Relay GIF messaging app.*
  • Represented Paratek Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Transcept Pharmaceuticals and its related US$93 million financing.*
  • Represented Jaspersoft in its US$185 million sale to TIBCO Software, Inc.*
  • Represented Griffin Holdings LLC in its acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Tufco Technologies, Inc.*
  • Represented Jazz Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition of the rights to ADX-NO5 from Aerial BioPharma.*
  • Represented Brocade Communications in the sale of its adapter and mezzanine card business to Qlogic Corporation.*
  • Represented NextBio in its sale to Illumina, Inc.*
  • Represented Simcere Pharmaceutical Holding in a broad-ranging strategic partnership with Merck & Co., Inc. for the sale and potential manufacturing of medicines in China, including the establishment of an equity joint venture and the co-marketing and co-promotion of various Merck- and Simcere-branded medicines.*
  • Represented FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation in its US$995 million acquisition of NASDAQ-listed SonoSite, Inc.*
  • Represented the special committee of the board of directors of China Real Estate Information Corporation in its US$278 million acquisition by its majority shareholder E-House (China) Holdings Limited.*
  • Represented SINA Corporation in connection with its investments in Tudou Holdings Limited and E-House (China) Holdings Limited and various other general corporate matters.*
  • Represented Shiseido Company, Limited in its US$1.7 billion acquisition of NASDAQ-listed Bare Escentuals, Inc.*
  • Represented Mizuho Corporate Bank, Ltd. in its acquisition of Banco WestLB do Brasil S.A. from WestLB AG; its US$120 million investment in and strategic alliance with Evercore Partners Inc.; and its US$1.2 billion investment in Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.*
  • Represented Goldman Sachs Principal Investments Area in investments in a PRC-based media company and a Korean pharmaceutical company.*
  • Represented The Longreach Group in its US$694 million acquisition of a 51 percent interest in EnTie Commercial Bank, Ltd.*

*Matters handled prior to joining Foley.

Community Engagement

  • Advisory Board Member, Women in Business Law Initiative, University of California, Berkeley School of Law, 2018-2021
  • Board of Managers, Stonestown Family YMCA

Languages

  • Japanese
28 October 2024 Events

Extreme Tech Challenge Semiconductors and AI Innovation Reception

Foley & Lardner has teamed up with Extreme Tech Challenge, ARM, Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), and CBRE to gather the deep tech and climate community to share thought leadership, enable network building, and catalyze partnerships and engagements among the guests.
17 September 2024 Deals and Wins

Foley Represents TCGX as Lead Investor in $105M Series B Financing for Pathalys Pharma

Foley & Lardner LLP represented TCG Crossover (TCGX) as the lead investor in the $105 million Series B financing for Pathalys Pharma Inc., a private biopharmaceutical company in the late stages of developing treatments for kidney disease.
01 August 2024 In the News

Brian Wheeler on Joining Foley - 'Foley ticks all those boxes'

Recent lateral hire Brian Wheeler is featured for his arrival to Foley in the IFLR article, "Ex-Softbank in-house counsel motivated by Foley's 'rapid' growth."
16 July 2024 Foley Ignite

The Challenges and Benefits of Partial Exits

As private equity (PE) firms and financial sponsors of all varieties look for ways to generate liquidity in today's economic climate, partial exits are becoming a tool that some firms leverage to provide returns to investors.
12 July 2024 Foley Ignite

Navigating a Shifting World: Geopolitical Risks and Your Board's Role

The global landscape is changing. Gone are the days of unfettered trade and a unified international order.
12 July 2024 Foley Ignite

State of Global Venture Capital – A Look at Q2 24

Q2 venture capital investment data is out, and there is some promising news.