Margarita Karkantzou

Since joining Kirkland, Margarita has advised on the following matters:

• Cursor on its acquisition by SpaceX for $60 billion in an all-stock deal
• IntraBio on the $2 billion sale to Shionogi
• Apogee Therapeutics on the $10.9 billion sale to AbbVie
• Vertex Pharmaceuticals on the $10 billion acquisition of Crinetics Pharmaceuticals
• Catalyst Pharmaceuticals on the $4.1 billion sale to Angelini Pharma
• Zymeworks on the $929 million acquisition of Theravance Biopharma
• Amicus Therapeutics on the $4.8 billion sale to BioMarin
• Akero Therapeutics on the $5.2 billion sale to Novo Nordisk
• Transcend Therapeutics on its sale to Otsuka Pharmaceutical for up to $1.225 billion
• KalVista Pharmaceuticals on the $1.9 billion acquisition by Chiesi Group
• Eli Lilly and Company on the following transactions:
  • $780 million acquisition of LimmaTech Biologics
  • $7 billion acquisition of Kelonia Therapeutics
  • agreement to acquire Centessa Pharmaceuticals for up to $7.8 billion
  • $1.3 billion acquisition of Verve Therapeutics
  • acquisition of Versanis Bio for up to $1.925 billion in cash
  • $2.4 billion acquisition of DICE Therapeutics
  • $1.4 billion acquisition of POINT Biopharma Global
• Walgreens Boots Alliance on the $23.7 billion acquisition by Sycamore Partners
• Orchid Orthopedic Solutions on the merger with Tecomet
• Nordic Capital’s LEO Pharma on the partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim for the medical dermatology drug SPEVIGO
• I Squared Capital on its investment in WhiteWater’s Solitude Pipeline System joint venture alongside FIC Partners Management
• KKR and Corel on the split of the company, whereby Vector Capital acquired Corel’s portfolio of creativity and productivity software and related brands, with the Parallels business remaining under the ownership of funds managed by KKR
• WestBridge on the sale of the environmental consultancy APEM Group to Applus+ Group
• Greenbriar Equity Fund in its $625 million sale of its portfolio company Main Street Auto d/b/a “Oil Changers” to Valvoline, Inc., a transaction resolved following an extensive US Second Request via divestiture of 45 quick-lube oil change shops
• Bain Capital Private Equity on the following transactions:
  • the investment in Tingstad
  • the acquisition of a controlling stake in Eleda from Altor
• Bain Capital North American Private Equity on the investment in Sizzling Platter
• Castlelake L.P. on a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management in which Brookfield is purchasing a 51% stake in Castlelake’s fee-related earnings
• BC Partners on the sale of a majority stake in Aenova Group to Kühne Holding AG
• IK Partners on the sale of a controlling interest in the firm to Wendel
• Snow Software on the agreement to be acquired by Flexera
• Brookfield, as the majority shareholder of the Schoeller Allibert Group, on its successful comprehensive recapitalization
• Montagu on the acquisition of Johnson Matthey Plc’s medical device components (MDC) business
• An ad hoc group of the major financial creditors of the Steinhoff retail conglomerate on its restructuring via the first major international Dutch law restructuring plan (or “WHOA”)
• Resonetics on the $900 million acquisition of SAES Medical Nitinol Business
• Paine Schwartz Partners on the $150 million strategic equity investment in AgroFresh Solutions

Prior to joining Kirkland, Margarita advised on the following matters:

• A global satellite operator on its contemplated merger with a competitor and related antitrust notifications
• A Greek systemic bank on its strategic partnership with a merchant acquiring operator
• A global diamonds miner on the formation of a joint venture with a diamonds polishing company
• A consortium of financial sponsors on their acquisitions of multiple data centers in Europe and related antitrust notifications
• An Irish renewables energy provider on its majority sale to a financial sponsor through an auction process
• A respondent in relation to the CMA’s funerals market investigation
• A global conglomerate on its auction sale of its pharmaceutical business in Europe and related antitrust notifications
• A European electric utility company on its acquisition of an energy company and related antitrust notifications
• A global consumer goods company in relation to the CMA’s investigation into alleged anti-competitive practices
• A Greek systemic bank on a State Aid case
• Certain claimants in relation to the Ofwat’s PR19 and Ofgem’s RIIO-2 price control reviews and their subsequent price redetermination / appeal proceedings before the CMA
• A variety of clients from various industries on issues of competition law compliance and in particular horizontal cooperation, vertical agreements, and participation in trade associations

Linklaters LLP, London / Brussels

• Associate, 2020–2022
• Trainee Solicitor, 2018–2020
• Legal Assistant, 2016–2017

PotamitisVekris Law Firm, Athens, Greece

• Trainee Lawyer, 2014–2015