Robert T. Ishii

Robert T. Ishii

Partner

Mergers & Acquisitions

Leader of Mergers and Acquisitions Group

Rob's M&A practice focuses on contests for corporate control and other complex strategic transactions, including divestitures and joint ventures.
Experienced Practitioner

Rob's transactional experience includes recent M&A transactions valued over $100 billion.
Represents Leading Companies

Rob has represented the likes of Microchip, Lumentum, Pacific Biosciences, Omnivision, Varian, Logitech, Google, and Twitter.
Other Roles

Rob is involved in the management of the firm and San Francisco office, and has served on the firm's Compensation Committee, Policy Committee, and Nominating Committee.

Robert Ishii is a partner in Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's San Francisco office and is the leader of the firm's mergers and acquisitions group. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, contests for corporate control, and other complex strategic transactions, including divestitures, joint ventures, and other transformative transactions.

Rob's extensive transactional experience includes more than 200 completed M&A transactions valued at over $150 billion. He has represented public and private companies, private equity funds, and financial advisors in negotiated and hostile transactions in the technology, medical technology, biotechnology, media, telecommunications, and other industries.

Rob is active in the management of the firm and the San Francisco office. He has served on the firm’s Compensation Committee, Policy Committee, and Nominating Committee.

Experience

Rob is active in the management of the firm and the San Francisco office. He has served on the firm’s Compensation Committee, Policy Committee, and Nominating Committee.

Education

J.D., University of Chicago Law School
A.B., Cornell University

Honors

Named in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA: Leading Lawyers for Business as a top corporate/M&A attorney in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Surrounds
Selected for inclusion in the 2016-2023 editions of Who's Who Legal: M&A
Recognized as a "Life Science Star" in the finance and transactional section of LMG Life Sciences in 2013-2023
Recognized in the 2012-2019 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers

Admissions

State Bar of California
State Bar of New York

Credentials

Education

J.D., University of Chicago Law School
A.B., Cornell University

Honors

Named in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA: Leading Lawyers for Business as a top corporate/M&A attorney in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Surrounds
Selected for inclusion in the 2016-2023 editions of Who's Who Legal: M&A
Recognized as a "Life Science Star" in the finance and transactional section of LMG Life Sciences in 2013-2023
Recognized in the 2012-2019 editions of Northern California Super Lawyers

Admissions

State Bar of California
State Bar of New York

Select Transactions

Pismo in its $1 billion acquisition by Visa
MaxLinear in its pending $3.8 billion acquisition of Silicon Motion
Sierra Oncology in its $1.9 billion acquisition by GSK
Bungie in its $3.6 billion acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment
DoorDash in its $8 billion acquisition of Wolt Enterprises
Lumentum in its $920 million acquisition of NeoPhotonics
Talend in its $2.4 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo
Lyft in the $550 million sale of its autonomous vehicle division to Toyota
Gogoro in its $2.35 billion de-SPAC merger with Poema Global
Lumentum in its $6.9 billion aborted acquisition of Coherent, after public bidding war
Microchip in its $10.2 billion acquisition of Microsemi
Lumentum in its $1.8 billion acquisition of Oclaro
Pacific Biosciences in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Illumina (aborted)
Neotract in its acquisition by Teleflex for up to $1.1 billion
Microchip in its $3.6 billion acquisition of Atmel, after the termination of its existing transaction with Dialog Semiconductor
HomeAway in its $3.9 billion acquisition by Expedia
Pharmacyclics in its $21 billion acquisition by AbbVie
Stemcentrix' founder and principal stockholder in its $6 billion acquisition by AbbVie
Apigee in its $625 million acquisition by Google
Microchip Technology in its $840 million acquisition of Micrel
Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI) in its $800 million acquisition by a Chinese investment group led by SummitView Capital, after a public bidding war with Cypress Semiconductor
Yodlee in its $660 million acquisition by Envestnet
Technicolor in its $600 million acquisition of Cisco's Connected Device Division
Seragon Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Roche for up to $1.7 billion
Omnivision in its pending $1.9 billion acquisition by an investment group led by Hua Capital
PneumRx in its acquisition by BTG for up to $475 million
Aragon Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson for up to $1 billion, and in the related spinoff of Seragon Pharmaceuticals
Verinata Health in its acquisition by Illumina for up to $450 million
Wright Medical in its acquisition of Biomimetic for $380 million in cash, stock and contingent value rights
Outdoor Channel in its $270 million acquisition by Kroenke Sports, after termination of its previously announced acquisition by Intermedia Partners
SARcode Bioscience in its acquisition by Shire for up to $685 million
Microchip Technology in its $940 million acquisition of Standard Microsystems Corp.
Quanticel Pharmaceuticals in its strategic R&D collaboration with Celgene (including an option to acquire the company)
Rambus in its $340 million acquisition of Cryptography Research
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Gilead Sciences for up to $600 million
Ardian in its acquisition by Medtronic for up to $1.5 billion
Actel in its $590 million acquisition by Microsemi
Microchip Technology in its $300 million acquisition of Silicon Storage Technology via unsolicited bid after a previously announced transaction
Varian in its $1.5 billion acquisition by Agilent Technologies
Acclarent in its $785 million acquisition by Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson company)
Logitech in its $405 million acquisition of Lifesize Communications
Wind River Systems in its $900 million acquisition by Intel
CoreValve in its $775 million acquisition by Medtronic
Francisco Partners in $720 million sale of Metrologic Instruments
Google in multiple acquisitions
Twitter in multiple acquisitions
Fluidigm in its $210 million acquisition of DVS Sciences
Mindspeed in its $270 million acquisition by M/A-Com, and in the related sale of its wireless division to Intel
Concentric Medical in its $135 million acquisition by Stryker
Advanced Analogic Technologies in its $260 million acquisition by Skyworks Solutions
Align Technology in its $190 million acquisition of Cadent
FoxHollow Technologies in its $780 million merger with ev3
St. Francis Medical Technologies in its $725 million acquisition by Kyphon (now part of Medtronic)
Francisco Partners in its announced, and subsequently terminated, $1 billion acquisition of Aeroflex
Dolby Laboratories in its $250 million acquisition of Coding Technologies
Multiple transactions opposite Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Medtronic
Numerous investment banks in their capacity as financial advisor in M&A transactions
Occam Networks in its $170 million acquisition by Calix
SenoRx in its $215 million acquisition by CR Bard
The founding stockholders of Rae Systems in its pending leveraged buyout by Vector Capital, after numerous topping bids and termination of a previous buyout by Battery Ventures

Matters

Select Transactions

Pismo in its $1 billion acquisition by Visa
MaxLinear in its pending $3.8 billion acquisition of Silicon Motion
Sierra Oncology in its $1.9 billion acquisition by GSK
Bungie in its $3.6 billion acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment
DoorDash in its $8 billion acquisition of Wolt Enterprises
Lumentum in its $920 million acquisition of NeoPhotonics
Talend in its $2.4 billion acquisition by Thoma Bravo
Lyft in the $550 million sale of its autonomous vehicle division to Toyota
Gogoro in its $2.35 billion de-SPAC merger with Poema Global
Lumentum in its $6.9 billion aborted acquisition of Coherent, after public bidding war
Microchip in its $10.2 billion acquisition of Microsemi
Lumentum in its $1.8 billion acquisition of Oclaro
Pacific Biosciences in its $1.2 billion acquisition by Illumina (aborted)
Neotract in its acquisition by Teleflex for up to $1.1 billion
Microchip in its $3.6 billion acquisition of Atmel, after the termination of its existing transaction with Dialog Semiconductor
HomeAway in its $3.9 billion acquisition by Expedia
Pharmacyclics in its $21 billion acquisition by AbbVie
Stemcentrix' founder and principal stockholder in its $6 billion acquisition by AbbVie
Apigee in its $625 million acquisition by Google
Microchip Technology in its $840 million acquisition of Micrel
Integrated Silicon Solution Inc. (ISSI) in its $800 million acquisition by a Chinese investment group led by SummitView Capital, after a public bidding war with Cypress Semiconductor
Yodlee in its $660 million acquisition by Envestnet
Technicolor in its $600 million acquisition of Cisco's Connected Device Division
Seragon Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Roche for up to $1.7 billion
Omnivision in its pending $1.9 billion acquisition by an investment group led by Hua Capital
PneumRx in its acquisition by BTG for up to $475 million
Aragon Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Johnson & Johnson for up to $1 billion, and in the related spinoff of Seragon Pharmaceuticals
Verinata Health in its acquisition by Illumina for up to $450 million
Wright Medical in its acquisition of Biomimetic for $380 million in cash, stock and contingent value rights
Outdoor Channel in its $270 million acquisition by Kroenke Sports, after termination of its previously announced acquisition by Intermedia Partners
SARcode Bioscience in its acquisition by Shire for up to $685 million
Microchip Technology in its $940 million acquisition of Standard Microsystems Corp.
Quanticel Pharmaceuticals in its strategic R&D collaboration with Celgene (including an option to acquire the company)
Rambus in its $340 million acquisition of Cryptography Research
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals in its acquisition by Gilead Sciences for up to $600 million
Ardian in its acquisition by Medtronic for up to $1.5 billion
Actel in its $590 million acquisition by Microsemi
Microchip Technology in its $300 million acquisition of Silicon Storage Technology via unsolicited bid after a previously announced transaction
Varian in its $1.5 billion acquisition by Agilent Technologies
Acclarent in its $785 million acquisition by Ethicon (a Johnson & Johnson company)
Logitech in its $405 million acquisition of Lifesize Communications
Wind River Systems in its $900 million acquisition by Intel
CoreValve in its $775 million acquisition by Medtronic
Francisco Partners in $720 million sale of Metrologic Instruments
Google in multiple acquisitions
Twitter in multiple acquisitions
Fluidigm in its $210 million acquisition of DVS Sciences
Mindspeed in its $270 million acquisition by M/A-Com, and in the related sale of its wireless division to Intel
Concentric Medical in its $135 million acquisition by Stryker
Advanced Analogic Technologies in its $260 million acquisition by Skyworks Solutions
Align Technology in its $190 million acquisition of Cadent
FoxHollow Technologies in its $780 million merger with ev3
St. Francis Medical Technologies in its $725 million acquisition by Kyphon (now part of Medtronic)
Francisco Partners in its announced, and subsequently terminated, $1 billion acquisition of Aeroflex
Dolby Laboratories in its $250 million acquisition of Coding Technologies
Multiple transactions opposite Microsoft, Cisco Systems, and Medtronic
Numerous investment banks in their capacity as financial advisor in M&A transactions
Occam Networks in its $170 million acquisition by Calix
SenoRx in its $215 million acquisition by CR Bard
The founding stockholders of Rae Systems in its pending leveraged buyout by Vector Capital, after numerous topping bids and termination of a previous buyout by Battery Ventures

Recent Insights

Client Highlights

On November 13, 2024, Charter Communications and Liberty Broadband Corporation announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Charter has agreed to acquire Liberty Broadband in an all-stock transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, each holder of Liberty Broadband Series A common stock, Series B common stock, and Series C common stock will receive 0.236 of a share of Charter common stock per share of Liberty Broadband common stock held. Liberty Broadband's principal assets currently consist of approximately 45.6 million common shares of Charter and its subsidiary GCI, Alaska's largest communications provider. Liberty Broadband has agreed to spin off its GCI business prior to the closing of the acquisition of Liberty Broadband by Charter.

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Client Highlights

On October 14, 2024, H. Lundbeck A/S (Lundbeck) and Longboard Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Longboard) announced that Lundbeck will acquire Longboard. Under the terms of the agreement, Lundbeck will commence a tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of Longboard common stock for $60.00 per share in cash. The transaction is valued at approximately $2.6 billion. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati advised Evercore, Longboard’s financial advisor, in connection with the transaction.

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Recent Events

WSGR Events

A new administration often brings significant changes to the regulatory environment and the Biden Administration will not be the exception. Areas to watch include antitrust, privacy and CFIUS issues arising in mergers and acquisitions involving technology and the biotech industries.

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