Sidley Life Sciences Venture Pays With $700 Million Practice (1)

Sidley Austin had spent years expanding its life sciences transactional expertise when it hired Ropes & Gray private equity partner Christopher Rile and Cravath Swaine & Moore capital markets partner Johnny Skumpija.

The 2021 moves paid off. The pair this year helped French private equity firm Eurazeo invest $200 million in Cranial Technologies, which treats babies that develop flattened skulls, a condition known as plagiocephaly.

Five years after deciding to build it, Sidley has grown its life sciences practice into a $700 million annual enterprise with more than 200 lawyers. The firm since 2019 brought on 30 lateral partners, two-thirds ...