Keker, Van Nest & Peters attorney Bailey Heaps was featured in Law360’s "Rising Stars" of 2025 as one of more than 150 attorneys under 40 “whose legal accomplishments belie their age.” Heaps was recognized for his impactful work in complex life sciences litigation.
Heaps helped secure an $80 million+ award for former FerroKin Biosciences shareholders in a Delaware Chancery Court trial against Shire Pharmaceuticals, which had refused a $45 million milestone payment following a merger. The case turned on technical contract interpretation and drug development risks.
"In addition to getting to geek out over what terms in a contract meant, we also delved into the science and argued that the issues that Shire encountered in developing this drug — sure, they required more work for the company, but they were not these huge, show-stopping safety and efficacy concerns that would have made it impossible to sell the drug," Heaps told Law360.
Heaps also recently won summary judgment for The Scripps Research Institute and two of its scientists in a dispute over the commercialization of carbon-hydrogen activation technology, persuading the court that no enforceable agreement existed under the statute of frauds.
Heaps focuses on fast, effective resolutions for the small biotech companies and their founders or shareholders: “These clients are doing work that genuinely can change the world or change someone’s life, and our job as lawyers is to let them focus on that.”
Read the complete Law360 profile.