ACG San Diego & Corporate Directors Forum | Trends Shaping M&A in Healthcare & Biotech

Helen Adams is a seasoned financial executive, CPA and life science board member with over 35 years of leadership experience working with high growth companies on strategy development and successful execution of corporate goals.  She is a retired Deloitte partner and national office consultation expert, and the former Area Managing Partner for Haskell & White LLP.

Helen is currently the Lead Independent Director and Audit Committee Chair for Immix Biopharma (NASDAQ: IMMX), which develops clinical-stage therapeutics targeting solid tumors and soft tissue sarcoma.  She is a member of the board of privately-held Nexcella, Inc., an ImmixBio subsidiary developing CAR-T cell therapies targeting blood cancers, multiple myeloma and AL amyloidosis.  She was most recently the Audit Committee Chair for Prometheus Biosciences (NASDAQ: RXDX), an immunology and inflammation biotechnology company that went public in 2021 and was acquired by Merck in 2023 for $11 billion, the largest-ever biotech transaction in San Diego history.

Helen is a long-time member of the San Diego business and philanthropic communities, and has served as Finance Committee Chair, Program Chair and/or Chairman of the Board of organizations including Women Corporate Directors, Athena San Diego, San Diego Chairmen’s Roundtable, Make-A-Wish, Serving Seniors (Senior Community Centers), the Cal State San Marcos Foundation Board, the YWCA Board and the YWCA TWIN Program, as well as Deloitte’s FAST 50/FAST 500 awards program for high growth life sciences and technology companies.  She is a StartR Mentor for the Rady School at UCSD and is a frequent speaker at local leadership conferences and board development programs. Helen has taught college-level finance courses, developed technical literature for complex financing arrangements, and co-authored an accounting textbook.  Helen holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting with distinction in her major from San Diego State University and has completed an Executive Leadership program with Columbia University.

Tony Crisman is a Managing Director and Head of Healthcare in the Investment Banking group. He has more than 20 years of experience executing over 100 successful M&A and capital-raising transactions for private equity, venture capital, publicly traded companies, and privately held and family-owned businesses operating in the healthcare industry.

Tony specializes in M&A for highly differentiated, outsourced pharmaceutical and laboratory services businesses and life science companies (diagnostics and research products), helping them understand ever-changing and converging dynamic end markets, identify potential growth opportunities, and create value through strategic positioning. His deep industry expertise and expansive network in outsourced pharmaceutical and laboratory services end markets and their supply chain (life science companies) provides unique insights for assisting middle-market growth companies with finding their maximum strategic value.

Prior to joining Stout, Tony was a Managing Director and Co-Head of Healthcare at Lincoln International. Prior to Lincoln International, Tony was a Vice President in the healthcare investment banking practice of GCA Savvian Advisors. Previously, he was at Vector Securities International and RBC Capital Market (formerly Dain Rauscher Wessels) focused on healthcare investment banking.

Hemanth Reddy joined ResMed in 2013 as the Chief Strategy Officer. Hemanth leads the company’s corporate strategy and corporate development functions globally, including mergers and acquisitions, and venture investments.

Prior to ResMed, Hemanth was a Principal with Monitor Deloitte, Deloitte Consulting’s Strategy practice, and co-led their San Francisco office. Hemanth focused on growth strategies across consumer products, high tech, biotech and other industries and he also advised on a range of topics including corporate strategy, business unit strategy, portfolio strategy, and inorganic growth strategy.

Prior to Deloitte, Hemanth was a Partner with Monitor Group where he co-led Corporate Finance activities in North America and shared leadership responsibility for Monitor’s M&A advisory practice. Before the Monitor Group, Hemanth was an investment banker with Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette in New York, where he advised clients in structuring and executing debt and equity offerings, as well as private equity transactions.

Hemanth holds an MBA in Finance, Strategy and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management and a BS in Computer Science from Cornell University’s College of Engineering.

Jeralin Cardoso is the Practice Group Leader of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group. She is a partner in the Del Mar (San Diego) office of Sheppard Mullin, a full service AmLaw Global 100 law firm with offices throughout California, New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Dallas, London, Brussels, Seoul and Shanghai. She is also a member of the firm’s Healthcare, Private Equity, and Emerging Growth/Venture Capital Industry Teams.

Areas of Practice

Healthcare

Jeralin has worked with a broad range of healthcare clients in California and nationally, including physician groups (single-specialty, primary care and multi-specialty groups), hospitals, ancillary service providers and private equity and strategic investors.

Jeralin has a deep understanding of the business and strategic needs of medical groups and healthcare organizations. She has skillfully represented her clients while navigating complex healthcare regulatory requirements and working collaboratively with all parties to structure mutually beneficial transactions.

General Corporate

Jeralin also represents public and private companies in a variety of industries. Her practice encompasses general corporate and securities matters, including mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity financing, venture capital, business formation and structuring, public securities offerings and general corporate governance.