Kingsley Taft is a partner and co-chair of Goodwin's Life Sciences group. For the past 25 years, he has been recognized as one of the leading life sciences attorney worldwide. He is the current chair of the Partnership Committee and a former member of the Allocations and Executive Committees.
Kingsley represents emerging to mature life sciences companies in all aspects of their business and legal affairs, including company formation, venture financings, JVs and strategic licenses and collaborations, M&A, IPOs and other capital market transactions, royalty monetizations, and other commercial transactions.
Before attending Harvard Law School, Kingsley earned a BS in Chemistry from Yale University and a PhD in Chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
He has been recognized by Chambers in Life Sciences: Corporate Commercial at the Band One level in the USA (19 years), Global (6 years) and Massachusetts (3 years). Kingsley was inducted into the LMG Life Sciences Hall of Fame, named a Biotechnology and Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in 2022 and a Corporate Lawyer of the Year in 2025 by The Best Lawyers in America, and is regularly named a Life Sciences Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal - Global Elite.
Under his leadership, Goodwin’s Life Sciences Practice has received numerous awards and honors, including U.S. News’ Biotechnology Law Firm of the Year for eight times (2013 through 2015, 2017 through 2021, and 2025), Law360 Life Sciences Group of the Year (2016), LMG Life Sciences’ Life Cycle Firm of the Year for the United States (2024), Licensing & Collaboration Firm of the Year (2023), Corporate Law Firm of the Year (2019) and Venture Capital Law Firm of the Year (2016 and 2024), and perennial recognition by Chambers.
Representative Matters
- BeOne in its royalty financing with Royalty Pharma for up to $950 million on Amgen’s Imdelltra
- Blueprint Medicines in its acquisition by Sanofi for up to $9.5 billion
- Vigil Neurosciences in its acquisition by Sanofi for $470 million upfront and up to $600 in total
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its acquisition by Merck KGaA for up to $3.9 billion
- HI-Bio in its acquisition by Biogen for $1.15 billion upfront and up to $1.8 billion in total
- Mariana Oncology in its acquisition by Novartis for $1 billion upfront and up to $1.75 billion in total
- Heidelberg Pharma in its royalty financing with Healthcare Royalty for up to $115 million on Zircaix
- Haystack Oncology in its acquisition by Quest for $300 million upfront and up to $450 million in total
- Mablink Bioscience in its acquisition by Eli Lilly
- Blueprint Medicines in its acquisition of Lengo for $250 million upfront and up to $465 million in total
- Korro Bio in its reverse merger with Frequency Therapeutics
- Surface Oncology in its acquisition by Coherus BioSciences
- Q32 Bio in its reverse merger with Homology Medicines
- FibroGen in its royalty financing with NovaQuest for $50 million on Evrenzo
- EryDel in its acquisition by Quince Therapeutics for up to $485 million
- Codiak BioSciences in the sale of its exosome manufacturing facility to Lonza
- AbSci in its acquisitions of Denovium and Totient
- Cadent Therapeutics in its acquisition by Novartis for $210 million upfront and up to $770 million in total
- Vedere Bio in its acquisition by Novartis for $150 million upfront and up to $280 million in total
- Thrive Earlier Detection in its acquisition by Exact Sciences for $1.7 billion upfront and up to $2.15 billion
- Corvidia in its acquisition by Novo Nordisk for $725 million up-front and up to $2.1 billion in total
- Promedior in its acquisition by Roche for $390 million up-front and up to $1.4 billion in total
- Semma Therapeutics in its acquisition by Vertex Pharmaceuticals for $950 million
- Ipsen in its acquisition of Clementia Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion upfront and up $1.3 billion in total
- Foundation Medicine in its collaboration agreement and equity transaction with Roche, with total deal value in excess of $1 billion, and subsequent acquisition by Roche for $2.4 billion
- Dimension Therapeutics in its $151 million tender offer and contested sale to Ultragenyx
- Teva in three related sales of its specialty global women’s health business for a combined deal value of $2.5 billion, with CooperSurgical, CVC Capital Partners and Foundation Consumer Healthcare
- Delinia Therapeutics in acquisition by Celgene for $300 million upfront and up $775 million in total
- Medicxi Ventures as an investor in the acquisition of Impact Biomedicines by Celgene for up to $7 billion
- Royalty Pharma in its acquisition from Perrigo Company of royalty rights to Tysabri for up to $2.8 billion
- Morgan Stanley as financial advisor to Stemcentrx in its sale to AbbVie for up to $9.8 billion
- Padlock Therapeutics in its acquisition by BMS for $225 million upfront and up to $600 million in total
- Promedior in its option agreement with BMS with potential deal value of up to $1.25 billionTeva in its acquisition of Labrys Biologics for $200 million cash and up to $825 million
- Braveheart Bio in its license agreement with Hengrui Pharma to develop and commercialize novel therapies to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopath
- Freenome in its exclusive agreement with Exact Sciences to advance its CRC blood-based screening test, for an upfront payment of $75 million and up to $885 million in additional milestones
- ProFound Therapeutics in its collaboration with Novartis for cardiovascular disease, for an upfront payment of $25 million and up to $750 million in milestones and royalties
- Tubulis in an exclusive agreement with Gilead to develop an ADC against a solid tumor target, for an upfront payment of $20 million and up to $445 million in additional milestones and royalties
- Vesalius Therapeutics in its multi-target alliance with GSK to develop novel treatments for Parkinson's disease, for an upfront of $80 million and up to $570 million in potential milestones and royalties
- Prime Medicine in a strategic collaboration agreement with BMS to develop the next generation of ex vivo T-cell therapies, for an upfront of $55 million and up to $3.5 billion in milestones and royalties
- Korro Bio in a collaboration with Novo Nordisk to advance the discovery and development of new genetic medicines, with the initial target of treating cardiometabolic diseases
- Flagship Pioneering in its partnership with GSK to develop medicines for respiratory and immunology, for an upfront of $150 million, and up to $720 million in milestones and royalties per program
- Vigil Neurosciences on Sanofi’s $40 million strategic investment
- Repertoire Immune Medicines in its strategic collaboration with BMS for tolerizing vaccines, for an upfront of $65 million and up to $1.8 billion in milestones and royalties
- Flagship Pioneering in Novo Nordisk’s research collaboration with Metaphore Biotechnologies
- Isomorphic Labs in its collaboration with Novartis for small molecule therapeutics, for an upfront payment of $37.5 million and up to $1.2 billion in milestones and royalties
- Flagship Pioneering in Novo Nordisk’s separate research collaborations with Omega Therapeutics and Cellarity for obesity management and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, respectively
- Teva in its collaboration with Sanofi to co-develop and co-commercialize TEV‘574 for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, for an upfront of $500 million and up to $1 billion in milestones and 50/50 profit share
- Aditum Bio and its portfolio company, Celexor Bio, in an in-licensing transaction with Inmagene
- Flagship Pioneering in its partnership with Pfizer to create a new pipeline of innovative medicines for $100 million combined upfront commitment and up to $700 million in milestones and royalties for each program
- Nanobiotix in its worldwide licensing agreement with Janssen Pharmaceutica for NBTXR3, a first-in class radioenhancer, for an upfront of $30 million and up to $1.8 billion in milestones and royalites
- Tubulis in its strategic license agreement with BMS to develop differentiated ADCs for cancer, for an upfront of $22.75 million and up to $1 billion in milestones and royalties
- Moderna Therapeutics in its strategic collaboration with Generation Bio, for an upfront of $40 million and a $36 million equity investment
- Moderna Therapeutics in its collaboration with Life Edit Therapeutics, an ElevateBio company
- Entrada Therapeutics in its global collaboration with Vertex on intracellular Endosomal Escape Vehicle therapeutics for DM1, for an upfront of $250 million and up to $485 million in milestones and royalties
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its non-exclusive arrangement with GSK for SpringWorks’ nirogacestat in combination with GSK’s Blenrep, for up to $550 million in payments
- Q32 Bio in its collaboration with Horizon Therapeutics for ADX-914 for autoimmune diseases, for up to $55 million in near-term payments and $645 million in milestones and royalties
- Palleon Pharmaceuticals in its collaboration agreement with Shanghai Henlius Biotech for two bifunctional sialidase programs from Palleon’s EAGLE (Enzyme-Antibody Glyco-Ligand Editing) platform
- HIBio in its equity participation agreement and license agreements with MorphoSys to develop and commercialize MorphoSys’ felzartamab, and MOR210
- Flagship Pioneering in its strategic collaboration with Novo Nordisk A/S to create a portfolio of novel research programs to develop transformational medicines
- Ncardia Belgium SA in its strategic collaboration with Quell Therapeutics to develop a pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived T-regulatory (Treg) cell therapy platform
- Jocasta Neuroscience in its exclusive license agreement with UNITY Biotechnology to continue development of α-klotho program, with an up-front payment and additional milestones and royalties
- Prime Medicine in its exclusive option and research collaboration agreement with Myeloid Therapeutics, with an upfront of $45 million
- Arrakis Therapeutics in its collaboration agreement with Amgen for RNA degrader therapeutics, for $75 million upfront and up to several billion dollars in milestones and royalties
- Acadia Pharmaceuticals in its collaboration with Stoke Therapeutics for novel RNA-based medicines for CNS, for an upfront payment of $60 million and up to $907 million in milestones and royalties
- Absci in its research collaboration agreement with Merck, using Absci’s AI-powered Integrated Drug Creation™ Platform for up to $610 million in upfront fees and milestones
- Generate Biomedicines in its collaboration agreement with Amgen for protein therapeutics, for an upfront of $50 million with a potential transaction value of $1.9 billion and royalties
- Moderna Therapeutics in its strategic research and development collaboration with Metagenomi focused on advancing new gene editing systems for in vivo human therapeutic applications
- Flagship Pioneering in a first-of-its-kind strategic partnership with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Pioneering Medicines to develop therapeutics for cystic fibrosis, with $110 million committed funding
- Exicure in its agreement with Ipsen on Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs) for Huntington’s disease and Angelman syndrome, for an upfront of $20 million and up to $1 billion in milestones and royalties
- Arvinas in its collaboration with Pfizer for ARV-471 for an upfront of $650 million, equity investment of $350 million, up to $1.4 billion in milestones and 50/50 worldwide profit share
- Amathus Therapeutics in its collaboration with Merck on therapeutic candidates for neurodegenerative diseases, for an upfront payment and milestones in excess of $500 million and royalties
- Biond Biologics in its exclusive worldwide license agreement with Sanofi, for BND-22, for an upfront of $125 million and up to more than $1 billion in milestones, as well as tiered double digit royalty royalties
- Celsius Therapeutics in its strategic collaboration with Servier, focused on novel CRC drug targets, for an upfront, research funding, up to $700 million in milestones and royalties
- Surface Oncology in its exclusive agreement with GSK for its preclinical program SRF813, for an upfront payment of $85 million and up to $730 million in milestones and royalties
- {“milestones” “royalties” Relay Therapeutics in its collaboration with Genentech for RLY-1971, with an upfront of $75 million, a near-term milestone of $25 million and up to $695 million in milestones and royalties
- insitro in its collaboration with BMS for novel therapies to treat ALS and FTD, with an upfront of $50 million, a near-term milestone of $20 million, another $2 billion in milestones and royalties
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its exclusive arrangement with Jazz Pharmaceuticals for in fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor program, for an upfront of $35 million, up to $375 million in milestones and royalties
- HiFiBiO in its collaboration with Kite, a Gilead company, in acute myeloid leukemia
- Teva in its collaboration with Alvotech for the commercialization in the U.S. of five biosimilar product candidates, for an upfront payment, milestones and profit share
- Blueprint Medicines in its collaboration with Roche for pralsetinib, for an upfront of $675 million, $100 million of equity, up to $927 million in milestones, and a 50/50 US profit share and ex-US royalties
- RTW Investments and Ji Xing Pharmaceuticals on a license and financing with Cytokinetics, for committed proceeds of up to $250 million and up to $200 million in milestones and royalties
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in its four strategic financing transactions with Blackstone for the advancement of innovative RNA interference (RNAi) medicines, valued at $2 billion
- Arrakis Therapeutics in its strategic collaboration with Roche for the discovery of RNA-targeted small molecule (rSM) drugs, for $190 million up-front and up to more than several billion dollars
- Flexion Therapeutics in its exclusive license agreement with HK Tainuo and Jiangsu Tainuo for Zilretta in Greater China for an upfront payment of $10 million and up to more than $30 million in milestones
- Ultragenyx in its partnership with GeneTx to advance treatment for Angelman Syndrome for $20 million up-front in return for an option to acquire the company
- insitro in its strategic collaboration with Gilead Sciences to develop therapies for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with up to $50 million in near-term payments and $1 billion in deal value
- Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in its collaboration with Regeneron for RNAi therapeutics focused on ocular and CNS diseases with announced deal value up to $1 billion
- Verseau Therapeutics in its partnership agreement with 3SBio focused on novel antibodies in the field of immuno-oncology for a broad range of cancers, along with a $10 million Series B investment
- Esperion Therapeutics in its agreement with Daiichi Sankyo Europe regarding bempedoic acid and combinations in Europe, for $300 million upfront, up to $900 million in milestones and royalties
- Scholar Rock in its collaboration with Gilead Sciences for inhibitors of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) activation to treat fibrotic diseases, for $80 million up front and up to $1.4 billion in milestones
- MacroGenics in its arrangement with Zai Lab for Margetuximab, MGD013 and a TRIDENT™ molecule in greater China, for $25 million upfront, up to $140 million in milestones, and double-digit royalties
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its global clinical collaboration with BeiGene to evaluate combining BeiGene’s investigational RAF dimer inhibitor and SpringWorks Therapeutics’ investigational MEK inhibitor
- Ambys Medicines in forming a strategic partnership with Takeda and concurrent $140 million funding
- Wave Life Sciences in its strategic collaboration with Takeda to develop nucleic acid therapies for disorders of the central nervous system for $110 million upfront and up to $2 billion in milestones
- Aerpio Therapeutics in its global license agreement with Gossamer Bio, with $20 million up-front, up to $400 million in milestones, and royalties ranging from a high single digit to mid-teen percentage
- Moderna Therapeutics in numerous strategic transactions with AstraZeneca, Merck and others with upfront deal value in excess of $1 billion in cash and equity, plus downstream milestones
- Fresenius Medical Care in global partnership with Humacyte to commercialize the investigational human acellular vessel HUMACYL; Fresenius made a $150 million equity investment in Humacyte
- Warp Drive Bio in its collaboration with Roche on novel classes of antibiotics, valued up to $387 million
- Pieris Pharmaceuticals in its strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca to develop novel inhaled drugs that leverage Pieris’ Anticalin platform, for deal value of up to $2.1 billion
- Teva in its global agreement with Regeneron for the phase 3 novel nerve growth factor antibody fasinumab, for $250 million upfront and a share in its global commercial value
- Pieris Pharmaceuticals in its collaboration with Servier for a dual-checkpoint inhibitor and up to seven other immuno-oncology bispecific drug candidates, for a deal value of up to €1.7 billion
- Intellia Therapeutics in its collaboration with Regeneron on CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology for in vivo therapeutic development, with $75 million upfront and potential milestones and royalties
- Blueprint Medicines in its collaboration with Roche, up to $1 billion in value with $45 million upfront
- Surface Oncology in its collaboration with Novartis to develop next generation immunotherapeutics, with Surface to receive up to $170 million in near term cash, plus milestones and royalties
- Unum Therapeutics in its strategic collaboration with Seattle Genetics to develop and commercialize novel antibody-coupled T-cell receptor (ACTR) therapies for cancer, with potential deal value of $615 million
- Nogra Pharma in its $710 million global license agreement with Celgene for therapies to treat Crohn’s disease with a total potential deal value up to $2.6 billion in milestones and royalties
- bluebird bio in its global collaboration with Celgene and subsequent update for gene therapies to treat cancer with deal value up to $300 million
- Bicara Therapeutics in its $362 million initial public offering
- Entrada Therapeutics in its $100 million registered direct offering
- Rapport Therapeutics in its $174.4 million initial public offering and $250 million follow-on offering
- Prime Medicine in its $199 million initial public offering and $144.2 million follow-on offering
- Scholar Rock in its $205 million registered direct offering and $92.5 million underwritten offering
- Vigil Neuroscience in its $98 million initial public offering and $40 million private placement
- Absci in its $230 million initial public offering and $86.4 million follow-on offering
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its $186.3 million initial public offering, $287.5 million and $316.25 million follow-on offerings and $225 million private placement
- Kaleido Biosciences in its $75 million initial public offering and its $35.6 million follow-on offering
- Scholar Rock in its $86 million initial public offering, and $51 million and $230 million follow-on offerings
- Axcella in its $71 million initial public offering and $25 million and $34 million registered direct offering
- HOOKIPA Pharma in its $84 million initial public offering
- Moderna Therapeutics in its $604 million initial public offering and follow-on offerings
- Blueprint Medicines in its $147 million initial public offering and subsequent $143 million, $230 million, $350 million, and $327 million follow-on offerings
- Aerpio in its $40 million reverse merger and subsequent $45 million follow-on offering
- Surface Oncology in its $108 million initial public offering and concurrent $11.5 million private placement
- Unum Therapeutics in its $69 million initial public offering and concurrent $5 million private placement
- aTyr Pharma in its $75 million initial public offering and $45 million subsequent equity financing
- Fate Therapeutics in its $40 million IPO, $30 million follow-on offering, and $57 million structured PIPE
- Ra Pharmaceuticals in its $105 million initial public offering
- Dimension Therapeutics in its $72 million initial public offering
- Foundation Medicine in its $106 million initial public offering
- Braveheart Bio in its $185 million Series A financing
- AAVantgarde Bio in its $141 million Series B financing
- Tubulis in its $401 million Series C financing
- ARTBIO in its $132 million Series B financing
- Nuvig Therapeutics in its $161 million Series B financing
- Axonis Therapeutics in its $115 million Series A financing
- eGenesis in its $191 million Series D financing
- Marea Therapeutics in its $190 million combined Series A and B financings
- Pheon Therapeutics in its $120 million Series B financing
- Delphia Therapeutics in its launch and $67 million Series A financing
- Human Immunology Biosciences (HI-Bio) in its $95 million Series B financing
- Mariana Oncology in its oversubscribed $175 million Series B financing
- K36 Therapeutics in its $70 million Series B financing
- AAVantgarde Bio in its €61 million Series A financing
- Rapport Therapeutics in its launch and $100 million Series A financing
- Bicara Therapeutics in its oversubscribed $108 million Series B financing
- FogPharma in its $178 million Series D and $145 million Series E financings
- Webster Equity Partners in three concurrent transactions with the Corium companies and Radius Health
- Sonothera in its $60 million Series A financing
- Nuvig Therapeutics in its $47 million Series A financing
- MOMA Therapeutics in its $150 million Series B Financing
- LifeMine Therapeutics in its $175 million Series C financing
- Curie Therapeutics in its $75 million Series A financing
- Delix Therapeutics in its $70 Million Series A financing
- Korro Bio in its $116 million Series B financing
- Vigil Neuroscience in its $90 million Series B financing
- InterVenn Biosciences in its $34 million Series B and $201 million Series C financings
- Prime Medicine in its launch and funding rounds totaling $315 million
- Vedere Bio II in its launch and $77 million Series A financing
- AbSci in its $125 million crossover financing and its $65 million Series E equity financing
- Palleon Pharmaceuticals in its $100 million Series B financing
- Q32 Bio in its $60 million Series B financing
- Hillhouse Capital in its investment in Everest Medicine’s Series C financing of $310 million
- Cerevance in its $45 million Series B financing
- Moma Therapeutics in its launch and $86 million Series A financing
- Xilio Therapeutics in its $100.5 million Series B financing
- EQRx in its $200 million Series A financing
- Triplet Therapeutics in its $49 million Series A financing
- Verseau Therapeutics in its launch and $50 million financing
- Arrakis Therapeutics in its $75 million Series B financing
- SpringWorks Therapeutics in its $125 million Series B financing
- Medicxi Ventures in its $40 million Series D financing of Aura Biosciences
- HOOKIPA Pharma in its $37 Series D financing to advance its clinical programs
- Cadent Therapeutics in its $40 million financing
- Akrevia in its $30 million financing
- Rheostat Therapeutics in its $23 million financing to develop treatments for neurodegenerative disease
- Alector in its most recent $133 million financing and prior $29.5 million financing
- Kaleido Biosciences in its most recent $101 million financing and prior $85 million financing
- Corvidia Therapeutics in its most recent $60 million financing and prior $26 million financing
- Quentis Therapeutics in its $48 million financing
- Moderna Therapeutics in its most recent $500 million and prior $474 million and $450 equity financings
- Semma Therapeutics in its most recent $114 million financing and prior $44 million financing
- Arrakis Therapeutics in its $38 million financing
- Cerevance in its $40 million plus funding and spin-out from Takeda Pharmaceutical for neuroscience
- Axcella Health in its approximately $80 million financing
- Medicxi Ventures in its approximately $22 million financing of Impact Biomedicines
- SetPoint Medical in its $100 plus million in financings
- Scholar Rock in its $47 million financing and earlier preferred stock financings
- Unum Therapeutics in its $65 million financing for its anti-body directed cellular immunotherapies
- Surface Oncology in its $35 million financing for cancer immunotherapies
- Aerpio Therapeutics in its $60 million financings for vascular disease therapies
Areas of Practice
Credentials
Education
JD1997
Harvard Law School
(magna cum laude)
PhDChemistry1993
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
BSChemistry1989
Yale University
(magna cum laude)
Clerkships
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Honorable Raymond C. Clevenger
Admissions
Bars
- Massachusetts
Recognition & Awards
Kingsley has been recognized by numerous legal guides for legal and life sciences industry expertise. He has been recognized by Chambers in Life Sciences: Corporate Commercial at the Band One level in the USA (19 years), Global (6 years) and Massachusetts (3 years). Kingsley was inducted into the LMG Life Sciences Hall of Fame, named a Biotechnology and Life Sciences Lawyer of the Year in 2022 and a Corporate Lawyer of the Year in 2025 by The Best Lawyers in America, and is regularly named a Life Sciences Thought Leader by Who’s Who Legal - Global Elite.
Kingsley has also been named as a leading business lawyer IFLR1000 (Pharmaceutical sector), LMG Life Sciences (Life Sciences Star), The Legal 500 United States (Healthcare: Life Sciences and Venture Capital and Emerging Companies), PLC Cross-border Life Sciences Handbook (Commercial and Partnering), named to the IAM Global Leaders Guide, and IAM Patent 1000 (Licensing).
Publications
While attending law school, he first served as an editor and executive editor of the Harvard Law Review.