Chris Byrd is senior counsel in the technology transactions practice at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where he advises leading public and private life sciences companies on a wide range of transactional and corporate matters, including strategic alliances and collaborations, joint ventures, product and technology licenses, copromotion agreements, manufacturing arrangements, and sponsored research arrangements, as well as corporate formations, venture financings, and corporate governance matters.

Chris brings 25 years of experience in the life sciences industry, including nearly two decades previously practicing in the technology transactions group at Wilson Sonsini and more than five years in senior in-house legal roles at Kite Pharma, a Gilead company, and ALX Oncology. His scientific training and senior operating experience enable him to engage efficiently with scientific and business teams as well as senior company management and boards and give him a broad perspective on the legal, business, scientific, and organizational considerations that shape successful strategic transactions and long-term partnerships. He has extensive experience in oncology, with a deep operational understanding of CAR-T therapy, immuno-oncology agents, and antibody-drug conjugates, as well as direct experience with conducting clinical trials and launching products in China.

Prior to rejoining Wilson Sonsini, Chris served as general counsel and corporate secretary of ALX Oncology, a publicly traded clinical-stage immuno-oncology company. As a member of the executive leadership team, he advised senior management and the board on a wide variety of enterprise-level strategic matters. As the company's senior legal officer, his responsibilities included corporate securities and governance, strategic collaborations and general contracting, intellectual property, and all aspects of compliance.

Previously, Chris was senior associate general counsel at Kite Pharma, where he led Kite's corporate legal function. He advised Kite on strategic transactions, business development, alliance management, and commercial contracting during a period of rapid growth following Kite's acquisition by Gilead Sciences. He led or supported more than 20 strategic transactions with an aggregate potential value exceeding $4 billion and helped manage a portfolio of approximately 50 existing licenses and collaborations. Chris also served as board supervisor of Fosun Kite Biotechnology, Kite's joint venture with Fosun Pharma in China, and supported Fosun Kite’s launch of the first CAR-T therapy in China.

Chris began his career as a scientist. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from Caltech, where he worked with Professor Alexander Varshavsky, a pioneer in the then-emerging field of targeted protein degradation.