Patty M. DeGaetano

Before joining Pillsbury, Patty served as an intern at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the Division of Corporation Finance, Office of Rulemaking, in Washington, DC.

Patty also has many years of experience prior to law school as a member, and most recently as legal affairs associate, of in-house legal departments at five large, publicly traded companies, including Overland Storage, a manufacturer of computer data protection appliances and software modules; Dura Pharmaceuticals, a specialty respiratory pharmaceutical company; Spiros Development Corp., developer of a pulmonary drug delivery system; and Intermark and its sister company, Triton Group Ltd., La Jolla-based operating/holding companies that did business nationwide through a number of subsidiaries operating in various industries.

• Represented Invitae Corp., a genetic information company whose mission is to bring genetic testing into mainstream medical practice, in its IPO to raise $117 million and later follow-on offering and private placement to raise an additional $118 million.
• Represented public biotech client Opexa Therapeutics in follow-on registered public offerings and private placement transactions, as well as a successful rights offering and implementation of an at-the-market facility and an equity line.
• Represented Japanese public biotech client MediciNova in an $18 million follow-on offering and implementation of an at-the-market facility.
• Represented Japanese client Marubeni Corp. in its acquisition of a controlling interest in California wind energy company Oak Creek Energy Systems.
• Represented public biotech client BioPharmX Corp. in a private placement of $3 million in common stock convertible notes.
• Represented public company Invitae Corp. in its warrant tender offer and common stock merger transaction with public company CombiMatrix.
• Represented Petco Animal Supplies in the sale of its Pooch Hotel division, as well as its purchase of pet specialty retail chains Complete Petmart and PetPeople.
• Advised on SEC/public company aspects of $1.2 billion purchase of Multimedia Games Holding Co. by Las Vegas-based Global Cash Access, provider of cash access products and related services for the casino gaming industry.
• Represented public company CardioDynamics International Corp., a leading innovator of medical technology products for monitoring and managing heart disease, in its $12 million acquisition by public company SonoSite.
• Advised public biotech Signal Genetics in its reverse IPO and sale to private biotech Miragen Therapeutics.
• Represented public biotech Molecular Templates in its reverse merger with Threshold Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• Represented multiple public companies in industries including biotech, retail, technology, medical device manufacturing, financial services, health products, performing arts, restaurant chains and alternative energy in ’34 Act reporting and ’33 Act registered securities offerings.
• Counsels public company clients on implementing shareholder rights plans (poison pills).
• Provided pro bono services to San Diego Theatres, which manages two live performing arts venues.
• Served on temporary external assignment to a firm public company corporate client, while in-house counsel was on maternity leave. 

• Served as board chair of San Diego Youth Services, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that provides services to more than 20,000 homeless, runaway, abused and at-risk children and their families each year.
• Publications
  • “The Shareholder Direct Access Teeter-Totter: Will Increased Shareholder Voice in the Director Nomination Process Protect Investors?,” 41 California Western Law Review 361, Spring 2005.
  • “Intel Corp. v. Hamidi: Private Property, Keep Out—The Unworkable Definition of Injury for a Trespass to Chattels Claim in Cyberspace,” 40 California Western Law Review 355, Spring 2004.
• Speaking Engagements
  • Periodic guest lecturer at California Western School of Law on topics related to business, corporate finance and securities law.
  • Presented “The Corporate Secretary’s Role in M&A Transactions” at the September 2014 Western Regional Conference of the Society of Corporate Secretaries & Governance Professionals in San Diego.
  • Presented “Equity Awards Gone Public, What Companies Need to Know Before Going Public” at the Pre-IPO Conference on March 20, 2013, in San Diego.
• Associations
  • American Bar Association
  • San Diego County Bar Association
  • Deschutes County Bar Association
  • Served as mentor for new lawyers in their first several years of practice for the San Diego County Bar Association’s New Lawyers Division.
  • Served as a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) for foster children.
• Honors & Awards
  • Nominee, Young Attorneys Award, San Diego Daily Transcript, 2007 and 2009