Risa Nakagawa is an associate in the San Francisco office of Gibson Dunn. Where she practices in the firm’s Transactional Department. Her practice is focused on general corporate matters, including corporate governance, such as financial reporting and securities law compliance, and capital markets transactions, such as public offerings and debt offerings. Risa also advises fintech companies and financial institutions on payments products and related regulatory matters.
Risa has assisted clients of all sizes, ranging from pre-IPO companies to large-cap companies with global operations. Her clients operate in a variety of sectors, including aerospace and defense, technology and software, fintech and payments, and life sciences.
Risa’s selected experience includes:
Capital Markets:
- A Fortune 100 company in its rescission offer of shares
- Intuit Inc. in the issuance of $4.0 billion of Senior Notes
- MoonLake Immunotherapeutics in its $75 million public offering of Class A ordinary shares
- Polaryx Therapeutics in its direct listing of common stock on The Nasdaq Capital Market
- Yarrow Bioscience in its merger with VYNE Therapeutics and concurrent $200 million financings
- VIAVI Solutions in its $500 million underwritten public offering of common stock
Mergers and Acquisitions:
- 89bio in its up to $3.5 billion sale to Roche
- Alcon in its $1.5 billion acquisition of STAAR Surgical
- Immedica Pharma AB in its $151 million acquisition of Marinus Pharmaceuticals
- Serent Capital and its portfolio company CallRevu in the sale of CallRevu to Astira Capital Partners
Payments:
- Advised a business and financial software company in the development of a new payments product
- Advised a financial technology company on the negotiation and preparation of commercial agreements governing its payments programs
- Advised the payments and regulatory aspects of a private equity firm’s acquisition of a majority stake in a privately-held company
She received her J.D., summa cum laude, from the Georgetown University Law Center in 2024. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in International Economics from Georgetown University in 2019.
Risa is admitted to practice in the State of California.
Capabilities
- Capital Markets
- Fintech and Digital Assets
- Life Sciences
- Royalty Finance
- Securities Regulation and Corporate Governance
Credentials
Education:
- Georgetown University - 2024 Juris Doctor
- Georgetown University - 2019 Bachelor of Science
Admissions:
- California Bar