Megan Baca

Megan Baca is the managing partner of the Silicon Valley office at Ropes & Gray, as well as co-head of the firm’s intellectual property transactions group and co-head of its digital health initiative. 

Her practice sits at the intersection of life sciences and technology, with a particular focus on innovative digital health transactions.

She advises life sciences and technology companies on strategic transactions, including collaborations, licensing arrangements, joint ventures, investments and acquisitions. 

With a background in computer science, she brings particular expertise to transactions involving emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer vision and data analytics.

Baca also regularly advises investors on complex intellectual property issues in mergers and acquisitions and carve-out transactions, including IP structuring and strategy considerations.

Her key matters include representing Gilead Sciences in its definitive agreement to acquire Arcellx, a biotechnology company focused on immunotherapies, in a transaction valued at $7.8 billion (2026), and representing Eli Lilly and Company in its agreement to acquire Ventyx Biosciences in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.2 billion (2026).

She has also represented Ginkgo Bioworks in a five-year strategic partnership with Google Cloud to develop and deploy AI tools for biology and biosecurity; Sanofi in a $1+ billion strategic collaboration with BioMap to develop AI models and protein large language models for biologics research; Atomwise in a multi-target research collaboration with Sanofi with potential payments of up to $1.2 billion; and Eli Lilly and Company in a strategic collaboration with MeiraGTx to develop and commercialise genetic medicines for eye diseases.

Baca also led the relocation of Ropes & Gray’s Silicon Valley office to downtown Palo Alto, a strategic move intended to enhance recruitment, client engagement and collaboration.

She is a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars on intellectual property considerations in artificial intelligence and life sciences. 

She also appears regularly on the firm’s podcasts Decoding Digital Health and Women @ RopesTalk, where she interviews leaders in digital health and women in the profession.

She serves as a mentor to women in the ChIPs (Chiefs in IP) Santa Clara chapter, a non-profit organisation supporting women in technology, law and policy.