Gino Serra focuses on for-profit and nonprofit clients in the life sciences industry. He advises these clients in a wide variety of commercial transactions and guides them through the complex rules that affect their operations and governance, in particular those with tax-exempt status and/or tax-advantaged funding.

Through Mr. Serra’s representation of one of the largest nonprofit medical research enterprises in the world, he has developed unique and significant experience in structuring a multi-entity philanthropic group. He is adept at translating the philanthropic and operational vision into a flexible structure, utilizing both for-profit and a variety of types of tax-exempt entities, to efficiently and effectively achieve the group’s mission.

Mr. Serra also assists clients in international mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, cross-border investments and other international transactions, primarily involving Italy. His prior experience includes practicing in Italy with another international U.S. law firm, where he represented U.S. and European clients in debt restructurings, joint ventures and project finance.

Select Representations

Debt Restructurings:

• $19 billion debt restructuring of one of Europe's largest privately-owned industrial groups, involving 240 creditor banks worldwide, and related divestiture of U.S. nationwide grain elevator assets and fleet of 20 ships and 4 aircraft
• $588 million debt restructuring of Italian polypropylene producer and related divestiture of interest in U.S. joint venture

Corporate Finance:

• $1 billion project financing of co-generation plant in southern Italy
• $215 million and $75 million tax-exempt bond issues for biomedical research institution

Mergers and Acquisitions:

• $280 million acquisition of leading U.S. child care provider
• Acquisition by Italian agro-chemical group of controlling interest in Italy's largest insurance company

Corporate Partnering:

• Joint venture between U.S. entertainment group and Italian investment bank to build and operate multiplex theaters in Italy; involved appearances before Italian Anti-Trust Commission to argue for removal of significant entry barriers into the movie exhibition sector
• Strategic partnership among research institutions to create world-class biomedical research and tech transfer hub
• Joint venture led by global animal health company to develop an e-business infrastructure for veterinarian-exclusive pet nutrition products

Bar and Court Admissions

Missouri, 1994

Kansas, 1993

Education

University of Kansas, J.D., 1993

Rockhurst University, B.S., 1990

Languages

Italian

Civic Involvement and Honors

• Honorary Vice Consul of Italy - Kansas City
• Missouri Cures Education Foundation - Board of Directors
• International Law Committee of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association - Chair
• Boys Hope/Girls Hope of Kansas City - Board of Directors
• Greater Kansas City Foreign Trade Zone, Inc. - Board of Directors
• The Best Lawyers in America® 2012, Non-profit/Charities Law