Smith Anderson, the largest law firm headquartered in North Carolina’s Research Triangle region, announced that Partner John Therien has been named one of the Triangle Business Journal’s 2016 “40 Under 40.”

The 40 Under 40 awards recognize outstanding professionals under the age of 40 for their contributions to their organizations and to the community. Forty award winners were selected from nearly 250 applicants.

John is a partner in Smith Anderson’s Life Sciences practice and advises a broad range of clients in commercial transactions. He is widely known and respected for his work with technology transactions in the agricultural biotechnology, pharmaceutical and IT industries. Organizations throughout the United States and Europe turn to John for his expertise.

John’s most notable recent success was his leadership of the Smith Anderson team that advised Precision BioSciences, Inc. in an immuno-oncology collaboration with global pharmaceutical company Baxalta Incorporated, worth up to $1.6 billion. This collaboration is at the forefront of cancer research, as its subject matter harnesses the power of the human body’s own immune system to attack and destroy cancer cells.

John combines his life sciences background with his desire to give back to the community. Since 2007, John has volunteered time with The Chordoma Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of chordoma patients who are affected by a rare cancer that has largely been overlooked by the larger cancer centers. John served on the Board of Directors of the Chordoma Foundation from 2009 to 2015.

Read more about John on his bio page at http://www.smithlaw.com/attorneys-John-Therien.html.

For more information about Smith Anderson, visit www.smithlaw.com.