Sandra Wilburn

About Sandra Wilburn

At Robinson Bradshaw, I counsel fund managers on comprehensive strategies for fund formation, capital raising, and ongoing fund operations. I advise sponsors and management teams on structuring management companies and general partners, including architecting sophisticated incentive compensation arrangements—carried interest, co-investment programs, deferred compensation, and clawback provisions—designed to align investment professionals\' incentives with long-term fund success. I also guide institutional investors, state pension plans, endowments, family offices, and funds-of-funds in primary commitments and co-investments across private equity, venture capital, growth equity, credit, and hedge strategies.A cornerstone of my practice is the secondary market: I regularly assist buyers and sellers in secondary portfolio purchases and sales of partnership interests, navigating arrangements between purchasers and sellers and negotiating transfers with sponsors to secure consent rights and tailored liquidity solutions.I am the editor of Robinson Bradshaw’s Private Fund Insights blog, where I analyze regulatory shifts, market trends, and structuring innovations shaping the alternative investment landscape.In parallel, with over a decade of experience, I counsel health care and life sciences clients on intellectual property and technology transactions. I negotiate complex software licensing, SaaS agreements, AI/ML development contracts, and data-processing addenda, while ensuring compliance with HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and emerging state privacy regimes. I am admitted to practice as a patent attorney before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.Before entering law, I was a molecular biologist and sales executive in biotechnology, supporting pharmaceutical and biotech companies during the Human Genome Project era. I spearheaded DNA sequencing implementations, developed automated forensic DNA typing protocols for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, and deployed laboratory robotics and LIMS solutions nationwide—experience that informs my practical, business-aligned approach to legal counsel today.

Experience

1. Partner

   Robinson Bradshaw

   Aug 2016 — Present · Chapel Hill, NC, US

Education

• George Mason University

  Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) -- Biology, High Distinction

  1995 — 1998

• University of North Carolina School of Law

  Juris Doctor (J.D.), High Honors

  2011 — 2014

Skills

• Lifesciences
• Management
• Customer Relations
• Intellectual Property
• Legal Research
• Business Development
• Public Speaking
• Contract Negotiation
• Selling
• Licensing
• Customer Service
• Account Management
• Sales
• Life Sciences
• Strategy
• Legal Writing
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Molecular Biology
• Patents
• Negotiation
• Research
• Biotechnology
• Business Strategy