You can’t do M&A without a little meet & greet.  

"People see the headlines about M&A, investment and partnering deals, but they don’t appreciate the networking and diligence that starts the dialogue," David Dykeman, patent attorney and co-chair of Greenberg Traurig’s Global Life Sciences & Medical Technology Group, told MassDevice.com. "Often, today’s deals started with an introduction a few years ago."

Facilitating that intro for promising medical device companies compelled Greenberg Traurig, along with MassMEDIC and consulting firm LB Ventures, to collaborate and launch the MedTech Partnering Day series. Each 1-day event allows emerging medical device makers to meet potential strategic partners and acquirers such as Boston Scientific (NYSE:BSX), Covidien (NYSE:COV), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Zoll Medical.

The law firm hosted the inaugural MedTech Partnering Day in October 2014 at its Boston office, drawing representatives from nearly 80 medtech startups across the country with the promise of meeting the heads of business development at Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson.

Dykeman called the 1st event an overwhelming success with a standing-room-only crowd of investors and early- and commercial-stage medical device companies.

Read the M&A, Investment or Partnering Checklist for Medtech Companies

The next MedTech Partnering Day, slated for Jan. 28, features senior business development executives from Covidien and Zoll.  Early-stage medtech companies are invited to attend and be considered for a 1-on-1 meeting with Covidien and/or Zoll by submitting an executive summary to dykemand@gtlaw.com.

The timing of the event is fortuitous. The mega-merger of Medtronic and Covidien, which famously started with a meet & greet dinner between Covidien CEO Joe Almeida and Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak, is slated to close that week.