Brian Adams
About Brian Adams
Brian R. Adams, J.D., was appointed Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary of Kymera Therapeutics effective September 3, 2025. He brings nearly two decades of life sciences legal leadership, previously serving as CLO at Relay Therapeutics and holding senior roles at Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Algeta ASA, AVEO Oncology, and Genzyme; he began his career at Bingham McCutchen. Adams holds a B.A. from Harvard University and a J.D. from the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law .
Kymera company performance context:
| Metric | FY 2022 | FY 2023 | FY 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues ($USD) | $46,826,000 | $78,592,000 | $47,072,000 |
| EBITDA ($USD) | -$159,479,000* | -$163,465,000* | -$250,737,000* |
*Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relay Therapeutics | Chief Legal Officer | Not disclosed | Led all legal and compliance operations |
| Keryx Biopharmaceuticals | SVP, General Counsel & Secretary | Not disclosed | Oversaw corporate governance and strategic legal support |
| Algeta ASA | Senior legal roles | Not disclosed | Life sciences legal leadership supporting corporate development |
| AVEO Oncology | Senior legal roles | Not disclosed | Legal leadership in biotech operations |
| Genzyme Corporation | Senior legal roles | Not disclosed | Legal roles at a major biopharma |
| Bingham McCutchen LLP | Attorney | Not disclosed | Advised PE sponsors and biotechs on corporate matters and financings |
External Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| None disclosed | — | — | — |
Fixed Compensation
- Kymera’s executive compensation framework targets base salary near the market median and delivers a majority of total compensation via at-risk incentives (cash bonus and long-term equity) .
- Annual cash incentive plan: bonuses based on corporate and individual goals; for 2024, NEO payouts ranged from 110% to 135% of target based on goal achievement .
2024 bonus outcomes (company NEOs for context):
| Name | Target Award (% of 2024 Base Salary) | 2024 Target Award ($) | 2024 Actual Cash Incentive Payment ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nello Mainolfi, Ph.D. | 60% | $402,000 | $542,700 |
| Bruce Jacobs, CFA, MBA | 40% | $192,400 | $259,740 |
| Jared Gollob, M.D. | 40% | $196,000 | $264,600 |
| Ellen Chiniara, J.D. | 40% | $184,400 | $221,280 |
| Jeremy Chadwick, Ph.D. | 40% | $196,000 | $215,600 |
Note: Adams’ specific base salary and bonus targets have not been disclosed in the available filings. The table above reflects Kymera’s NEO outcomes for 2024 and illustrates plan mechanics, not Adams’ pay .
Performance Compensation
- Executive bonus plan structure: cash payments tied to annual performance targets set by the Compensation and Talent Committee; objectives include financial/operational measures and individual performance .
- PSUs program (March 3, 2025): PSUs vest in three tranches upon clinical milestones (40%/40%/20% of target); none vest before the first anniversary of grant. Applies to certain key employees including NEOs and management team; Adams’ participation has not been disclosed .
| Metric | Weighting | Target | Actual | Payout | Vesting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical Milestone 1 (PSU) | 40% of Target Amount | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0–100% of target | ≥1-year cliff; milestone-based |
| Clinical Milestone 2 (PSU) | 40% of Target Amount | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0–100% of target | Milestone-based |
| Clinical Milestone 3 (PSU) | 20% of Target Amount | Not disclosed | Not disclosed | 0–100% of target | Milestone-based |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Anti-hedging and anti-pledging: Company policy prohibits hedging, short sales, margin purchases, derivatives, and generally prohibits pledging company securities for all employees and directors; no waivers requested or approved to date .
- Clawback (compensation recovery) policy: adopted effective November 1, 2023, requiring recovery of incentive-based compensation following required financial restatements over the prior three fiscal years; filed as Exhibit 97 to the Annual Report (FY 2023 or FY 2024 as applicable) .
Employment Terms
- Appointment: Effective September 3, 2025, Adams succeeded Ellen Chiniara as Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary .
- Executive protections and practices (company-wide framework):
- Double-trigger change-in-control protection for executive officers (cash multiple plus COBRA; acceleration of time-based equity), with CEO receiving 1.5x salary+target bonus and 18 months COBRA; other NEOs receiving 1x salary+target bonus and 12 months COBRA .
- No tax gross-ups for parachute or deferred compensation taxes (Sections 280G/4999/409A) .
- Standard restrictive covenants (confidentiality, invention assignment, non-solicitation, non-compete) for NEOs .
Note: Adams’ individual employment agreement terms (salary continuation, multiples, equity acceleration) have not been disclosed in available filings. Company policy excerpts above reflect Kymera’s general executive framework .
Investment Implications
- Newly appointed CLO with deep biopharma legal/compliance experience: strengthens governance, IP oversight, and readiness for late-stage clinical/commercial scaling—aligned with Kymera’s stated corporate trajectory .
- Governance quality signals: anti-hedging/pledging, Nasdaq-compliant clawback, independent Compensation & Talent Committee, and double-trigger CoC protection—all reduce misalignment and mitigate compensation-related risk .
- Pay-for-performance architecture: bonus plan and PSU milestone structure indicate emphasis on clinical execution; however, Adams’ specific compensation metrics and ownership stake are not yet disclosed, limiting visibility into his personal incentive alignment and potential insider selling pressure in the near term .
- Company performance context: revenue levels fluctuated FY 2022–2024 while EBITDA remained negative; visibility into commercialization and partnered programs may be more material drivers of future incentive realizations than near-term financial metrics for a legal executive .