Tom Okarma, Geron's chief executive, said that the deal with Merck was hatched after an initial conversation with Stephen Friend, a Merck executive who joined the company after it bought a genomics firm several years ago.

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The defendant said he had had a conversation with a friend called Mo and Mr Duggan in July.

BBC: Kevin Hutchinson-Foster

Not that it was of much help, but perhaps we were still flustered from our conversation with Tom Brady, a friend of the brand.

WSJ: Cardinals, Quarterbacks, and the Terminator

Gabriel spends some of his time on the road with a friend and fellow traveler, who introduces us to the world by way of a chatty conversation.

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