PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Corteria Pharmaceuticals on the Closing of EUR 12 Million Seed Financing to Advance Portfolio Assets
December 16, 2021
Read time: 3 min
McDermott Will & Emery advised Corteria Pharmaceuticals, a French biotechnology company specializing in the development of interceptive therapies for heart failure sub- populations, on the successful completion of its seed round financing, providing GBP 12 million. The financing provided by a pool of European investors (V-Bio Ventures, Omnes Capital and Invivo Capital) and led by Kurma Partners will allow Corteria Pharmaceuticals to pursue the development of a series of programs in-licensed from Sanofi S.A. (Paris, France).
Heart failure is still a prevalent concern despite current standards of care, affecting more than 60 million patients worldwide. Corteria’s R&D programs will address the full spectrum of heart failure decompensation and offer opportunities for developing transformative therapies for the treatment of worsening and acute decompensated heart failure.
The McDermott team that advised Corteria Pharmaceuticals comprised :
Emmanuel Trombe and Anthony Paronneau (partners) and Katya Ascher, (counsel), Lucie Martin and Ludivine Rabreau {associates) on corporate and licensing aspects.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Recognized among 25 Global Antitrust Leaders in the Global Competition Review GCR100 Global Elite 2022
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Recognized among 25 Global Antitrust Leaders in the Global Competition Review GCR100 Global Elite 2022
December 15, 21
Read time: 5 min
London (December 14, 2021) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has been recognized as a global leader in competition law, with its Antitrust & Competition Practice Group landing among the top 25 in Global Competition Review’s GCR 100 2022 Global Elite rankings. The listing spotlights the world’s best competition practices that carry out notable work on multiple continents.
Ray Jacobsen, global head of McDermott’s regulatory practice, said, “We are honored and thrilled to be listed at the top of GCR’s prestigious ranking and among the best firms in the world. This accolade is a great testament to our team’s deep expertise and their tireless work to progress our clients’ strategic objectives. We continue to grow our team of highly experienced antitrust attorneys capable of tackling the most intricate enforcement policies emerging in a rapidly evolving, high-tech and increasingly challenging post-pandemic environment.”
McDermott’s global team of ~40 lawyers is noted for routinely advising clients on some of the highest-value deals and significant litigation matters across the United States, Brussels, Germany and France. The GCR 100 highlights the firm’s expansion on both sides of the Atlantic in 2021, with a spate of recent high-profile appointments, including four US antitrust veterans Andrew Lee, Justin Murphy, Lesli Esposito and Brian Boyle, who bring in deep experience in the private and government sectors. European heavyweight additions to the practice include Brussels Managing Partner, Hendrik Viaene, and Frédéric Pradelles in Paris, with outstanding experience in fields including merger control, state aid, cross-border M&A and international cartel defense and trade.
In the United States, the team is noted for its premier healthcare antitrust practice, a bustling merger control practice, an impressive track record in civil class actions and cartel defense cases and renowned reputation in antitrust litigation. The work highlighted by GCR includes advising Lockheed Martin on its acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne and representing Cedars Sinai Health System in its purchase of Huntington Memorial Hospital.
In Germany the team excels in the merger control field, obtaining unconditional merger clearances for complex M&A deals, strong track record in assisting with cartel investigations and damages claims, and advising on cross-border competition matters. Some highlights include advising KRÜGER GROUP against follow-on damages claims arising from its involvement in a cartel or advising in a standalone abuse of dominance case for media company RTL Interactive on its claim against online advertising blocker provider Eyeo.
In Brussels, the practice has an outstanding track-record in defending international corporations in antitrust matters and obtaining merger clearances in Europe, with highlights including advising in several Phase II EU merger cases in a variety of industries or an in-depth experience of seamlessly coordinating the notification of mergers to European and non-European national competition authorities, as well as non-merger investigations.
The GCR100 Global Elite ranking further reinforces the global strength of McDermott’s Antitrust & Competition practice which is also recognized by leading industry and legal professional rating organizations, such as BTI Consulting Group, Chambers & Partners, U.S. News – Best Lawyers and The Legal 500, as well as by publications such as Benchmark Litigation and The World’s Leading Competition and Antitrust Lawyers.
For our full GCR100 2022 rankings and editorial commentary, please click here.
About GCR 100
The GCR100 Global Elite, compiled by Global Competition Review’s editorial staff, covers more than 300 firms from every inhabited continent and spotlights the top 25 global competition practices. The country chapters recognize the best firms in each individual jurisdiction; the Global Elite reflects how multinational practices perform on the world stage. To view the full 2022 GCR100 Global Elite rankings click here.
About McDermott
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Advises Atruvia on the Sale of its Stake in gbs
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Atruvia on the Sale of its Stake in gbs
December 14, 2021
Read time: 3 min
Frankfurt a.M., December 14, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised Atruvia AG on the sale of its stake in gbs Gesellschaft für Banksysteme GmbH. The buyers are global IT services company HCL Technologies (HCL) and Deutsche Apotheker- und Ärztebank eG (apoBank).
gbs had been founded in 2010 as a joint venture between the then GAD eG (now Atruvia) and apoBank. The company had taken over the services for the bank’s IT applications and subsequently expanded its services in the financial area.
As part of the current transaction, apoBank, which previously held a 10 percent stake in gbs, is increasing its stake to 49 percent. HCL will hold 51 percent of gbs in the future and is expanding in the German financial services sector with this strategic acquisition. The closing of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals and is scheduled for the end of December.
“We are pleased that our distinctive technology expertise once again led to the successful legal support of this transaction,” said lead Partner Dr. Michael Cziesla. Atruvia emerged from Fiducia & GAD, the IT service provider of Genossenschaftlicher FinanzGruppe, in the summer of 2021. McDermott has been working for Atruvia for many years and has already advised the company on many acquisitions and sales.
The team advising Atruvia was led by Michael Cziesla and comprised Partners Florian Lechner and Heiko Kermer, Counsels Christian Marzlin and Marcus Fischer as well as Associates Isabelle Müller and Lisa Schickling.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott’s Boston Office Commemorates Shared 40 Year Anniversary with Charitable Donation to The Greater Boston Food Bank
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott’s Boston Office Commemorates Shared 40 Year Anniversary with Charitable Donation to The Greater Boston Food Bank
December 14, 2021
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the Boston office’s pro-bono committee has made a charitable contribution in the amount of $40,000 to The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB) in recognition of each organization celebrating 40 years of excellence in Boston.
“One of our core values at McDermott is championing justice and equality, and we are proud to partner with GBFB to help advance its mission to end hunger across Eastern Massachusetts and provide our neighbors with the resources to thrive,” Ed Zacharias, McDermott’s Boston Office Managing Partner, said.
“We are so thankful to the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery for this generous donation and for their long history of supporting our mission both financially and as regular volunteers,” Catherine D’Amato, GBFB’s President and CEO, said. “Community partners like McDermott make our region a better place to live and play an important role in helping GBFB respond to the increase in demand for nutritious food.”
GBFB is a Feeding America member food bank that depends on donations to operate. In 2021 alone, GBFB distributed more than 117 million pounds of healthy food, the equivalent of over 96 million meals. Visit GBFB online to make a donation.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents Del Taco in its $575 Million Sale to Jack in the Box
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Del Taco in its $575 Million Sale to Jack in the Box
December 9, 2021
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Del Taco Restaurants, Inc., the nation’s second largest Mexican quick service restaurant (QSR) chain by number of restaurants, it its sale to Jack in the Box Inc., one of the nation’s leading QSR chains. Combined, the companies will have over 2,800 restaurants across 25 states and Guam. The transaction is subject to approval of Del Taco’s shareholders and is expected to close in the first calendar quarter of 2022.
- The McDermott team was led by Scott Williams, Eric Orsic and Chris Stacker and included Jeff Cassidy, John Zukin, Garrett Moores, Brandon Sarkauskas, Michael Boykins, Heidi Steele, Greg Heltzer, Rick Stepanovic, Bill Pomierski, Nathan Barnett and Benjamin Strauss.
- Read Del Taco’s press release.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott advises ADWEKO shareholders on sale of group to X1F
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advises ADWEKO shareholders on sale of group to X1F
December 8, 2021
Read time: 3 min
Munich, December 8, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised the shareholders and CEO of ADWEKO on the sale of 100 percent of the shares in ADWEKO Consulting GmbH, including its five national and international subsidiaries, to X1F GmbH.
ADWEKO is a consulting company for analytical IT solutions for banks and insurance companies with more than 170 employees in ten locations in Europe, the USA and Canada. ADWEKO advises more than 55 customers in the financial services sector and has implemented more than 550 projects since its foundation in 2008.
X1F GmbH supports the financial and insurance industries in their digital transformation by providing services for system and platform integration, data analysis and artificial intelligence, as well as cloud architecture and IT infrastructure. X1F Holding, in which funds of the Swiss private investor group Ufenau Capital Partners hold the majority stake, employs more than 720 people at 26 locations in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia.
The McDermott Team advising ADWEKO was led by Nikolaus von Jacobs and comprised Partners Nina Siewert, Philipp Schäuble, Steffen Woitz, Nadine Hartung, James Ross, Counsels Marcus Fischer, Claus Färber, Germar Enders, Jana Grieb as well as Associates Matthias Weingut, Robert Feind and Lisa Schickling.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Expands Global IP Practice with Three All-Star Hires
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Expands Global IP Practice with Three All-Star Hires
December 8, 2021
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce three partner additions to the Intellectual Property (IP) Practice Group: Simon Roberts and Jason Leonard in New York and Maxwell “Mac” Fox. Simon and Jason join from Hogan Lovells; Mac, who will reside in Japan, joins from Jones Day.
“McDermott continues to make incredible strides toward advancing our remarkable IP practice into an industry powerhouse,” William Gaede, Chair of the Firm’s Global IP practice, said. “Simon and Jason bring significant life sciences patent litigation strength to our bench in New York, and Mac’s experience with Japanese technology and life science companies is unmatched. These three bring a lot of fire with them, and they will be incredible additions to our global IP team.”
Simon focuses his practice on patent litigation in the life sciences and biotechnology sectors. He has nearly 30 years of experience practicing law in both the US and Europe. Simon leverages his background in chemistry to translate complex technical issues into relatable terms for clients. He has in-depth experience and knowledge in Hatch-Waxman Act-related litigations as well as other pharmaceutical-related patent matters. With a proven track record in high-stakes litigation matters, Simon represents clients before the federal courts as well as the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in contested proceedings, including IPRs and PGRs.
Jason advises clients on complex life sciences patent litigation. Throughout his 14 years of practice, he has counseled numerous pharmaceutical companies in developing effective patent litigation strategies for a wide array of pharmaceutical products. Clients frequently rely on him to address difficult infringement issues, particularly when design-around defenses have been asserted and extensive infringement proofs must be presented at trial. Jason’s legal experience spans all stages of patent litigation, including pre-suit investigations, multiple-defendant litigations and appeals to the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In developing trial strategies, Jason uses his passion for science and mastery of pharmaceutical chemistry to simplify the intricacies of drug discovery and development into concise and compelling narratives for trial.
Mac focuses his practice on IP infringement litigation, licensing and counseling matters. He has spent more than 15 years in Japan as one of the very few Japanese-speaking US litigators. Mac represents clients in an array of industries, including electronic manufacturers to life sciences. He has advised clients in patent litigation spanning a wide range of technologies, such as telecommunications and network systems, imaging, video games, semiconductors, digital displays and chemical manufacturing. He also represents branded pharmaceutical companies in enforcing their patent rights through ANDA litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act. Mac has also advised clients in various commercial disputes and in litigation related to cartel investigations.
These hires follow additional IP partner hires in 2021: life sciences-focused litigators Doug Carsten in Orange County and Adam Burrowbridge in Washington, DC.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents Apex Clean Energy in the Sale of its Texas Wind Project to Jera America
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Apex Clean Energy in the Sale of its Texas Wind Project to Jera America
December 6, 2021
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Apex Clean Energy in the sale of its 300-megawatt (MW) wind power project El Sauz, to JERA Americas, a Houston-based subsidiary of global energy leader JERA Co. The project is set to power over 240,000 homes around the Texas area.
- The transaction was announced on December 1, 2021.
- McDermott acted as legal counsel for Apex.
- The McDermott deal team leading the transaction consisted of Ed Zaelke, Carl Fleming, Phil Tingle, Heather Cooper and Seth Doughty.
- Read Jera’s press release here.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott advises Halder portfolio company ANKER on acquisition of PORESY
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advises Halder portfolio company ANKER on acquisition of PORESY
December 6, 2021
Read time: 3 min
Munich, December 6, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised Halder portfolio company ANKER on the acquisition of POS service provider PORESY. The acquisition continues ANKER Group’s growth trajectory and expands its service offering to include software development, customization, implementation and long-term support of POS systems, including 24/7 first and second level support.
Halder has been active as a financial investor in German-speaking countries since 1991 and has invested in 42 medium-sized companies. The investments usually realize growth through internationalization, focusing of strategy and business model, growth investments and acquisitions. Currently, Halder is investing its sixth fund and manages a portfolio of six investments.
ANKER, based in Bielefeld, Germany, provides hardware and point-of-sale solutions to customers in the retail, drugstore, restaurant, bakery, gas station and healthcare industries. With an installed base of over 600,000 cash cassettes, Anker is the market leader in the DACH region.
McDermott had already advised Halder on the acquisition of ANKER Kassensysteme GmbH in 2019, as well as the latter in 2020 on the acquisition of Locafox, a Berlin-based company for cloud-based retail software solutions.
The McDermott Team advising ANKER was led by Tobias Koppmann and comprised Partners Florian Lechner, Oliver Hahnelt, Christian Rolf, Steffen Woitz, Counsel Marcus Fischer, and Claus Färber as well as Associates Benedikt Gloßner, Fabian Appadoo and Ilva Woeste.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Adds Capital Markets Group to New York Transactions Team
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Adds Capital Markets Group to New York Transactions Team
December 3, 2021
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the addition of Ari Edelman as a partner in its Transactions Practice Group. Ari is a proven dealmaker in New York’s capital markets circle, having closed approximately 100 capital market transactions, including special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), initial public offerings (IPOs) and de-SPAC transactions, for some of the world’s most influential organizations.
“We’ve been very focused this year on helping clients navigate deals across capital markets throughout the world, as well as strengthening our capabilities in this area,” Harris Siskind, global head of the transactions practice, said. “We welcome Ari and his team as part of this growth and look forward to their participation in our continuing strategy.”
According to recent data published by Refinitiv, there has been a significant increase in SPAC IPO volume, with 258 transactions closed in 2020 and 617 in 2021. Ari represented issuers and underwriters in over 30 SPAC transactions this year.
“McDermott’s strengths stretch far and wide, and I am particularly impressed by its transactions bench vigor and deal acumen, as well as its capital markets and M&A reputation,” Ari said. “This move and the specialized counsel McDermott can provide is a tremendous benefit for my clients.”
Ari focuses his practice on capital markets, including SPACs, IPOs and other public and private equity offerings. An industry heavyweight, he has represented issuers, target companies, underwriters and placement agents in many SPAC, IPO and de-SPAC transactions. Ari also represents public companies with respect to their reporting obligations and corporate governance matters, as well as issuer and underwriter clients in financing transactions, including IPOs.
Ari earned his JD from Fordham University School of Law and BA from Yeshiva University. While in law school, he was an editor for the Fordham Urban Law Journal.
The addition of Ari and his team strengthens the Firm’s global capital market reach and follows other recent notable hires, including David Cifrino in Boston, David Huberman in Chicago and Siddhartha Sivaramakrishnan in Singapore.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
