DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Ardian Semiconductor on its Second Investment with the Acquisition of Synergie Cad Group
January 14, 2025
Read time: 3 min
McDermott Will & Emery has advised Ardian Semiconductor, a pioneering investment platform launched last year through an exclusive strategic partnership with Silian Partners on its acquisition of Synergie Cad Group, a leading player in the design and manufacture of semiconductor test interface solutions.
Ardian’s investment will enable Synergie Cad Group to accelerate its growth and strengthen its position in the market.
The McDermott team on this transaction was composed of :
Corporate
- Grégoire Andrieux – Partner
- Herschel Guez – Partner
- Julien-Pierre Tannoury – Associate
- Aïda Fraikech Bouhalka – Associate
- Khimia Maddelin – Juriste
Tax
- Côme de Saint-Vincent – Partner
- Louisiana Lungu – Juriste
Regulatory and FDI
- Sabine Naugès – Partner
- Paul Tisseyre – Juriste
Employment
- Naré Arshakyan – Associate
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Enhances Global Finance Offering With Senior Hire In London
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Enhances Global Finance Offering With Senior Hire In London
January 13, 2025
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery welcomes Alexander (Alex) Wood as a partner in its Transactions Practice Group in London. Alex’s practice focuses on corporate finance, restructuring, insolvency, and special situations.
“Alex’s appointment is a significant enhancement to our global finance and restructuring team, following the outstanding partner additions in our London office last year,” said Harris Siskind, global head of McDermott’s Transactions Practice Group. “There are promising synergies among our various clients, especially within the hedge and credit fund sectors.”
Alex advises sponsors, debtors, creditors, directors, and other stakeholders on complex corporate restructuring and insolvency matters across various industries, including regulated sectors. He has more than 27 years of experience and has served as a partner at three leading international law firms. Notably, he recruited and was head of the London restructuring team at his previous firm.
“McDermott is a leading firm that has rapidly expanded its presence in London, with several notable lateral hires over the past year,” said Alex. “This reflects a dedication to delivering a premier international service for our clients, and I eagerly anticipate contributing to its dynamic expansion.”
“This year, we aim to achieve strong growth in London, particularly in private equity, finance and restructuring, and disputes,” said Aymen Mahmoud, co-head of the London transactions practice and London office managing partner. “Alex is a leading name that we are delighted to add to our growing London team. As well as a fantastic cultural track record building teams, he brings extensive capability having worked with practically every stakeholder across many capital structures.”
Alex’s arrival follows the 2024 hires of Graham White, Fatema Orjela, Christopher Kandel, Darren Rogers, Devina Rana, John Burge, Sebastien Bonneau, Candice Nichol, and Jason Zemmel in London.
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Will & Emery Advises Innate Pharma on New Capital Increase
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Will & Emery Advises Innate Pharma on New Capital Increase
January 13, 2025
Read time: 3 min
McDermott Will & Emery has advised biotechnology company Innate Pharma on an agreement with the Institute for Follicular Lymphoma Innovation (IFLI) to explore the clinical potential of IPH6501, Innate’s anti-CD20 ANKET® in follicular lymphoma, under which IFLI has invested USD 3 million in new Innate Pharma shares.
The IFLI may also invest up to USD 4.9 million in new shares of Innate Pharma, subject to certain milestones being met, at a price to be determined at the time of such investments.
The McDermott team involved in this transaction was composed of Anne-France Moreau and Emmanuelle Trombe.
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Esousa Group Holdings in Registered Direct Offering of Shares of Veritone, Inc.
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Esousa Group Holdings in Registered Direct Offering of Shares of Veritone, Inc.
January 10, 2025
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Esousa Group Holdings, LLC, a New York based family office, in its purchase of an aggregate of 8,023,716 shares of common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu thereof) of Veritone, Inc. (Veritone), an artificial intelligence technology company, at a purchase price of $2.53 per share (or $2.52 for each pre-funded warrant) through a registered direct offering. The aggregate gross proceeds to Veritone from the offering are expected to be approximately $20.3 million.
The McDermott team was led by Bob Cohen, Dan Woodard and Brian Tratner.
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Main Capital Partners on the Acquisition of a Majority Stake in windata
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Main Capital Partners on the Acquisition of a Majority Stake in windata
January 10, 2025
Read time: 3 min
Munich/Dusseldorf, January 10, 2025 – McDermott Will & Emery advised Main Capital Partners on the acquisition of a majority stake in windata, a leading German provider of financial management solutions, including the financing of the transaction.
As a strategic partner, Main Capital will support windata in its next growth phase. The acquisition is Main Capital’s first platform investment with its new fund MFII.
windata GmbH & Co. KG is a leading provider of payment solutions in the DACH region with a focus on SMEs. More than 6,000 companies optimize their financial management processes with windata solutions.
Main Capital Partners is a leading software investor in the DACH region, the Benelux countries, the Nordic countries and the United States. Main Capital manages assets of over 2.2 billion euros and maintains an active portfolio of more than 45 software groups.
The McDermott team was led by partner Hanno Witt (Private Equity, Munich), and included partners Dustin Schwerdtfeger (Finance, Dusseldorf), Felix Ganzer (Private Equity, Frankfurt), Steffen Woitz (IP/IT, Munich), Christian Rolf (Employment, Frankfurt), Renate Prinz (Financial Supervisory, Cologne/Dusseldorf), Marcus Fischer (Counsel, Tax, Frankfurt) as well as associates Manuel Weiß, Nicole Kaps, Marion Dalvai-König, Armin Teymouri (all Private Equity, Munich), Annabelle Juliette Rau (Financial Supervisory, Cologne), Julia Külzer (Real Estate, Cologne), Simon Apelojg (IP/IT, Munich), Sönke Wassermann (Employment, Frankfurt).
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McDermott Represents Heubach Group on Acquisition by Sudarshan Chemical
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Heubach Group on Acquisition by Sudarshan Chemical
October 18, 2024
Read time: 3 min
Düsseldorf, October 18, 2024 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised the insolvency administrator of German-based Heubach Colorants Germany GmbH, Heubach GmbH and Dr. Hans Heubach GmbH, Dr. Andreas Kleinschmidt (White & Case LLP), on the sale of their entire business operations to Sudarshan Chemical Industries Limited (SCIL). The transaction is structured as a combination of an asset and share deal. The execution is still subject to the usual reservations.
The sale of the business operations of the insolvency debtors was closely interlinked with the sale of other international group companies of the Heubach Group. This part of the transaction was advised by a team from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, who represented certain lenders to Heubach Group, in close cooperation with McDermott Will & Emery.
This strategic acquisition will create a global pigment company, combining SCIL’s operations and expertise with Heubach’s technological capabilities.
The Heubach Group with main production site in Frankfurt-Höchst has a 200-year history and became the second largest pigment player in the world after acquiring Clariant BU Pigments in 2022. Heubach had over a billion euros in revenue in FY21 and FY22, with a global footprint especially in Europe, Americas, and the APAC region. The Group faced financial challenges over the past two years due to rising costs, inventory issues, and high interest rates. SCIL’s acquisition of Heubach will address these challenges with a clear turnaround plan.
The McDermott team was led by partner Dr. Matthias Kampshoff and comprised partners Dr. Marc Oberhardt, Dr. Björn Biehl, Carina Kant, Dr. Sandra Urban-Crell, Dr. Pierre-André Brandt, Steffen Woitz and Dr. Florian Schiefer as well as associates Tjark Pogoda and Lea Hauser.
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McDermott Secures Dismissal of Patent Lawsuit Against Trustpilot
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Secures Dismissal of Patent Lawsuit Against Trustpilot
January 9, 2025
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery successfully represented Trustpilot, Inc., a leading online business review platform, in securing the dismissal of a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Linfo IP, LLC in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Ramey LLP and David J. Hoffman (local counsel) represented Linfo in this action.
“We welcome the court’s decision to dismiss the case brought against our client, as it fully adopted the position that our team developed and argued on behalf of Trustpilot,” Kevin Meek, McDermott’s lead IP litigation partner in the case, said. “Trustpilot is a highly respected company, and we are pleased to have successfully achieved the dismissal of this meritless lawsuit brought by one of the most active patent enforcement non-practicing entities in the country today.”
Trustpilot provides a digital platform that brings businesses and consumers together to foster trust and inspire collaboration, allowing users to post reviews of businesses on its website.
On April 12, 2024, Linfo sued Trustpilot in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York for alleged patent infringement of the claims of U.S. Patent No. 9,092,428 (the ‘428 patent), titled “System, methods, and user interface for discovering and presenting information in text content.” This lawsuit was part of a broader litigation campaign in which Linfo had asserted the ‘428 patent against more than 65 defendants since September 2021.
Trustpilot filed a motion to dismiss on the grounds that the ‘428 patent is directed to an abstract idea and therefore is ineligible for patent protection under 35 U.S.C. § 101. On January 3, 2025, Judge Jesse M. Furman granted Trustpilot’s motion to dismiss in its entirety, holding that the ‘428 patent’s claims are directed to an abstract idea and are therefore ineligible for patent protection. The court agreed with McDermott’s arguments that the ‘428 patent’s concept falls squarely within a well-established category of abstract ideas, namely the abstract idea of extracting and presenting information.
In reaching this decision, the court also agreed with McDermott that the ‘428 patent’s system merely automates a mental process, failing to meet the requirements for patentability. Further, the court found that the claims of the ‘428 patent lack an inventive concept. The court denied Linfo’s request for leave to amend its complaint, concluding that the deficiencies in Linfo’s claims were substantive, making further amendment futile.
Consequently, the court directed the clerk of the court to enter judgment in favor of Trustpilot consistent with its opinion, and to close the case.
The McDermott team was led by Kevin Meek and Andrew Kratenstein with support from Aashish Kapadia and Kyle Sorenson. The full case name is Linfo IP, LLC v. Trustpilot, Inc.
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Cegid on the Acquisition of sevdesk
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Cegid on the Acquisition of sevdesk
January 9, 2025
Read time: 3 min
Frankfurt, January 9, 2025 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised Cegid, a leading European provider of cloud business management solutions, on the acquisition of the German software provider sevdesk.
The merger with sevdesk will enable Cegid to further expand its solution offering in German-speaking European markets.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Offenburg, sevdesk offers software solutions for pre-booking, financial accounting, e-billing and online tax returns, serving more than 130,000 micro and SME companies, as well as tax consultancies and accounting experts in the DACH region.
Cegid is a leading European provider of cloud-based business management solutions in the areas of finance, human resources and accounting, as well as retail.
McDermott advised Cegid with a cross-office team led by Michael Cziesla and Christian Marzlin, contributing in particular extensive expertise in advising on transactions in the tech sector.
The McDermott team was led by partners Michael Cziesla and Christian Marzlin and comprised partners Philip Schmidt, Renate Prinz, Felix Ganzer, Heiko Kermer, Johannes Honzen, Carina Kant, Alexander Klein, Steffen Woitz and Gudrun Germakowski, counsel Krasen Krastev, Isabelle Suzanne Müller, Marcus Fischer, Laura Stammwitz as well as associates Daniel Lenz, Frederic Peine, Saadet Demir, Lea Hachmeister, Janek Joosten, Lisa Scheipers, Max Küttner and Romy Lanz.
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Human Rights Campaign Foundation Recognizes McDermott for Advancing LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
Human Rights Campaign Foundation Recognizes McDermott for Advancing LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality
January 8, 2025
Read time: 3 min
January 8, 2025 – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), once again earning the Equality 100 Award. This report is the leading survey benchmarking tool for measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
“At McDermott, we are dedicated to fostering an inclusive environment where every individual’s unique differences, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression, are not only respected but celebrated. This commitment to diversity enhances both our Firm culture and the service we provide to our clients,” said Gregory Fosheim, co-chair of McDermott’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Diversity Subcommittee. “This recognition highlights our innovative approaches and steadfast dedication to LGBTQ+ equality.”
The CEI showcases how US-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the United States and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants while the 2025 CEI surveyed 1,449 participants, further demonstrating the report’s tremendous growth. A record-breaking 98% of CEI businesses have nondiscrimination protections specific to gender identity in place.
Learn more about our justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
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 solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 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 Appoints Krist Werling to Lead Best-In-Class Global Health & Life Sciences Practice
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Appoints Krist Werling to Lead Best-In-Class Global Health & Life Sciences Practice
January 7, 2025
Read time: 6 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has appointed Kristian (Krist) Werling to be the new global head of its industry-leading Health & Life Sciences Practice Group. With over 160 lawyers across more than 20 global locations, McDermott has the largest and most proficient Health & Life Sciences Practice Group among U.S. law firms. Chambers has ranked the practice as the only Band 1 team for 15 consecutive years and McDermott has repeatedly held the top spot in PitchBook’s League Tables as the most active firm representing healthcare private equity investors.
“Krist is an extraordinary partner, leader and mentor. From working with clients to supporting our people, he delivers the best possible results—and always with a collaborative and authentic approach,” said McDermott Chairman Ira Coleman. “We are delighted for him to take on this role and confident that he’ll extend our leadership even further in this space.”
Krist brings extensive experience to this new leadership position, having previously served as co-head of the Firm’s private equity practice, and an elected member of its Management Committee.
In his own practice, Krist represents life sciences companies, health service providers, private equity firms, and venture capital investors in a wide variety of transactional and regulatory matters. Like the McDermott Health & Life Sciences practice, Krist has led cutting edge industry transactions that have resulted in industry firsts, including introducing cancer and gene therapy products to the global market, expanding access to fertility services, increasing the availability of cost-effective outpatient surgical services and transforming the delivery of physician services in a wide variety of specialities.
In 2024, Krist represented Valinor Pharma in its sale to Grünenthal and Amulet Capital Partners in its platform investment in Theoria Management, LLC.
“I’m honored to lead such a talented and globally recognized team in this new role. Our health and life sciences lawyers are leaders in the subsectors that matter most to the investors and C-suite executives that are driving change in this industry. The health and life sciences sectors are rapidly evolving, and I look forward to helping our clients achieve their strategic goals and drive innovation in these critical industries,” said Krist.
McDermott is the leading healthcare and life sciences law firm in the United States, offering clients better guidance for complex healthcare challenges with strong cross-border capabilities and market-leading teams across Europe. The Firm hosts several events in the healthcare space, serving as a dynamic ecosystem, fostering meaningful connections among clients, and acting as a catalyst to propel business relationships and opportunities forward.
In addition to the Chambers recognition, the Firm’s healthcare practice has received top rankings from Best Law Firms, Legal 500, LMG Life Sciences, and Law360.
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