DLA Piper has advised German media house Burda Magazine Holding GmbH (Burda) on the acquisition of Wunder Media Production, a digital marketing specialist.
The transaction, which was subject to clearance by the Austrian Competition Authority, saw Burda acquire 100 per cent of the shares in Wunder Media Production directly from the mother company Wunder Media GmbH.
Clifford Chance has advised Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM), a leading fixed-line and broadband provider in Malaysia, on the international aspects of its investment agreement with Green Packet Berhad, a global player in 4G devices, and SK Telecom Co. Ltd., the top South Korean mobile operator in one of the most advanced LTE markets globally, to offer customers a full suite of converged communications services through the development of next-generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure.
Weil secured a complete victory for major publisher HarperCollins Publishers LLC (HarperCollins) in its copyright infringement action against e-book publisher Open Road Integrated Media (Open Road). District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald (S.D.N.Y.) granted HarperCollins’ motion for summary judgment and denied Open Road’s cross-motion for summary judgment.
On April 10, 2014, IBM announced a definitive agreement to acquire Silverpop, a privately held software company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Silverpop empowers marketers with cloud-based capabilities that deliver personalized customer engagements in highly scalable environments. Cravath represented IBM in connection with this transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory clearance and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2014. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
International law firm Pinsent Masons has advised Electronics For Imaging (EFI), a Californian NASDAQ-listed global player in digital imaging solutions, on the acquisition of the Rhapso group, a French printing and packaging software developer.
The transaction will enable EFI to strengthen its position in Europe through Rhapso's Graphisoft and PC-Topp product lines.
Slaughter and May advised ITV plc (ITV) on the terms of a partnership with the Trustee of the main section of the ITV Pension Scheme (the Scheme). As a consequence, ITV's pension deficit on a funding basis is reduced by £50 million. The partnership arrangements are backed by the London Television Centre, which shall continue to be owned by ITV.
Herbert Smith Freehills Paris LLP has advised Safran, a leading international high-tech group with three core businesses: aerospace (engines and equipment), defence and security, on a €200 million bond issue. The bonds are due to mature in 2024. The issue consisted of a private placement listed on NYSE Euronext arranged by Morgan Stanley & Co. International plc. and CM-CIC Securities.
Issuing the bonds will enable Safran to diversify its financing sources, extend the average term of its debt and obtain the resources to support its continuing growth.
Mayer Brown has advised Altice Numericable on the structuring and the tax aspects of its acquisition of SFR, the second largest mobile phone operator in France, from the media group Vivendi.
Altice Numericable secured the bid 15.57 billion bid (13.5 billion euro and a 20 percent stake in the combined group) in what is thought to be one of the largest leveraged finance deals in Europe since 2008.
Paul Hastings LLP represents Align Technology Inc., in a precedent-setting intellectual property infringement victory before the International Trade Commission (ITC) that has resonated throughout the IP community. In that victory, Align successfully argued that the ITC must recognize cross-border electronic transmissions as "importations" of "articles" under the jurisdiction of the ITC.
Cincinnati Bell, a leader in telecommunications and broadband networking services, announced that it has entered into agreements to sell its wireless spectrum licenses and certain related assets to Verizon Wireless for cash and an assumption of certain Cincinnati Bell liabilities with a total value to Cincinnati Bell of approximately US$210 million. Cravath represented Cincinnati Bell in connection with this transaction, which is expected to close in the second half of 2014, subject to customary closing conditions.