Ropes & Gray represented Advent International in its carve-out acquisition of the mattress manufacturing business of Serta, Inc. in China, Hong Kong and Macau (Serta China), from Hong Kong-based conglomerate Airland Holding Company, and the subsequent partnership between Serta China and King Koil China. Financial terms were not disclosed.

 Serta Simmons Bedding is the largest distributor and manufacturer of mattresses in the U.S. King Koil China is a principal player in the premium mattress market in China.

International law firm Ashurst advised ITM Immo Log (Groupement Les Mousquetaires) on the signing of a lease agreement with Tishman Speyer Area Prima SCI for 16,390 square meters in the Smart'Up office building located 117-133 avenue de la République in Chatillon, France.

The Ashurst team in Paris advising Immo Mousquetaires on the real estate matters of this transaction was led by partner Philippe None, assisted by senior associate David Noblinski.

Berlin/ Frankfurt—Global law firm Dentons has advised the biotech company Proteona on an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with the National University of Singapore (NUS). The technology transfer involves an innovative analysis platform for the assessment of genetic information in the laboratory and research field, developed by researchers of the National University of Singapore.

Slaughter and May is advising Richemont, the Swiss luxury goods group, on its global strategic partnership with Alibaba Group.  The partnership, which was announced on 26 October 2018, will bring the retail offerings of YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP S.p.A. (YNAP), the world’s leading online luxury retailer, to Chinese consumers.

PARIS – McDermott Will & Emery advised Innate Pharma, a French company operating in the field of oncology, in signing a multi-term agreement with AstraZeneca and MedImmune - its research and development branch of biological molecules. This agreement broadens the existing collaboration, aimed at accelerating the development of an oncology portfolio of each of the parties and to provide patients with more rapid access to new therapeutic options.

International law firm Ashurst advised WeWork on the signing of a lease agreement with AEW for 13,200 square meters in a building located 2/4 rue Jules Lefebvre in Paris, France.

WeWork is an American company that provides shared workspaces, technology startup subculture communities, and co-working services for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, small businesses and large enterprises.

The Ashurst team in Paris was led by partner Guillaume Aubatier, assisted by associate Malvina Dahan.

Dechert advised Lysogene, a gene therapy company focused on the treatment of orphan diseases of the central nervous system, in its exclusive license agreement with Sarepta Therapeutics, a leader in precision genetics medicines, for a late-stage gene therapy for the treatment of MPS IIIA, a rare inherited neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder. The terms of the agreement also include a grant of option rights to an additional central nervous system gene therapy candidate.

Ashurst advised Robert Bosch GmbH and its subsidiary Bosch Thermotechnik GmbH on the establishment of a joint venture with ads-tec GmbH. The joint enterprise, ads-tec Energy GmbH, is active in the development, manufacturing and sale of products and services in the fields of energy management, energy storage, e-mobility and renewables, especially in the development and manufacturing of scalable lithium-ion battery storage systems including an associated IT management system. The implementation of the joint venture is subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright advised Purplebricks on the formation of a joint venture with Axel Springer and the joint acquisition, in a first step, of approximately 26 per cent of the shares in German online real estate broker Homeday, based in Berlin. Founded in 2014, the Homeday is an operator of a platform for providing real estate appraisals and brokerage services. Purplebricks is the leading online real estate agent listed on the London Stock Exchange with operations in the United Kingdom, Australia, the US, and Canada.