Transactions that may raise competition issues often become the subject of lengthy investigations in the US, Europe, and in dozens of other jurisdictions around the world, including critical markets such as China, India, and Brazil. Even deals that raise no issues can become entangled in multi-jurisdictional pre-closing filing and clearance requirements that can prevent them from closing on schedule, threatening financing and the parties’ market positions.
Covington helps clients around the world assess and manage the antitrust issues involved in their transactions – from simple licensing arrangements to more complex collaborations, from the formation of joint ventures to the negotiation, analysis, and clearance of complex mergers and acquisitions. We have substantial experience in virtually every industry, including the life sciences and pharmaceuticals, communications and media, energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors.
Our team, located strategically in our US, European, and Asian offices, includes senior lawyers with extensive high-level government enforcement experience. In these positions, our lawyers have had the opportunity to direct key merger investigations and enforcement decisions and to help shape the enforcement policies that exist today.
Representative Matters
- Representation of Facebook, Inc. in several transactions, including its acquisition of Instagram, its largest acquisition to date.
- Representation of Microsoft Corp. in its $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype Communications S.à.r.l., the largest acquisition in the company’s history, and in connection with its $4.5 billion acquisition of certain Nortel patents.
- Representation of Merck in its $41 billion merger with Schering-Plough.
- Representation of ExxonMobil Corporation in numerous transactions, including its $41 billion acquisition of XTO Energy Inc., the largest transaction in the history of the natural gas industry. Also advised ExxonMobil regarding the establishment of Marine Well Containment Co., a joint venture established by ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron to develop and operate a system to provide emergency hydrocarbon well containment and related non-emergency services in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Representation of King Pharmaceuticals in its $3.6 billion acquisition by Pfizer.
- Representation of Ameron International Corp. in its acquisition by National Oilwell Varco.
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