Cravath Publishes Winter 2026 Issue of Alumni Journal
On April 15, 2020, Dentsu Aegis Network announced it has completed the purchase of Merkle, signing an agreement to acquire complete ownership of 100% of Merkle shares. Prior to this transaction, Dentsu Aegis Network owned 66% of Merkle shares with an option to buy the remaining 34% in Q3 2021. The accelerated purchase of the remaining shares, which involved the issuance of 4,743,300 common shares of Dentsu Group Inc., the parent company of Dentsu Aegis Network, means that Dentsu Aegis Network now owns 100% of Merkle. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Cravath represented Dentsu Aegis Network in connection with the transaction.
The Cravath team includes associates Winnie Ling and Andrew J. Astore on M&A matters; partner J. Leonard Teti II and associate Kiran Sheffrin on tax matters; and partner Jonathan J. Katz and associate Christopher C. Gonnella on executive compensation and benefits matters.
Deals & Cases
March 31, 2026
On March 31, 2026, Biogen Inc. and Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which Biogen has agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of Apellis for $41.00 per share in cash at closing, or approximately $5.6 billion. Apellis stockholders will also receive a nontransferable CVR for each Apellis share held, entitling the holder to receive two payments of $2 per share each, contingent on certain annual global net sales thresholds being met for SYFOVRE®. Cravath is representing Biogen in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
March 09, 2026
On March 9, 2026, Universal Health Services, Inc. (“UHS”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Talkspace, Inc. (“Talkspace”) for $5.25 per share. The enterprise value for the transaction is approximately $835 million. Cravath is representing Talkspace in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
February 18, 2026
On February 17, 2026, Tenax Aerospace Acquisition, LLC (“Tenax”) and Air Industries Group (“Air”) jointly announced that they have entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to combine Tenax’s special mission aviation business with Air’s precision aerospace manufacturing business. At the time of the merger, Air will issue shares of its common stock to holders of Tenax membership units. After the closing, Tenax shareholders are expected to own approximately 95% of Air’s outstanding shares while existing Air shareholders are expected to own approximately 5%, and the combined company expects to remain listed on the NYSE American under the symbol AIRI. Cravath is representing Tenax in connection with the transaction.
Deals & Cases
February 17, 2026
On February 17, 2026, Kennedy‑Wilson Holdings, Inc. (“Kennedy Wilson”) and Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (“Fairfax”) jointly announced that Kennedy Wilson has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired, in an all cash‑transaction, by an entity affiliated with a consortium led by William McMorrow, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Kennedy Wilson, and certain other senior executives of Kennedy Wilson (collectively, the “KW Management Group”), together with Fairfax (collectively, the “Consortium”).
Celebrating 200 years of partnership. In 2019, we celebrated our bicentennial. Our history mirrors that of our nation. Integral to our story is our culture.
Attorney Advertising. ©2026 Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP.