IP and Strategic Tech Transactions

Cravath represented the administrative agent, joint lead arrangers and joint bookrunners in connection with $3.5 billion of credit facilities made available to Genmab, a leading international biotechnology company, and one of its wholly‑owned subsidiaries, Genmab Finance LLC, as part of the financing transactions undertaken in connection with its acquisition of Merus N.V., a leading oncology company developing innovative antibody therapeutics. The credit facilities consisted of a $2 billion term loan “B” facility, a $1 billion term loan “A” facility and a $500 million revolving credit facility. The transaction closed on December 12, 2025.

On January 5, 2026, Cable One, Inc. (“Cable One”) announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the equity interests in Mega Broadband Investments Holdings LLC (“MBI”) that it does not already own in a transaction valued at approximately $1.3 billion. Cable One currently owns a 45% stake in MBI, and certain affiliates of GTCR LLC and MBI management own the balance of MBI. MBI is a leading provider of broadband services across the Southeast, Northwest and Mid‑South United States and offers an extensive range of broadband, fiber connectivity, video and voice services for approximately 210,000 residential and business data customers. Based on currently available information, (i) the purchase price payable by Cable One for the 55% of MBI that it does not already own is expected to range between approximately $475 million and $495 million and (ii) MBI’s total net debt at the time it becomes wholly owned by Cable One is expected to be approximately $845 million to $895 million. Cravath is representing Cable One in connection with the transaction.

On December 21, 2025, Clearwater Analytics (“CWAN”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired in a transaction valued at approximately $8.4 billion by a Permira and Warburg Pincus‑led Investor Group (the “Investor Group”), with participation from Temasek. The Investor Group has key support from Francisco Partners. The Special Committee of the CWAN Board of Directors unanimously recommended this transaction and the CWAN Board of Directors subsequently approved this transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, CWAN stockholders will receive $24.55 per share in cash upon completion of the proposed transaction. Cravath is representing the Special Committee of the CWAN Board of Directors in connection with the transaction.

On December 8, 2025, Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (“Paramount”), announced it has commenced an all-cash tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (“WBD”) for $30.00 per share in cash, equating to an enterprise value of $108.4 billion. Paramount’s proposed transaction is for the entirety of WBD, including the Global Networks segment. Cravath is representing Paramount in connection with the transaction.

On November 25, 2025, Robinhood Markets, Inc. (“Robinhood”) announced it is extending its prediction markets offering through a new joint venture and partnership with Susquehanna International Group (“Susquehanna”) to operate a CFTC-licensed exchange and clearinghouse. Robinhood will serve as the controlling partner. The independent joint venture will serve Futures Commission Merchant platforms with futures and derivative products, including prediction markets. The venture will accelerate delivery of its services by acquiring MIAXdx, a CFTC-licensed Designated Contract Market, Derivatives Clearing Organization and Swap Execution Facility, and wholly-owned subsidiary of Miami International Holdings, Inc. (“MIAX”). MIAX will remain invested through a strategic 10% equity stake in the exchange. Cravath is representing Robinhood in connection with the transaction.

On December 20, 2025, Intellectual Asset Management (“IAM”) published an article written by Cravath partner David J. Kappos and associate Leslie Liu entitled “The UPC Should Follow German Courts’ Pro‑Innovation Approach to FRAND Cases.” The article discusses the Unified Patent Court (“UPC”)’s approach in deciding FRAND cases, arguing that the UPC should follow the German courts’ “pro‑innovation” practice of deferring to the market to set FRAND rates rather than attempting to do so itself.

Cravath has elected the following new partners, who will become members of the Firm on January 1, 2026:

Cravath partner David J. Kappos and associate Leslie Liu co‑authored an article entitled “Burgeoning Patent Licensing Programs Necessitate Best Practices,” which was published in Bloomberg Law on November 18, 2025. The article discusses emerging best practices for patent pool licensing programs, including open participation, robust disclosures, transparent and consistent pricing and fair distribution of royalties, and suggests that patent pools should impose minimal restrictions in their license agreements.

On November 5, 2025, Cravath partner David J. Kappos participated in Asia Society Northern California’s (“ASNC”) “A Workshop on Data Driven Approaches to Understanding Chinese Tech Competitiveness” in Washington, D.C. Hosted as part of ASNC’s Tech Series, the event brought together leading experts and policymakers involved in technology, export controls, trade, intellectual property, talent and education to foster an evidence‑based understanding of China’s evolving technological landscape and to identify actionable insights for U.S. strategy and policy development. Workshop participants discussed topics including patent analytics, intellectual property trends, research output, technology adoption, trade and investment data analysis and the impact of export controls and regulatory tools. Dave spoke on the topic “Uses and Abuses of Intellectual Property to Assess Tech Competitiveness.”

On October 9, 2025, Cravath of counsel Kathryn‑Ann Stamm participated in a panel entitled “Legal Side of Startups,” hosted by the NYU Stern Business and Law Association (“SBLA”). SBLA is dedicated to exploring the intersection between business and law by sharing practical insights from professionals involved in corporate law, strategy and entrepreneurship. During the panel, Kathryn‑Ann spoke about the interplay between venture capital and intellectual property (“IP”) law, emphasizing how early‑stage IP strategies underpin valuation, diligence readiness and long‑term success. She also explored scaling challenges as startups mature and discussed how emerging technologies, including AI, are reshaping diligence, licensing, data use and product development.