IP and Strategic Tech Transactions

On August 31, 2026, Aon, a leading global professional services firm, announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire USI, a leading provider of property & casualty, employee benefit, personal risk and retirement solutions for the middle market and the tenth largest U.S. insurance broker, from KKR and other shareholders for a total purchase price of $17 billion. Aon expects to fund the transaction, as well as related transaction expenses and other costs, with new debt raised across a range of maturities, subject to market conditions. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of Aon and the Board of Directors of USI. Cravath is representing Aon in connection with the transaction.

On August 6, 2026, Harrow, a leading provider of ophthalmic disease management solutions in North America, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire TYRVAYA® (varenicline solution) nasal spray 0.03 mg from Viatris Inc. (“Viatris”), a global healthcare company. TYRVAYA is a cholinergic agonist indicated for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease (DED) and is currently approved in the U.S., China, and Taiwan, with marketing authorization applications pending in other countries. Under the terms of the agreement, Harrow will pay $30 million in cash at closing and up to $70 million in contingent milestone payments tied to TYRVAYA's net sales, for a potential total consideration of up to $100 million. Cravath is representing Viatris in connection with the transaction.

On July 30, 2026, TMX Group, a global provider of data, listing services, trading markets, clearing facilities and other services to the global financial community, announced a definitive agreement to make a strategic investment in MEMX, an exchange operator and market technology provider. Concurrent with that transaction, BOX, a U.S. equity options market with both electronic and floor-based trading, will be combined with MEMX, and TMX Group will have an approximately 59% ownership interest in the combined business. Under the terms of the agreement, this transaction will create a consolidated U.S. exchange group with an enterprise value of approximately $2.3 billion. The new entity will be funded by an equity investment from TMX Group of approximately $800 million, a rollover of TMX’s existing equity interest in BOX, committed rollovers from a group of MEMX and BOX investors, comprised of key market participants, and an investment from a new financial partner. Cravath is representing TMX Group in connection with the transaction.

On June 29, 2026, Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. (“Martin Marietta”), a leading supplier of aggregates and other building materials, announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to combine with Lhoist North America, Inc. (“Lhoist North America”), a leading producer of hi‑calcium lime, dolomitic lime and industrial mineral products and a subsidiary of Lhoist Group, for $13.5 billion in cash and shares of Martin Marietta common stock. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals. Cravath is representing Martin Marietta in connection with the transaction.

On June 23, 2026, Westinghouse Electric Corporation (“Westinghouse”) announced its intention to partner with the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) Office of Energy Dominance Financing (“EDF”) under the American Nuclear Supply Chain Loans program. The program will enable investment in nuclear supply chains and accelerate deployment of new nuclear generation at scale in the United States. EDF has announced a conditional commitment (subject to Westinghouse, its owners and its partners satisfying certain conditions) of $17.5 billion in obligated funds to finance the purchase of long‑lead time items (“LLI”) for up to 10 Westinghouse AP1000® units, the only fully designed and licensed advanced commercial reactor operating in the United States today. Westinghouse will partner with up to five eligible utilities or energy companies to procure LLI for projects with two reactors each and has signed letters of intent with seven potential partners with identified sites. Cravath is representing Westinghouse in connection with the transaction.

On September 2, 2026, Cravath partner and former Under Secretary of Commerce and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office David J. Kappos testified before the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of the United States House Judiciary Committee. The hearing, entitled “Renewal of USPTO Fee Setting Authority: Giving Full Effect to the America Invents Act,” considered Congress's role in renewing PTO’s fee setting authority alongside the agency discretion and procedural limits Congress built into the American Invents Act.

On August 11, 2026, Bloomberg Law published an article by Cravath partners David J. Kappos, Sasha Rosenthal‑Larrea and Evan Norris, of counsel Dean M. Nickles and associate Lucille D. Finn entitled “Hasty Adoption of Internal AI Tools Can Expose Sensitive Data." The article outlines risks that companies should be aware of when AI tools are rolled out, including the potential for exposure of sensitive company data, and discusses mitigation options such as data access controls, data inventory, data integrity protection and human oversight.

On August 6, 2026, Cravath published the latest edition of its Cravath Data Privacy and Security Review newsletter. The Review provides an overview of recent U.S. state and federal legislative and regulatory developments, alongside U.S. and global enforcement trends and takeaways, in data privacy and cybersecurity for the first six months of 2026. 

On July 6, 2026, World Intellectual Property Review (“WIPR”) included Cravath of counsel Kathryn‑Ann Stamm as part of its 2026 “Influential Women in IP” list. The list, selected through an in‑depth process that combines nominations, independent research and assessments by the WIPR editorial team, celebrates the women “whose expertise, leadership and achievements are shaping the future of intellectual property across the globe.”

On July 2, 2026, Cravath published the latest edition of its Artificial Intelligence Developments Newsletter, which includes a high-level review of activity across technical, regulatory, legal, and market areas of AI over the last month, highlighting selected new trends.