Ash von Schwan

Consumer Goods and Luxury Brands

• Advised Carlsberg on the IP aspects of its strategic, recommended cash acquisition of international soft drinks business, Britvic PLC, for £3.3 billion on a fully diluted basis, and an implied enterprise value of approximately £4.1 billion.*
• Advised Avon Cosmetics on key restructuring project of major brands, manufacturing and R&D elements of the business, including advising on intellectual property licences, R&D collaboration arrangements, and technical assistance agreements, and latterly on a strategic Russian market exit.*
• Advised Natura Cosméticos in relation to taking security over significant global portfolio of IP Assets, drafting debenture deeds and arranging for recordal of related security interests.*
• Advised Carlsberg on strategic Russian market exit for key divested group and key brand portfolio and licensing and manufacturing arrangements, including transfers of commercially sensitive know-how.*
• Advised Kraft Heinz in relation to key brand licences and product know-how licences.*
• Advised Puig Group in relation to strategic image rights agreements with Ben Gorham and Charlotte Tilbury.*
• Advised Charlotte Tilbury in relation to Licence and Development Agreement for volumetric avatar.*
• Advised Energizer Holdings Inc on all IP aspects of a US$1.25 Billion brand deal with Spectrum Brands for key asset acquisition of global autocare and motor oil brands including Armor All and STP.*
• Advised United Perfumes on a strategic Brand and Perfume Development Agreement for branding, supply, distribution, and perfume scent formulations.*
• Advised The Saatchi Gallery London Limited on all IP aspects for the corporate restructure and sale of the Saatchi Gallery.*

 Healthcare, Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

• Advised Novonesis on the IP aspects of its EUR1.5 billion cash acquisition of DSM-Firmenich’s share of the Feed Enzyme Alliance. Including negotiating on-going IP licences and termination of the existing Feed Enzyme Alliance.*
• Advised Hansa Biopharma in relation to research collaboration agreements, and a key option product collaboration agreement with a gene therapy research partner for the treatment genetic diseases.*
• Advised CSL Seqirus on key collaboration arrangements for research and development of new COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.*
• Advised GSK on a significant divestment and separation project in relation to their Consumer Health business and the creation of Haleon.*
• Advised Haleon healthcare group on a global Recordals Project to manage the transfer, ownership, and maintenance of rights under its key trade marks, patents, registered designs and copyright portfolios.*
• Advised GSK on various patent and brand licence agreements and a restructuring project.*
• Advised Sandoz AG on the disposal of a key business unit in China (to Aspen Pharmacare) and simultaneous brand acquisitions from Aspen in South Africa.*
• Advised Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in relation to a licence and collaboration agreement with Silence Therapeutics for research and development of RNAi Products, worth up to USD$2 Billion for both parties.*
• Advised Colour Synthesis Solutions Ltd in respect of the synthesis of coloured and non-coloured molecules. Advice given on trade secret protection, licensing and drafting non-disclosure agreements for R&D activities.*

Technology & Software

• Advised Silver Lake on all IP aspects of a key disposal of their “Alfabet“ business comprising a software solution for enterprise architecture and strategic portfolio management.*
• Advised C. Bamford Excavators (JCB) on key technology licences, inventor agreements, and patent settlement.*
• Advised Johnson Matthey in relation to inventor assignment templates for sustainable technologies.*
• Advised Van Tuyl Company in relation to a strategic automotive tech investment for manufacturer of Holographic Platforms in heads-up displays for vehicles. Advised on use of OSS and carried out an expedited global patent diligence and patent and know-how licence review.*
• Advised tech investment company Best-X in relation to the disposal of their pre and post-trade, market analytics platform to State Street Bank. Advised on all IP aspects of the deal, which included proprietary code in the analytics platform, use of OSS and know-how and trade secret protection for various algorithmic-based technologies.*
• Advised Schroder Investment Management on all IP aspects of a License and Development Agreement for a new technology platform based on proprietary algorithms.*
• Advised the Avast Group on the US$1.3 billion acquisition of the anti-virus and software security company AVG. Advised on all IP aspects of the deal including the use of OSS and assisting the IT team with OSS analysis for remediation of the codebase.*
• Advised the Avast Group on the US$120 million bolt on acquisition of Piriform Group Limited for PC performance utility software products.*
• Advised LINE Singapore on the acquisition of a key instant messaging platform and complex cross-licensing and sub-licencing arrangements in respect of then BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).*
• Advised LINE Singapore on the IP aspects of its voluntary wind-up of MixRadio, which was acquired from Microsoft.*
• Advised BSkyB on the £200 million acquisition of Telefónica UK’s ‘O2’ broadband and fixed-line telephony business.*

Mining, Energy & Infrastructure Projects

• Advised Thales Group in relation to strategic divestment of GTS (Ground Transportation Systems) Group to Hitachi Rail, for key digital rail infrastructure and signalling technologies.*
• Represented and advised Ma’aden on various collaborations in relation to mineral extraction business, including in relation to key Phosphogypsum Utilisation Projects.*
• Advised Uniper and Sydkraft Hydrogen AB on various IP aspects relating to a key hydrogen fuel project including R&D arrangements, NDAs and study agreement collaborations.*
• Advised SLB and Schlumberger Oilfield UK Limited on various IP aspects relating to the development of a world-class carbon capture and sequestration project, including in relation to subsurface data licensing.*
• Advised Baker Hughes in relation to patents and know-how licence agreement, R&D collaboration agreement.*
• Acted for Ramboll Gruppen AS on strategic investment in Vucity 3D digital planning overlay technology.*
• Advised EDF in relation to IP rights for reactor technology on Nuclear Power Projects at both Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C.*
• Acted for and advised EDF Renewables on all IP aspects of the acquisition of Pod Point, one of the UK’s largest electric vehicle charging companies.*

*Experience gained prior to joining the firm

• England and Wales
• New South Wales, Australia