The Week at Ropes & Gray: Two Noteworthy Deals; Examining the Risks of Bid Rigging; European IP Summit; Blazing Trails in Digital Currency

In The News
September 14, 2018

Weekly highlights of what’s happening at Ropes & Gray:

  • Our clients announced noteworthy deals in the consumer goods and sports and entertainment industries:
    • The Hershey Company has agreed to acquire Pirate Brands, including the Pirate’s Booty, Smart Puffs and Original Tings brands, from B&G Foods, Inc. for $420 million. Ropes & Gray advised Hershey on the transaction.
    • MarketCast Group, a provider of consumer insights and a portfolio company of Kohlberg & Company, announced that it will acquire Turnkey Intelligence, a preeminent sports research and advisory firm. Ropes & Gray represents MarketCast Group and Kohlberg & Company in the transaction.
  • In many countries, purchases of products or services by government or public entities take place primarily through public tenders. Participating companies often try to find ways to ensure that their company’s product is the one selected – an activity referred to as “bid rigging.” Our attorneys examine the prominence of bid rigging and its associated risks in this alert, which also provides multinational companies with strategies that help prevent, detect, remediate and deter bid rigging.
  • Today’s global economy calls for a different kind of intellectual property strategy. The inaugural European IP Summit, presented by Ropes & Gray and Boston College Law School’s Program on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, will bring together prominent leaders from technology and life sciences companies, academia and government to explore critical developments at the intersection of patent, privacy, competition and data rights in Europe. Join us for this two-day summit, which will take place on October 4 and 5 at Boston College Law School.
  • The National Law Journal has named asset management partner Sarah Davidoff a “Cryptocurrency, Blockchain and Fintech Trailblazer” for her work in representing the seed investors of one of the first hedge funds to invest in digital currencies. The inaugural list recognizes those who have moved the needle in facilitating new technologies and digital currencies as finance and technology grow more entwined.
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