Frank Azzopardi
Head of IP & Commercial Transactions. Extensive experience counseling clients on complex commercial transactions and IP and technology related issues.
Frank is head of our IP & Commercial Transactions practice. He has extensive experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial transactions and counseling clients on IP and tech-related issues arising from those transactions.
Frank leads commercially significant transactions involving the exploitation of intangibles including bespoke licenses, IP-asset backed financings and royalty securitizations, media rights, sponsorships, IP sales, joint ventures and collaborations. He consults in connection with IP-related disputes, tax restructures and insolvency and distress management matters.
He has deep industry experience in telecom, sports, media, entertainment, transportation, infrastructure, energy, consumer products and fashion, among others. His clients include Baker Hughes, Emerson, BDT, Comcast, Related, Ferrero, NBCUniversal, VF, Natura, Reckitt, FSU and University of Michigan.
He is highly ranked by Chambers USA, Legal 500, the National Law Journal and IAM Patent 1000.
Experience
Tech, Media & Telecom
- Quanta Computer strategic collaboration with and investment in Rigetti
- Paychex $4.1 billion acquisition of Paycor HCM
- Prosus $1.7 billion acquisition of Despegar.com
- Crane NXT £300 million acquisition of De La Rue’s authentication division
- TPG Angelo Gordon debt and equity financing to DISH DBS Issuer
- Siemens acquisition of Trayer Engineering
- Comcast “SkyShowtime” partnership with ViacomCBS
- Bertelsmann $2.175 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster
- Comcast agreement with Disney on Hulu’s future governance and ownership
- NBCUniversal $3.8 billion acquisition of DreamWorks Animation
Transportation & Logistics
- Avianca senior secured notes offering and exchange offer and consent solicitation
- Spirit Airlines prearranged chapter 11 filing
- Azul $800 million secured notes offering
- Azul $862 million exchange offers and consent solicitations
- American Airlines $10 billion AAdvantage secured financings
- Delta Air Lines $9 billion SkyMiles secured financings
- Spirit Airlines $850 million senior notes offering
- A.P. Moller – Maersk joint venture with IBM to commercialize blockchain platform
Industrials
- Shyft Group merger with Aebi Schmidt Group
- Fisker confirms and consummates chapter 11 plan
- Emerson $7.2 billion acquisition of remaining outstanding shares of AspenTech
- Lucid Motors $24 billion combination with Churchill Capital Corp IV
- Baker Hughes long-term agreements with General Electric to maximize value
- Emerson acquisition of General Electric’s Intelligent Platforms business
- ABB $2.6 billion acquisition of GE Industrial Solutions
Consumer Products & Retail
- Arcos Dorados renewal of long-term master franchise agreement with McDonald’s
- Ferrero Group acquisition of Power Crunch
- Campbell Soup sale of Noosa Yoghurt to Lakeview Farms
- Avon Products, Inc. chapter 11 filing, DIP financing and stalking horse bid
- Cheney Brothers $2.1 billion acquisition by Performance Food Group
- VF $2.1 billion acquisition of Supreme Holdings
- Campbell Soup $2.7 billion acquisition of Sovos Brands
- Natura $2.525 billion sale of Aesop to L’Oréal
- Shiseido transfer of Personal Care business to CVC
- Ferrero acquisition of Eat Natural
Healthcare & Life Sciences
- McKesson $2.49 billion acquisition of controlling interest in Core Ventures
- Reckitt Benckiser Group acquisition of Biofreeze
- Shire $2.4 billion sale of its Oncology business to Servier
- McKesson formation of a new company with Change Healthcare Holdings
- Bio-Reference Laboratories $1.47 billion acquisition by OPKO Health
Sports
- Red Bull minority investment in and sponsorship of Leeds United Football Club
- Atairos investment in the parent company of the Aston Villa Football Club
- RedBird Capital Partners acquisition of AC Milan from Elliott Advisors
- Comcast Spectacor eSports joint venture with SK Telecom
- Comcast acquisition of SportsEngine
- University of Michigan All-Sport Agreement with Nike
Insights
News
Recognition
Legal 500 U.S. – Technology Transactions
Chambers USA – Technology, New York
National Law Journal – “Intellectual Property Trailblazer,” 2018
IAM Patent 1000
Education
- with honors
Prior experience
- Associate, Allens Arthur Robinson, 1998-2001
Qualifications and admissions
- State of New York