Frank J. Azzopardi
Head of IP, Tech & Commercial Transactions. Extensive experience counseling clients on IP and technology related issues arising from corporate transactions.
Frank is head of our IP, Tech & Commercial Transactions practice. He has extensive experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial transactions and counseling clients on intellectual property and tech-related issues arising from those transactions.
Frank regularly advises clients on licensing matters involving all forms of intellectual property and technology, royalty securitizations, intellectual property sales, joint ventures, collaborations, reorganizations and spinoffs. He also consults in connection with disputes, tax restructures and insolvency-related matters involving IP and technology.
He is regarded as a leading intellectual property and technology lawyer by publications such as Chambers USA, Legal 500, the National Law Journal and IAM Patent 1000.
Clients Frank has recently advised include Baker Hughes, Emerson, BDT Capital, Comcast, Related, Lucid Motors, Ferrero, Maersk, NBCUniversal, VF, Natura, Reckitt Benckiser and University of Michigan.
Experience highlights
Tech, Media & Telecom
- 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
- Symphony Technology consortium $2.075 billion acquisition of RSA from Dell
Transportation & Logistics
- 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
- 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
- Natura $2.525 billion sale of Aesop to L’Oréal
- Shiseido transfer of Personal Care business to CVC
- VF $2.1 billion acquisition of Supreme Holdings
- Ferrero acquisition of Eat Natural
- Natura acquisition of Avon
Healthcare & Life Sciences
- 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
- RedBird Capital Partners acquisition of AC Milan from Elliott Advisors
- Comcast Spectacor eSports joint venture with SK Telecom
- Davis Polk Advises Comcast on Its Acquisition of SportsEngine
- Davis Polk Advises University of Michigan on Its All-Sport Agreement with Nike
Insights
Credentials
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
Professional history
- Partner, 2008-present
- Davis Polk since 2001
- Associate, Allens Arthur Robinson, 1998-2001
Qualifications and admissions
- State of New York