Gareth Kristensen’s practice focuses on intellectual property, technology, data, and commercial matters.

Gareth advises leading multinational corporations, private equity firms, and high-growth companies on the IP/IT, data, and commercial contracts aspects of M&A, strategic investments, joint ventures and collaborations, licensing transactions, complex carve-outs and business separations, manufacturing, supply and distribution arrangements, co-marketing and co-promotion arrangements, capital markets offerings and financings. He has particular experience in the life sciences, financial services, and technology industries.

His practice covers the full range of IP rights including patents, trademarks, copyright, design rights, database rights, and trade secrets, and he has significant experience in structuring and negotiating patent, trademark, software, and data licenses.

Gareth also advises extensively on artificial intelligence (AI), data protection (UK and EU GDPR), privacy, and cybersecurity matters, both in the context of corporate and commercial transactions and advice on compliance, litigation, crisis management, and incident response. He holds the CIPP/E accreditation (Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe) from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), and he has participated in the UK Financial Markets Law Committee’s Data Protection Working Group.

Gareth joined the firm in 2011. He was resident in the New York office in 2018 and was previously on secondment with GlaxoSmithKline in London.

Notable Experience

Artificial Intelligence

  • Leading technology, online services and media/entertainment groups on the development, use and regulation of artificial intelligence technologies, in particular:

    • generative AI applications, in-licensing, and use of third-party LLMs;
    • copyright, data, and training issues;
    • AI regulatory compliance, preparations for the EU AI Act, and engagement with legislators;
    • enforcing rights in proprietary content; and
    • negotiation of high-value, strategically important AI contracts.
See More

Pharma/Life Sciences

  • A leading sovereign wealth fund in a co-investment and royalty financing agreement with a prominent biotech group.

  • Henry Schein in its acquisition of 57% of the shares of Biotech Dental.

  • GlaxoSmithKline in its $1.9 billion acquisition of Sierra Oncology.

  • AbbVie in its $1 billion acquisition of Syndesi Therapeutics and its option to acquire iStar Medical.

  • Wockhardt, the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology major, in its landmark agreements with AstraZeneca and the UK government (BEIS) for the manufacture and supply of the Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (Vaxzevria) for the United Kingdom and its major collaboration with Serum Life Sciences Ltd, a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, for the delivery of a global vaccine program.

  • Walgreens Boots Alliance in various matters, including in its $6.5 billion strategic transaction with AmerisourceBergen Corporation.

  • GlaxoSmithKline and its group companies on numerous corporate and commercial transactions, including complex collaborations, IP licensing transactions, material transfer agreements, supply and distribution agreements, product manufacturing arrangements, and EU consortium arrangements.

  • Various South American governments and their ministries of health on their nations’ COVID-19 vaccine supply agreements with the major COVID-19 vaccine suppliers.

  • A leading global vaccines group on its agreement to manufacture and supply drug substance for one of the leading COVID-19 vaccines.

  • LivaNova PLC in the sale of its heart valve business to Gyrus Capital.

  • Numerous private equity/venture capital firms and sovereign wealth funds on confidential biotechnology and life sciences investments.

See More

Technology, Media, and Telecoms

  • A leading technology and online services group on AI and software development matters.

  • Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) in the signing of a multiyear partnership agreement and brand sponsorship with Scuderia Ferrari for the Formula 1 Championship.

  • Infinite Electronics, a Warburg Pincus portfolio company, in its acquisition of Cable Connectivity Group B.V. (CCG) from Torqx Capital Partners and TKH Group N.V., and in its acquisition of Regatta Topco Limited (Bulgin) from Equistone Partners Europe and certain management sellers.

  • JCDecaux in its acquisition of Clear Channel’s businesses in Italy and Spain.

  • Planisware in its initial public offering comprising an offering of shares by existing shareholders and a listing on Euronext Paris.

  • Synopsys in its acquisition of PikeTec from private equity fund ECM Equity Capital Management GmbH and its affiliated funds.

  • Investment funds managed by affiliates of Apollo in the proposed €2.3 billion acquisition of Worldline’s Terminals, Solutions & Services (TSS) business line.

  • TPG Rise Climate, the climate investing strategy of TPG’s global impact investing platform TPG Rise, in its $1 billion (INR 7.5 billion) investment in Tata Motors’ electric vehicle and infrastructure business.

  • Alphabet and Google on several corporate and commercial transactions, including Google’s acquisition of Fossil’s smartwatch technology, and other joint ventures, licence, and collaboration agreements for the development of frontier technologies.

  • Schibsted, the majority shareholder of Adevinta, in Adevinta’s $9.2 billion acquisition of eBay Classifieds.

  • The Raine Group and Temasek in connection with a co-investment in SoundCloud.

  • The underwriters in IP matters relating to the SEC-registered IPO of Hepsiburada.

  • Warburg Pincus and other investors in connection with the $1.25 billion investment in Airtel Africa Ltd.

  • The International Olympics Committee on various matters.

  • Technology licenses, branding, and commercialization agreements relating to a “hyperloop” technology development company.

  • A leading vehicle telematics technology company on data licensing matters.

  • The underwriters in concurrent SEC-registered offerings by Veoneer Inc. of $420 million of common shares and $207 million of convertible senior notes.

  • A leading online resource-sharing marketplace on e-commerce, hosting, IP licensing, platform structure, website terms, and conditions.

See More

Financial Institutions

  • Euronext in its €4.325 billion acquisition of Borsa Italiana from the London Stock Exchange Group (Winner, “Corporate Team of the Year,” 2021 Legal Business Awards).

  • Euronext in its acquisition of Nexi’s capital markets technology businesses.

  • My Money Group and its controlling shareholder, funds advised by Cerberus Capital Management, in its signing of a memorandum of understanding for the proposed acquisition of HSBC Continental Europe’s retail banking business in France.

  • Amundi in its €3.55 billion acquisition of Pioneer Investment from UniCredit.

  • Credit Suisse Asset Management on software, data, and other IP aspects of the spin-out of its $1 billion quantitative and systematic hedge fund.

  • Barclays Bank PLC in its sale of its global index, benchmarking, and risk analytics business to Bloomberg L.P.

  • BNP Paribas in connection with a novel transaction in relation to the transfer of Deutsche Bank’s global prime brokerage and electronic equities platform.

  • A prominent bank on a significant IT business transformation project.

See More

Consumer Goods and Services

  • Natura &Co in the sale of The Body Shop to international private equity group Aurelius.

  • Brookfield in its ₹41 billion acquisition of Leela Hotels from Hotel Leelaventure.

  • Lavazza in connection with its acquisition of Mars Drinks from Mars Inc.

  • Tempur Sealy International Inc. in its $475 million acquisition of Dreams.

  • Groupama Assicurazioni and Groupama Assurances Mutuelles in the sale of 100% of telematics technology group G-Evolution to FairConnect.

  • AB InBev in its joint venture with Anadolu Efes to combine their Russian and Ukrainian beer businesses.

  • Hillhouse on various matters, including its acquisition of Scotch whisky producer Loch Lomond Group, and its 50/50 joint venture with Peet’s Coffee to roll out the franchise in China.

  • Sabre Holdings in its sale of lastminute.com to Bravofly Rumbo Group.

See More

Industrial

  • Lafarge in the divestment of €6.5 billion of assets as part of its merger with Holcim.

  • A leading global chemicals and power infrastructure group on the acquisition of a significant international power generation business.

  • Couche-Tard, a global leader in convenience and fuel retail, in its acquisition of TotalEnergies’ retail assets in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

  • ENGIE in its acquisition of BTE Renewables from Actis and the related carve-out of BTE Renewables’ Kenyan assets to Meridiam.

  • Veolia, the global leader in optimised resources management, in its sale of Vigie’s (formerly Suez) UK waste business to Suez.

  • ABB in its acquisition of Siemens’ low voltage NEMA motor business.

  • Latour Capital in its acquisition of Gutor from Schneider Electric SE.

See More

Data Protection and Privacy

  • Numerous multinational corporations on group-wide and cross-border GDPR compliance matters, GDPR and cyber-incident response, and crisis management, including leading global banks, insurers and financial institutions, State-owned enterprises, asset managers, leading European price comparison websites, and prominent retailers and fashion brands.

See More

Selected Activities

trigger
  • Member, Society for Computers and Law
  • Member, International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)

  • Member, Data Protection Working Group, Financial Markets Law Committee, 2018

Publications

Events