"Clifford Chance Advises Airbus on Strategic Partnership with Thales and Leonardo to Establish European Space Leader"

Clifford Chance advised Airbus, a global aerospace and defence group, on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Thales, a global leader in high technology for the defence, aerospace, and cybersecurity sectors, and Leonardo, a major Italian industrial group active in the aerospace, defence, and security sectors. The Airbus legal department, led by John Harrison, General Counsel & Head of Public Affairs, and Edouard Eltvedt, SVP Legal Corporate Affairs, also played a key role in the transaction. The transaction involves the combination of the satellite production and related services activities of Airbus, Leonardo, and Thales to create a new company aimed at establishing a resilient European space player. This initiative seeks to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy and enhance its global competitiveness by leveraging the technological expertise and operational capabilities of the three companies. The new company is expected to be operational in 2027, subject to customary regulatory conditions and approvals. The Clifford Chance team advising Airbus was led from Paris by partners Gilles Lebreton and Marianne Pezant, with contributions from Gareth Camp (partner, London), Thomas Krecek (partner, Frankfurt), Luis Alonso (partner, Madrid), and Umberto Penco-Salvi (partner, Milan). In Paris, corporate aspects were handled by partners Gilles Lebreton and Marianne Pezant, supported by associates Marie Silvain and Leila Medjadji. Commercial contracts aspects were managed by partner Dessislava Savova, alongside associates Alexandre Balducci, Lisa Fournier, and Jérémy Guilbault. Labor law aspects were overseen by partners Florence Aubonnet and Ekaterina Zaboussova-Celsa, assisted by associates Eva Feurtet and Alexandre Lepoutre. Public law aspects were handled by partner Gauthier Martin, counsel Clémence Graffan, and associates Claire Oualid, Pierre-Hubert Boissière, and Alexandra Demai. Compliance aspects were managed by counsel Alice Dunoyer de Segonzac and associate Mariam Tayara, while regulatory aspects were handled by associate Hendrik Coppoolse. The firm's London, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Milan offices also contributed to the transaction.

"Clifford Chance Advises Airbus on Strategic Partnership with Thales and Leonardo to Establish European Space Leader"

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