Mr Seth Traxler > Kirkland & Ellis LLP > Chicago, United States > Lawyer Profile

Kirkland & Ellis LLP represents both patent licensors and licensees in patent licensing agreements, with patent portfolio management an area of expertise for the firm, which is also experienced in the negotiation of commercial arrangements implemented alongside patent licensing deals, such as joint development, supply, and technical assistance agreements, and is active on behalf of major companies such as Eli Lilly & Co. Chicago’s Seth Traxler often serves as lead counsel in strategic deals that encompass technology assets or opportunities, alongside other areas of expertise, including in relation to the negotiation of licenses. David MacDonald, based in the New York office, is experienced in the intellectual property, pharma and tech sectors with regard to licensing agreements, among others. Russell Levine, who practices in Chicago, utilizes his trial and appellate practice to handle technology transfer and patent license agreements.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP specializes in joint ventures, strategic alliances and high-profile acquisitions in areas from music catalogs to video game development studios. Carve-out transactions specialist Seth Traxler operates from the firm’s Chicago office – in a recent highlight he represented MNRK Music Group in its sale of the Death Row Records brand to Snoop Dogg. Also in Chicago, Rory Wellever leverages his entertainment industry experience to advise on a range of commercial transactions such as Hipgnosis Song Management’s recent acquisition of Justin Timberlake’s song catalog. In New York, Shellie Freedman centers her practice on IP and technology matters and worked alongside Traxler on the Death Row matter. Another name to note is Chicago-based Bernadette Coppola, who focuses her practice on data-related transactions.

The transactions group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP is best known for its support on high value technology-related corporate and private equity M&A deals, particularly those where IP assets are a key driver. This transactional expertise extends to distressed situations, including company restructurings and insolvencies.  The highly experienced team also does a considerable amount of standalone technology work, including IP licensing, collaboration agreements, strategic alliances and technology outsourcing deals. Recent examples include assisting Firefly Aerospace on a collaboration with Northrop Grumman Corporation for an upgrade to Northrop’s Antares rocket and a new medium launch vehicle. The firm has a deep bench of specialist partners, including Chicago’s Seth Traxler, Neil Hirshman and Matthew Lovell, all of whom have a strong focus on IP and technology transactions. The San Francisco-based partner John Lynn has also developed extremely good credentials in this area.