David Brooks

About David Brooks

David advises corporates and private equity sponsors on a broad range of intellectual property and commercial issues and is particularly active in the healthcare, retail, technology and sports sectors.

David frequently advises on large-scale multi-jurisdictional separation and carve-out projects including those which involve a broad spectrum of complex commercial agreements connected with the merger, acquisition, divestment or outsourcing of business units, and in particular in the context of carve-outs.

David has recently advised on a number of high-profile sports investments, with a particular focus on the establishment or separation of commercial rights business and related protection and exploitaton of commercial rights. 

His work on commercial agreements covers the full waterfront of IP rights, including licensing, merchandising, image rights, endorsement and sponsorship arrangements.

David qualified at Freshfields in 2002 and has worked in the firm’s London, New York and Singapore offices.

Recent work

• Advising Smiths Medical in its negotiations with the UK Government and a consortium of blue-chip British medical, engineering and technology companies in connection with the emergency and expedited ramp-up, manufacture and supply of ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Advising CVC on the €4.5bn ($3.78bn) carve-out and acquisition of Unilever’s tea business 
• Advising Novartis on the intellectual property, carve-out and business separation and services arrangements for a number of transactions including:
  • the spin-off and operational separation of its eyecare division, Alcon in 2019
  • divisional asset swaps with GSK in 2015 covering oncology, OTC and vaccines assets
  • a series of disposals mandated by several national competition authorities of a number of healthcare products in Europe, Asia, North America and South America
• Advising AstraZeneca on a joint venture pharmaceutical collaboration with Merck, including reciprocal IP licensing arrangements
• Advisign Recordati on its acquisition of EUSA Pharma
• Advising a leading pharmaceutical business on a series of over 30 divestments of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities around the world, with associated long-term manufacturing and supply arrangements
• Advising a leading medical devices business on supply chain issues resulting from the Ukraine conflict 
• Advising EDF on its acquisition of a nuclear steam business from GE
• Advising Liberty Global, on the 19bn sale of its operations in Germany, Hungary, Romania and the Czech Republic to Vodafone
• Advising Barclays Africa on the carve-out and separation of its pan-African business from Barclays plc
• Advising Pilgrim’s Pride on its US$952m carve out acquisition of Kerry’s Meats and Meals business in the UK and Ireland
• Advising CVC on a series of investments in sports rights bodies and properties including:
  • Six Nations Rugby, the official organising body of the Six Nations Championship and Autumn Internationals
  • Premiership Rugby and related commercial rights
  • Pro14 Rugby and related commercial rights
  • Fédération de Internationale Volleyball (“FIVB”) and partnership in Volleyball World
  • WTA tennis and and related commercial rights
• Advising CVC on:
  • the acquisition of SkyBet in a carve-out transaction from London-listed Sky plc, and subsequent sale to Stars Group
  • its investment in Spectrum Medical Group Limited, a leading provider of new and pioneering technologies to the cardiac bypass and ICU space
  • the acquisition of a majority interest in Medivet, a leading veterinary care provider in the UK, Germany and Spain
  • investment in Acronis, a leading global cyber protection, backup and disaster recovery provider
  • investment in Rayner, the global ophthalmology business, from Phoenix Equity Partners
  • investment in Aleph Holding, global partner to the world’s biggest digital media players
• Advising an AI/tech start-up on a joint venture and collaboration with a Premiership football club and a national football league in connection with the development and roll-out of a consumer-facing mobile app