The $2.3B Acquisition That Almost Fell Apart
A Canadian tech giant wanted to acquire a German AI startup, but regulatory roadblocks in three jurisdictions threatened to kill the deal. We had about six weeks to make it work or watch millions in prep costs evaporate.
The Challenge
German antitrust authorities flagged potential market concentration issues. Meanwhile, Canadian regulators wanted more data security guarantees, and the EU's foreign investment screening process was backing up. The client was bleeding money on due diligence teams sitting idle.
Our Approach
We coordinated parallel track submissions across all three jurisdictions instead of the usual sequential approach. Our IP team structured the deal to carve out contested patents into a separate licensing agreement, which removed the antitrust concerns while protecting the acquirer's interests.
The Outcome
Deal closed in 41 days - three weeks ahead of the revised deadline. All regulatory approvals secured without material conditions. The licensing structure we created actually improved the client's negotiating position and saved them an estimated $47M in tax liabilities over five years.
"Honestly, I thought we were toast. Aetherion Vexora didn't just save the deal - they fundamentally restructured it in ways that made it better than our original plan. That's not legal work, that's strategic partnership."
— Sarah Chen, Chief Strategy Officer