Amanda Hines
Gold

On October 25, 2024, Legal & General (“L&G”), one of the U.K.’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, announced its strategic investment in Taurus Investment Holdings, LLC (“Taurus”), a Boston‑based, global real estate private equity firm, alongside an initial commitment of up to $200 million in seed capital to multifamily real estate. Cravath is representing L&G in connection with the transaction.

On September 5, 2024, Verizon Communications Inc. and Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. (“Frontier”), the largest pure‑play fiber provider in the U.S., announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Verizon to acquire Frontier in an all‑cash transaction valued at $20 billion. Cravath is representing Frontier in connection with the transaction.

On July 9, 2024, Altus Group Limited (“Altus Group”), a leading provider of asset and fund intelligence for commercial real estate, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its global Property Tax business to Ryan, LLC (“Ryan”), a leading global tax services and software provider, for total cash consideration of C$700 million. In addition to the definitive agreement, Ryan has also committed to enter a C$15 million Altus Market Insights subscription agreement at the close of the transaction, with an initial three‑year term of C$5 million per year. Cravath is representing Altus Group as U.S. counsel in connection with the transaction.

On May 28, 2024, United States Cellular Corporation (“UScellular”) announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its wireless operations and select spectrum assets to T‑Mobile for a purchase price of $4.4 billion, including a combination of cash and up to approximately $2 billion of assumed debt. Under the terms of the agreement, T‑Mobile will acquire UScellular’s wireless operations and approximately 30% of its spectrum assets across several spectrum bands. In addition, T‑Mobile will enter into a new master license agreement with UScellular on more than 2,000 towers. The agreement follows a thorough strategic review process announced in August 2023 and has been unanimously recommended by the independent directors of UScellular and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors of UScellular. Cravath is representing the independent directors of UScellular in connection with the transaction.

On May 7, 2024, Ashland Inc. (“Ashland”), a global additives and specialty ingredients company, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its nutraceuticals business to Turnspire Capital Partners LLC. Cravath is representing Ashland in connection with the transaction.

On August 21, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “Texas Federal Court Invalidates FTC’s Noncompete Ban Nationwide.” The memo examines the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas’s recent opinion and order setting aside the Federal Trade Commission’s new final rule banning all noncompete agreements with employees and preventing its implementation nationwide.

On April 25, 2024, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “FTC Adopts Rule “Banning” Non‑Compete Clauses with Workers.” The memo examines the Federal Trade Commission’s recently adopted final rule broadly deeming non‑compete clauses with “workers” to be an “unfair method of competition” under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. The memo outlines how the final rule does not necessarily constitute a ban on non‑compete clauses, potential legal challenges to the final rule and expected future enforcement. The memo concludes with recommendations for companies to consider to ensure they are in position to adapt to the changing landscape.

Amanda Gold is a partner in the Executive Compensation and Benefits Department at Cravath. In the Season 7 premiere of On Tax, she and fellow Cravath partner and host Len Teti talk about beginning her legal career in Arizona and how she became interested in her current tax-adjacent practice. Amanda also discusses her decision to move to New York and join Cravath.

On November 7, 2023, Cravath prepared a memo for its clients entitled “New York Passes Law Restricting Scope of Employee IP Assignment Agreements.” The memo examines the new Section 203-f of the New York Labor Law recently signed by Governor Hochul, which renders unenforceable assignment provisions with respect to certain inventions in employment agreements. The memo outlines what types of agreements the law renders unenforceable, its exceptions, the consequences of violating the law, notice requirements and next steps for employers to consider.

On September 22, 2023, Cravath partners Eric W. Hilfers, Amanda Hines Gold, Jonathan J. Katz and Matthew J. Bobby were named to Lawdragon’s 2024 list of “500 Leading Corporate Employment Lawyers” in recognition of their work advising clients on executive compensation and benefits matters. The list recognizes the “unsurpassed experts who try to keep the balance between Corporate America and its workers.”