Freshfields is representing German publishing powerhouse Axel Springer SE (“Axel Springer”) on its proposed acquisition of Allbritton, LLC (“Allbritton”). The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2021, subject to regulatory and other approvals and conditions. More information about the transaction can be found here.

The Freshfields team is led by corporate M&A partner John Fisher and associates Paul Gray, Anne Powderly and Devony Schmidt; regulatory advice is provided by partners Aimen Mir, Bruce McCulloch, Frank Roehling, Maria Dreher, CFIUS advisor Colin Costello and Special Counsel Christine Laciak; partner Mena Kaplan, counsel Brock Dahl and associate Daniel Spencer are advising on intellectual property, data privacy, and cyber security; partner Lori Goodman and associate Jordan Salzman are advising on employment and pensions; and partner Claude Stansbury and associate David Mitchell are advising on tax.

Through its proposed acquisition of Allbritton, Axel Springer will acquire news media source POLITICO, as well as tech news website Protocol and the remaining 50 percent of its current joint venture POLITICO Europe. Axel Springer and POLITICO have been joint venture partners since 2014, when they launched POLITICO Europe, which has since become a key source of information in the EU.

Over its 15-year history, POLITICO has emerged as one of the world’s most influential news sources. Axel Springer is the largest digital publishing house in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands such as Bild, Die Welt and Fakt, and is active in more than 40 countries.