October 2008
On October 22, 2008, Finmeccanica--Società per azioni, Italy's largest aerospace and defense company and a world leader in the aerospace, defense, and security industry,successfully completed its acquisition of DRS Technologies, Inc., a leading supplier of integrated defense electronics products, services, and support, in a transaction valued at US$5.2 billion. The Arnold & Porter LLP team, led by partners Jeffrey Smith and Sarah Kahn, served as lead counsel for Finmeccanica, assisting in numerous aspects of the transaction, including corporate and securities, US and foreign regulatory approvals, government contracts, employee benefits and executive compensation, tax, intellectual property, export control, environmental, and real estate.
Arnold & Porter has particularly deep experience in complex transactions in regulated industries, where the breadth of the firm's regulatory practices complements its core mergers and acquisitions capabilities to provide strategic advice to the firm's clients. Arnold & Porter has completed transactions in such industries as government and defense contracting; financial services and banking; telecommunications; biotechnology and life sciences; and transportation. The firm has advised clients on corporate and regulatory aspects for many of the largest and most complex transactions of the last several years, including SBC's acquisition of AT&T, US Airways' merger with America West, Boston Scientific's acquisition of Guidant, BAE's acquisitions of Armor Holdings and United Defense Industries, and NASDAQ's acquisitions of both the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and the Boston Stock Exchange.