MONTHLY ROUND-UP Microsoft has appointed Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as lead adviser on its $68.7 billion deal to acquire games publisher Activision Blizzard. Simpson Thacher will also work with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom on the deal. According to a court document, Qatar Airways is seeking over $600 million in compensation from Airbus over surface flaws on its A350 jetliners. SIMPSON THACHER APPOINTED LEAD ADVISER ON $70 BILLIONMICROSOFT - ACTIVISION DEAL QATARAIRWAYS SEEKSOVER $600MILLION INAIRBUS A350DISPUTE Prosecutors said that the founder of the nowdefunct medical startup had knowingly lied about Theranos’ technology, which she claimed could detect diseases with just a few drops of blood. The jury found Holmes guilty of four charges, including conspiracy to commit fraud against investors, and three counts of wire fraud. In total, Holmes faced 11 charges but was found not guilty of four charges relating to defrauding the public. She denied the charges, each carrying a The company is also asking judges in the UK to order Airbus to suspend the delivery of any of the jets until the alleged design defects have been rectified. of lightning protection. Qatar Airways says it has been ordered to stop flying 21 of its 53 A350 jets as issues arose, thus prompting the ongoing dispute with Airbus. Qatar Airways is calling for $618 million in contractual compensation over the partial grounding it has experienced. Additionally, the airline is seeking $4 million for each day the 21 jets remain out of action. Qatar Airways’ claim also maximum prison term of 20 years. Founded in 2003, Theranos had promised to revolutionise the healthcare industry and, at one point, reached a valuation of $9 billion. However, the company’s claims quickly began to fall apart after a 2015 Wall Street Journal investigation reported that Theranos had been widely overstating the capabilities of its blood-testing technology. Holmes is due to be sentenced on 26 September. LM Qatar Airways and Airbus have been in dispute for several months over damages including blistered paint, cracked window frames and erosion of a layer includes $76 million for a single 5-year-old A350 that was set to be repainted for the 2022 World Cup. The aircraft has allegedly been parked in France for a year requiring 980 repair patches after gaps in the lightning shield were exposed by the aborted paint job. Airbus said in a statement that, while it acknowledges technical problems, there are no safety issues with the jets. LM 6 WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | FEB 2022
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