Latham Advises Cosmobilis on Acquisition of Commercial Rights to the FIA World Rally Championship and the FIA European Rally Championship

Latham & Watkins has advised Cosmobilis, a leading European automotive technology and services platform, on the acquisition, alongside private credit investor Park Square Capital, of the commercial rights to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) and the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC), two of motorsport’s most prestigious championships.

The ambition is to establish the WRC and ERC among the world's leading global sports properties, expanding their global audiences and unlocking new commercial opportunities in more than 30 countries.

The Latham team was led by Paris corporate partner Alexander Crosthwaite, with Hamburg counsel Jacob Fontaine, Paris associates Blaise Olympio and Pauline Sassard, and Hamburg associates Katarina Fröschle and Astrid Preuss.

Advice on sports, media, IP, and commercial contracts matters relating to the WRC and ERC was provided by a team led by Paris partner Jean-Luc Juhan, with associate Daniel Martel.

Advice was also provided on finance matters by Paris partner Lionel Dechmann and Frankfurt partner Sibylle Münch, with Paris counsel Aurélien Lorenzi, Paris associates Bruna Neiva Cardante and Hugo Rivière and Munich associates Thomas Stüber and Jannis Strotmann; on antitrust matters by Hamburg partner Jana Dammann de Chapto, with Brussels associate Friederike Hammwöhner; and on tax matters by Hamburg partner Tobias Klass and Munich partner Ulf Kieker, with Munich counsel Daniel Hiemer, and Hamburg associate Henning Kleymann.