Latham & Watkins Advises John Deere in Acquisition of Bear Flag Robotics

Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bear Flag Robotics for US$250 million. Founded in 2017, the Silicon Valley-based startup develops autonomous driving technology compatible with existing machines. The deal accelerates the development and delivery of automation and autonomy on the farm and supports John Deere's long-term strategy to create smarter machines with advanced technology to support individual customer needs.

Latham & Watkins LLP represents John Deere in the transaction with a corporate deal team led by Bay Area partners Tad Freese and Mark Bekheit and Chicago associates Jake Wasserman and Gabe Pugel. Advice was also provided on benefits and compensation matters by Bay Area partner Jay Metz, with associate James Robinson; on intellectual property matters by Bay Area partner Tony Klein, with associates Amy Dippolito and Erica Chae; on tax matters by Bay Area partner Grace Lee, with associate Derek Gumm; on antitrust matters by Bay Area partner Kelly Fayne, with associate Evan Omi; on data privacy matters by Bay Area counsel Robert Blamires, with associate Samantha Maerz-Boening.