Freshfields advised Japan Tobacco (JT) on its joint venture with Altria Group to market and commercialize heated tobacco stick (“HTS”) products in the United States. Upon the authorization of the pre-market tobacco application, the joint venture will be the exclusive vehicle for the marketing and commercialization in the US of current and future HTS products owned by both parties. The joint venture will have the rights to the use of JT’s Ploom brand and Altria’s Marlboro brand in connection with the commercialization of HTS products in the US. The transaction was announced on October 27, 2022. JT and Altria also entered into a long-term, non-binding global partnership to explore commercial opportunities for a wide range of potentially reduced-risk products. More information on the transaction is available here.

The Freshfields Team was led by Partners Paul Humphreys and Sebastian Fain, Senior Associate Vinita Sithapathy and Associate Sofia Bernaciak on corporate and M&A matters; Partner Menachem Kaplan and Associate Daniel Spencer on IP matters; Partner Giles Pratt and Associates Rohan Jerath and Jake Allingan on service, supply and manufacturing arrangements; Partner Claude Stansbury and Counsel Dennis Caracristi on tax matters; Partner Bruce McCulloch and Counsel Angela Landry on antitrust and competition matters; and Counsel Stephanie Brown Cripps and Associate Andrew Bulovsky on compliance matters.