Morrison Foerster is advising Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ: RIVN) in the intended formation of an equally controlled and owned joint venture (JV) with Volkswagen Group (XETRA: VOW / VWO3) to create next generation software-defined vehicle (SDV) platforms to be used in both companies’ future electric vehicles.
The intended partnership is anticipated to accelerate the development of software for Rivian and Volkswagen Group. It would be expected to allow both companies to combine their complementary strengths and lower cost per vehicle by increasing scale and speeding up innovation globally. Rivian’s proven in-market zonal hardware design and integrated technology platform are expected to serve as the foundation for future SDV development in the JV. Both companies aim to launch vehicles benefiting from the technology created within the joint venture in the second half of the decade.
The MoFo team is being led by Palo Alto corporate partners Mike Krigbaum and Shiri Shenhav, and San Francisco technology transactions partners Tessa Schwartz and Aaron Rubin. Significant antitrust advice is being provided by Berlin of counsel Jens Hackl, and Washington, D.C. partner Jeff Jaeckel and associate Evan Harris, with tax advice in Berlin provided by partner Dr. Jens Uwe Hinder, and senior associate Dr. Jenny Broekmann-Friese. Palo Also corporate associates Katherine Suzuki and Ophir Gam, and Palo Alto technology transactions associate Daisuke Alexander Gatanaga, are also involved.
Read the press release.