K&L Gates and Fox Rothschild advised on JVCKENWOOD Corporation’s acquisition of ESChat.

JVCKENWOOD Corporation, a Japanese communications and electronics company, completed its acquisition of 100% of the outstanding shares of San Luis Aviation, Inc., the California-based provider of ESChat, a broadband Push-to-Talk (PTT) platform used across a range of communications environments, including the public safety sector.

Following receipt of all required regulatory approvals, ESChat became a consolidated subsidiary of JVCKENWOOD. The acquisition supports JVCKENWOOD’s strategy to optimise its business portfolio and accelerate its expansion into the hybrid communications domain by integrating broadband Push-to-Talk technology with professional radio systems, particularly for the North American public safety market.

K&L Gates LLP advised JVCKENWOOD Corporation on the U.S. legal aspects of the acquisition.

The team was led by Seattle partner Adam Heyd and associate Mark Lively with assistance from Washington, DC partner Guillermo Christensen, Washington, DC associate Brian Hopkins, Seattle partners Karrie Johnson Diaz, Catherine Smith, Mark Wittow, Whitney McCollum, Rob Starin, and Johnny Carlson, along with Seattle associates Kali Peeples, Rachel Morowitz, and Scott Launius, and Palo Alto associate Alaina Bailey.

Fox Rothschild advised ESChat on its sale to JVCKENWOOD.

The corporate deal team was led by Felix J. Kushnir and Marilyn W. Sonnie, with assistance from Nevena Simidjiyska, John G. Hodnette, Jonathan Dolgin, Jamal Wilson, and William C. Schroeder.