Cutting-Edge Wavepool Company Completes Acquisition
Key Facts
- Kelly Slater Wave Co. has developed a system to generate “the perfect wave”
- The company’s technology is the only wave-generation technology to host world-class competitions
- The World Surf League hosts over 150 professional and amateur surf contests per year
The Situation
Kelly Slater Wave Co., a cutting-edge company that engineers open-barrel man-made waves, sought Mintz’s representation when they were acquired by World Surf League Holdings, LLC. The transaction well positions the company to build and deploy its wave pools and wave generation technology throughout the world and for sanctioned competitive surfing events.
The Approach
A large and varied Mintz team assisted Kelly Slater, one of the world’s greatest surfers, in completing the sale of Kelly Slater Wave Co. to World Surf League Holdings, LLC. This was a complex transaction, with corporate attorneys leading the deal and transaction strategy; patent and trademark attorneys guiding the acquirer’s lawyers through their due diligence; Antitrust attorneys providing valuable analysis; and Tax attorneys serving as key resources in difficult tax structuring. And it involved various issues related to employment, environmental, real estate, and insurance matters.
The Outcome
The initial transaction was a culmination of representation Kelly Slater Wave Co. from the start — over 10 years ago. Mintz continues to represent the company on all of its intellectual property matters, including worldwide patent and trademark protection. Recently, the firm has garnered additional patent allowances for the client in the United States, Europe, and Australia, and we are pursuing an even broader international strategy to include Japan, Brazil, and other surf-centric countries.
Supporting Professionals
A national cross-practice Mintz team, including IP Member Jim Cleary and corporate Member Jeremy Glaser, guided Kelly Slater Wave Co. through the transaction and continue to advise the client on trademark matters.
