Cleary Gottlieb has advised tyremaker Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company on the $701 million sale of its Dunlop brand to Japan's Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), which was represented by A&O Shearman.
This deal covers the Dunlop brand and its trademarks across Europe, North America, and Oceania, and marks a significant development in the global tyre industry. It allows SRI to consolidate the Dunlop brand under its control worldwide, while Goodyear continues to streamline its strategic portfolio.
As part of the agreement, Goodyear will continue to sell Dunlop-branded consumer tyres in Europe until at least Dec. 31, 2025, paying royalties to SRI. The deal also includes provisions for Goodyear to supply certain Dunlop-branded tyres to SRI in Europe for five years and to license back the Dunlop trademarks for truck tyres in Europe long-term.
A&O Shearman's deal team advising SRI was led by M&A partner Karl Pires and senior associate Rena Katsuyama, supported by associates Yukiko Nakazawa and Kazuki Fujita. The team also included partners JB Betker, Ryan Bray, Claire Toumieux, Matthew Readings, Kana Morimura, and Jonathan Cheng, along with counsel Sylvain Petit and associates Eva Wang, Michael Buiteweg, and Nicolas Tselikas Bouzeau.
