Bruce Goldner

For many years, Mr. Goldner served as head of the firm’s New York office, co-head of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Technology Group, and chair of the New York office’s Diversity Committee. He currently serves as a chair of Skadden’s firmwide Pro Bono Committee.

Intellectual Property Transactions and Licensing

Significant intellectual property transactions of Mr. Goldner have included:

• Tom Ford International and its licensing affiliate in the $2.8 billion sale of the TOM FORD fashion brand and related intellectual property to Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
• JAB Holdings in its acquisitions of Dr. Pepper Snapple, Insomnia Cookies, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, Peet’s Coffee & Tea and Panera Bread, and in related commercial agreements
• Peet’s Coffee in its acquisition of Stumptown Coffee Roasters and acquisition of a majority stake in Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea, and in Peet’s licensing of its first-ever international coffee bar in Shanghai, China
• Coty Inc. in its long-term strategic relationships with Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian to expand their beauty businesses
• Waldencast Acquisition Corp. in its business combination with Obagi Clinical Skin Care Products and Milk Makeup, and related intellectual property supply and distribution agreements
• The Coca-Cola Company in its worldwide strategic partnership with Monster Beverage Corporation and its acquisitions of Energy Brands/Glaceau (the producer of Smartwater and Vitaminwater) and Honest Tea
• Du Pont in its:
  • $130 billion merger with the Dow Chemical Company and the separation of Dow DuPont into three independent public companies
  • $45.4 billion reverse spin-off and merger of its Nutrition & Biosciences business with International Flavors & Fragrances
  • spin-off of its performance chemicals business into a separate, publicly traded company called The Chemours Company
  • $4.9 billion sale of its high-performance coating business to The Carlyle Group
  • $6.3 billion acquisition of Danisco A/S, a global manufacturer of food ingredients
  • sale of its pharmaceutical business to Bristol-Myers Squibb for $7.8 billion; and in related manufacture, supply, distribution, technology and services agreements
• The Hershey Company in its acquisition of SkinnyPop popcorn
• Kraft Foods in its separation into the Mondelēz snack foods (e.g., Oreo, Cadbury) and Kraft grocery businesses (e.g., Kool-Aid, Kraft cheese), and in related brand separation and cross-licensing matters
• Twenty-First Century Fox in its $66 billion acquisition by the Walt Disney Company and related licensing and technology arrangements
• Shamrock Capital in its acquisition of the masters and other rights to Taylor Swift’s first six albums
• Blackstone Group in the $1 billion sale of its 50% stake in Universal Studios Orlando theme parks to NBC Universal, and in connection with the licensing by Universal Studios theme park of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter attraction and The Simpsons ride
• Inversiones de Guatemala, the largest rum producer in Guatemala, in its joint venture with Diageo in which Diageo purchased a 50% stake in the premium “Ron Zacapa” branded rum and corresponding product recipes, and entered into international licensing and distribution agreements with respect to this product
• Donna Karan in its sale to LVMH for $450 million, including the assignment and license of trademark and personal name rights relating to the DONNA KARAN persona, name and marks
• Gucci in the formation of a joint venture with Stella McCartney, including the assignment and license of trademark and other intellectual property rights relating to the STELLA MCCARTNEY name and fashion designs

Intellectual Property Clearance, Prosecution, Administrative Proceedings and Litigation

Mr. Goldner assists clients in obtaining, protecting and enforcing brands, trade secrets and content in the United States and abroad, including clearance, prosecution, trademark administrative proceedings, policing, and providing general brand and content counseling. He also has represented clients in trademark infringement, trademark dilution, technology licensing, trade secret misappropriation, unfair competition, false adverting, and copyright infringement disputes and lawsuits; in domain name administrative proceedings; and in social media and mobile application challenges and takedowns.

In recognition of his extensive pro bono work assisting nonprofit organizations with intellectual property matters, Mr. Goldner was honored by the Lawyers Alliance for New York with a 2022 Cornerstone Award. He has been repeatedly selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and named a Star (in both IP and Transactions) by Managing Intellectual Property, which also recognized him as a finalist for Practitioner of the Year in its IP Transactions category in 2024. Mr. Goldner also has been selected to the WTR 1000 by World Trademark Review as a leading U.S. and worldwide trademark practitioner, as well as named to Intellectual Asset Management’s IAM Patent 1000, where he is described as a “master at executing a deep dive into target and competitor portfolios, formulating strategies, structuring deals and successfully negotiating them.” Additionally, he has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America in the Litigation — Intellectual Property category.