Morrison Foerster Advises SoftBank on its $5.375 Billion Acquisition of ABB’s Robotics Business

Morrison Foerster (“MoFo”) has advised SoftBank Group Corp. (“SoftBank”) on its agreement with ABB Ltd (“ABB”), to acquire ABB’s robotics business for US $5.375 billion.

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation, and its robotics arm will become a subsidiary of SoftBank as a result of the acquisition. The acquisition was announced on October 8, 2025, and is expected to close in mid-to-late 2026, subject to customary regulatory approvals including in the European Union, China, and the United States, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

MoFo’s global deal team was led by Ken Siegel, Tokyo Office Managing Partner and head of the Tokyo M&A team, the firm’s global co-chair of M&A Gary Brown, corporate partner Stuart Alford and of counsel Luke Rowland. Intellectual property advice was provided by partners Aya Eguchi and Masato Hayakawa, tax advice by partner Matthew Lau; employment advice by partner Annabel Gillham; and regulatory advice by partners Marie-Claire Strawbridge, Felix Helmstaedter, Charles Capito and Kerry Jones.