Covington & Burling LLP represented Microsoft Corp. in the $4.5 billion winning bid in the auction of Nortel Networks Corporation’s 6000 patents and patent applications. A consortium of Microsoft and several other technology companies will share Nortel’s 4G wireless, data networking, optical, voice, Internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patent portfolios.

The sale is subject to applicable United States and Canadian court approvals. Nortel plans to work diligently with the consortium to close the sale in the third quarter of 2011.

The Covington team was led by Benjamin Hoch and Nigel Howard. Also advising on the transaction were Martin Beeler (bankruptcy), Jessica Milner, Christopher Beals and Grant Young (intellectual property and technology), Lars Kjølbye, Robert Cox, Miranda Cole and Thomas Weck (EU competition), and Robert Heller (tax).