Addleshaw Goddard advised Airbus Defence & Space on its acquisition of Quarkslab

Addleshaw Goddard is advising Airbus Defence & Space on the completion of its acquisition of Quarkslab, a French cybersecurity company and developer of the QShield solution.

Announced in April 2026, Airbus Defence & Space’s acquisition of Quarkslab has now been completed following receipt of the required regulatory approvals. The transaction enables Airbus to strengthen its sovereign cybersecurity capabilities in France and Europe.

Founded in 2011, Quarkslab is a French cybersecurity company employing approximately 100 people, primarily based in Paris and Rennes. The company develops QShield, a solution designed for software publishers to protect their software against AI-related threats, as well as to safeguard their data and code.

Addleshaw Goddard’s Paris office is advising Airbus Group’s Defence & Space division on its acquisition of Quarkslab. A cross-practice team is involved. On the Airbus Defence & Space side, the team comprises Nicolas Maurin (M&A), Ulrike Pohler and Astrid Milcent (Legal). The Addleshaw Goddard involved Rémy Blain, Marie-Emilie Codina, Louis-Alexandre Montpeyroux and Marie Lambeau on corporate M&A; Michaël Cousin and Jugwal Doyen on competition, merger control and foreign investment control; Elisabeth Marrache and Gabrielle Pierre-Lenfant on IP/IT and data protection; and Neslihan Gabriel-Denizkurdu on real estate.