The 17th amendment to the German Foreign Trade and Payment Ordinance ("AWV") adopted by the federal government on April 27, 2021, included—compared to the original draft—a number of changes relevant to M&A transactions with a...more
The changes will expand the notification requirements for tech-related transactions significantly.
The German federal government published a draft 17th amendment to the Foreign Trade and Payment Ordinance ("AWV"), which is...more
This Jones Day Global Merger Control Update highlights significant changes in merger control regimes in 2020. In this Update, we review: (i) changes in Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Bulgaria, Ecuador, France, Germany,...more
2/1/2021
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
New Rules ,
Notification Requirements ,
Public Comment ,
Rulemaking Process ,
Vertical Mergers
The Development: The European Commission ("EC") recently released two long-awaited legislative proposals, the Digital Services Act ("DSA") and Digital Markets Act ("DMA"), that would significantly increase the EC's regulatory...more
Fortnite game maker Epic Games brings dispute with Apple to Australia, alleging "misuse of market power."
Epic Games, developer of the popular game Fortnite, filed proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia alleging...more
The Code Committee ("Code Committee") of the UK Takeover Panel ("Panel") has published a consultation paper proposing a number of amendments to the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers ("Code") which, if adopted, will mark a...more
The Development: The UK government has put before Parliament draft legislation introducing a new regime for governmental scrutiny and intervention in respect of investments that may pose a risk to national security in the...more
The UK Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") Final Report in the Market Study into Online Platforms and Digital Advertising proposes the creation of a new regulatory authority and additional regulations to govern the...more
The lowered threshold for foreign direct investments into France will apply to non-EU and non-EEA investors or to any investor fiscally domiciled outside the European Union and European Economic Area.
On July 23, 2020,...more
7/27/2020
/ EU ,
European Economic Area (EEA) ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
France ,
French Commercial Code ,
Investors ,
National Security ,
New Regulations ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Voting Rights
The Development: The EU General Court annulled the European Commission's decision in the Apple case, holding that the Commission did not prove that the Irish tax rulings in question gave rise to a selective advantage under EU...more
7/21/2020
/ Apple ,
BEPS ,
Corporate Taxes ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Fiat ,
Government Investigations ,
Member State ,
OECD ,
Popular ,
Starbucks ,
State Aid ,
Transfer Pricing ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
One effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been to accelerate the implementation of new or stricter controls on inward-bound foreign direct investment activity ("FDI"), particularly in the European Union. For example, in March...more
Proposed retroactive application could expose investments made as from June 2, 2020, to ex post scrutiny.
On June 2, 2020, the Dutch Government ("Government") announced that it plans to apply a proposed comprehensive...more
The Situation: The UK Government has expanded the scope of the UK's foreign direct investment ("FDI") screening controls to include businesses responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the UK has lowered the...more
On May 20, 2020, the German Federal government adopted the 15th amendment to the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance (AWV). The changes to the AWV will be effective shortly, after publication in the Federal Gazette....more
The Background: Manufacturers and brand owners of personal protective equipment ("PPE") and other "essential" items have discovered unauthorised third parties reselling their products at vastly inflated prices, including on...more
The European Commission recently issued COVID-19-related guidance, ahead of the entry into force of the new EU FDI screening mechanism in October 2020. Several member states have been tightening their national FDI regimes as...more
The new guidance encourages EU Member States to make full use of existing, and adopt new, investment screening mechanisms. Investments in the health care sector and related industries are likely to face increased scrutiny and...more
The Situation: The French government issued on December 31, 2019, new rules substantially revising the French Foreign Direct Investments ("FDI") regulation. These new provisions mostly implement the recent PACTE law and the...more
2/10/2020
/ Acquisitions ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Dual Use Goods ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
France ,
Ministry of Economy ,
National Security ,
New Regulations ,
New Rules ,
PACTE Act ,
Screening Procedures
Over the past few years, Germany has strengthened the AWV regime. In parallel, the relevance of Germany's foreign direct investment control investigations for M&A transactions involving non-EU investors has grown. Even...more
The United Kingdom is taking a careful look at potential direct investments by foreign entities. While the UK certainly works hard to attract investor interest, concerns relating to certain sectors can trigger government...more
This Jones Day Global Merger Control Update examines recent developments in merger control regimes, as well as anticipated changes to those regimes worldwide.
Merger control enforcement has continued to surge around the...more
4/19/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Corporate Counsel ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Global Market ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Joint Venture ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Size of Transaction Test ,
Threshold Requirements
In March 2019, the UK Competition and Markets Authority ("CMA") issued its first fine on a company for concealing relevant evidence during a dawn raid, fining Fender Musical Instruments Europe Limited £25,000. This is the...more
The UK Competition & Markets Authority ("CMA") issued its first order requiring parties to a completed merger to reverse pre-closing integration that the CMA believes prejudiced its ability to assess the deal's impact on...more
The Background: The automotive industry has achieved a number of technological advances aimed at developing connected cars, automated vehicles, and ultimately autonomous driving. These innovations are expected to pose a...more
9/7/2018
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Automotive Industry ,
Competition ,
Competition Authorities ,
Connected Cars ,
Cybersecurity ,
Driverless Cars ,
EU ,
FRAND ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Monopolization ,
Popular
The Background: The automotive industry has achieved a number of technological advances aimed at developing connected cars, automated vehicles, and ultimately autonomous driving. These innovations are expected to pose a...more
8/31/2018
/ Automotive Industry ,
Connected Cars ,
Driverless Cars ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
FRAND ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet of Things ,
IP License ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Safety Standards ,
Telecommunications