查看中文 The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (HKEX) and Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) have announced a temporary relaxation of the minimum market capitalization requirements for Specialist Technology Company...more
On January 24, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted new final rules relating to special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”). The new rules affect both initial public offerings (“IPOs”) for...more
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati’s 2023 Mid-Year Technology and Life Sciences PIPE and RDO Report presents analysis related to 87 private investments in public equity (PIPEs) and registered direct offerings (RDOs) by...more
I. SPAC and de-SPAC Background - A special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, is a public company with no operations, products, or assets. Unlike a traditional public company’s initial public offering (IPO), a SPAC’s...more
With SPAC IPOs virtually gone but SPAC mergers (aka de-SPACs) continuing at a steady pace since the beginning of the year, the questions around getting a deal done boil down to the following: How and where can companies get...more
In this inaugural issue of the 2022 Technology and Life Sciences PIPE Report, we present analysis related to 108 private investments in public equity (PIPEs) by U.S.-based technology and life sciences companies between...more
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was signed into law on August 16, 2022, enacted a new 1% excise tax on certain repurchases of the stock of publicly traded corporations, codified in Section 4501 of the Internal...more
As part of their growth strategy, private biotech and pharmaceutical companies often seek to raise capital through initial public offerings (IPOs). In addition to raising capital, an IPO can give a life sciences company a...more
Key Points - The first half of 2022 experienced a slowdown in SPAC activity when compared to recent years. Only 77 de-SPAC M&A deals were announced in the first half of 2022, compared to 167 de-SPAC transactions in the same...more
On September 6, investment advisory firm Perceptive Advisors LLC (Perceptive) agreed to a cease-and-desist order with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for failing to disclose alleged conflicts of interest...more
In March 2022, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed sweeping new rules to regulate the disclosures and liabilities associated special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). The proposing release is available...more
About 600 SPAC market participants came together June 15-16 to discuss latest developments, trends, worries, and innovations at the annual SPAC Conference organized by DealFlow Events....more
Plenty has changed since January 2022, when we last examined developing trends in the SPAC market. Since then, the macroeconomic environment shifted dramatically due to rising inflation, increasing interest rates, and the war...more
A Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) is a blank-check company formed for the purpose of effecting a business combination with one or more businesses. While SPACs are not new, they have recently increased in...more
The special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) market has begun to cool, and with that, private investment in public equity (PIPE) transactions, a financing tool used to facilitate de-SPAC transactions, have also encountered...more
Takeaways - While the SPAC IPO and PIPE markets were challenging in 2021, the enormous amounts of capital already raised should drive merger activity in 2022. As more shareholders choose to redeem shares and potential...more
Takeaways - Greater China companies operating in any industry can now obtain secondary listings in Hong Kong, provided they meet market capitalization minimums. Recent Listing Rules amendments also allow some companies...more
Last year was nothing short of a rollercoaster ride for the SPAC market. While SPACs have long been a feature of financial markets, 2021 began with explosive growth in new listings, followed by a rapid cool-off in the second...more
Takeaways - The record level of M&A in 2021 was widely dispersed across industries and was driven by the strategic needs of companies to add technology and adapt to the pandemic, and was supported by strong markets. ...more
Takeaways - German technology and mid-cap growth companies may find a combination with a U.S. SPAC appealing, but must prepare to meet public capital market requirements. Arranging adequate PIPE funding is crucial to...more
In a long-anticipated decision, the Delaware Court of Chancery answered several pending questions regarding the treatment of special purpose acquisition company (“SPAC”) sponsors and directors under Delaware corporate law. In...more
The SPAC market has withstood many challenges throughout 2021, including softening of the private investment in public equity (PIPE) market for a majority of the year after a very robust first quarter for initial business...more
What could Aristotle possibly have to say about SPACs? In remarks on Thursday before the Healthy Markets Association, SEC Chair Gary Gensler shared his thoughts on the regulation of SPACs with a theme drawn from antiquity:...more
In the early stages of the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) boom, an abundance of IPO, PIPE (private investment in public equity) and other equity proceeds available to fund acquisitions meant that SPAC sponsors...more
The global private equity (PE) industry is scorching hot. Pent-up demand for deals was unleashed in H2 2020 following a brief hiatus as the COVID-19 pandemic sent economies all over the world into lockdown. As we head towards...more