Companies must mitigate risks to antitrust privilege posed by cross-border megadeals and increased regulatory demand for documentation.
A strong M&A market has driven a high volume of megadeals across the globe in recent...more
10/29/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Cross-Border Transactions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Jurisdiction ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agencies ,
Risk Management ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
Buyers’ best defence against M&A fraud requires rigorous, pre-closing due diligence — when fraud is suspected, deal teams should seek legal advice and proceed with caution.
Recent high-profile fraud cases gravely...more
10/29/2019
/ Accounting Fraud ,
Acquisitions ,
Auditors ,
Contract Terms ,
Due Diligence ,
Forensic Accounting ,
Fraud ,
Limitation of Liability Clause ,
Mergers ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Representations and Warranties ,
Risk Management ,
UK
Adherence to secrecy, pre-announcement preparations, realistic expectations-setting, and strategic plans for taking control are keys to P2P deal success.
The deal market has seen a resurgence in public to private (P2P)...more
Companies previously considered immune from activist campaigns have come under pressure, driving new public and private deal opportunities for private equity.
US shareholder activists are an established presence in Europe....more
6/25/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
Complex Corporate Transactions ,
Corporate Governance ,
EU ,
Financial Sponsors ,
Mergers ,
Private Equity ,
Privately Held Corporations ,
Publicly-Traded Companies ,
Shareholder Activism ,
Shareholders ,
Short Selling ,
UK
In recent years, China has taken significant steps in developing its environmental policy. In 2014, China’s Premier Li Keqiang declared a “war on pollution”, which began in earnest in 2017....more
Warranty and indemnity insurance (W&I) has become a common feature of European transactions in recent years, amid a strong sellers’ market that has enabled vendors to offload risk to buyers. According to the most recent...more
As the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) prepares to assume sole jurisdiction for UK competition reviews post-Brexit, M&A deal teams must evaluate the competitive consequences of deals bridging the Brexit period and...more
1/11/2019
/ EU ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Jurisdiction ,
Member State ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Risk Management ,
Strategic Planning ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
This year has seen a significant number of business failures, particularly on the high street, as businesses have struggled in the face of market fragility and Brexit uncertainty. When a UK company is underperforming, the...more
In June 2018, the UK adopted new powers to review certain technology related deals on national security grounds, extending the scope and breadth of its control regime to those that concern computing hardware, or quantum...more
1/11/2019
/ Acquisitions ,
CFIUS ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Emerging Technology Companies ,
EU ,
FIRRMA ,
Foreign Investment ,
Germany ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
National Security ,
Technology Sector ,
UK ,
UK Brexit ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The revised Code clarifies requirements for accountability, workforce engagement, and board diversity.
Key Points:
..The revised Code focuses on the application of flexible Principles on a “comply or explain”...more
Growing economic nationalism is threatening to impact M&A across Europe, as governments and regulators take an increasing interest in “foreign” acquisitions of nationally important companies. Deal teams have previously...more
Dealmakers’ appetite for transactions involving publicly listed companies remains strong — 2016 saw an increase in deal volume, a trend which continues into 2017. However, deals remain challenging, partly due to limitations...more
Overseas direct investment by Chinese companies increased significantly in 2016 to US$212 billion, a 143% increase from 2015. While outbound M&A interest remains strong in China, recent measures taken by the Chinese...more
Changes to FCA Listing Rules increase requirements for delisting a premium listed company with a controlling shareholder.
On 1 May 2014, the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced changes to Listing Rule 5,...more