M&A activity in 2023 was subdued, as dealmakers grappled with geopolitical tensions, inflation, rising interest rates, and increasing regulatory scrutiny, against a backdrop of general economic uncertainty. Challenges in the...more
1/4/2024
/ Antitrust Division ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Big Tech ,
California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) ,
CFIUS ,
Data Security ,
Economic Sanctions ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Subsidies ,
Hart-Scott-Rodino Act ,
Horizontal Mergers ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Shareholder Activism ,
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) ,
UK ,
Vertical Mergers
On 13 November 2023, the UK government launched a Call for Evidence in relation to the operation of the UK National Security and Investment Act 2021 (the ‘NSIA’), inviting interested stakeholders to provide feedback on the...more
On July 11, 2023, the UK’s Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (“FIRS”) became law. As part of the National Security Act 2023, FIRS requires registration of arrangements intended to influence UK politics at the direction of...more
As the UK’s investment screening regime starts to bed down following over a year of being in effect, we have been tracking the developments in the last quarter relevant to the operation of the regime. It has been a tumultuous...more
5/1/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
BEIS ,
CFIUS ,
Collaboration ,
Cybersecurity ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investors ,
Minerals ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Telecommunications ,
UK
On 8 February 2023, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced his government’s decision to restructure the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), splitting it into a number of separate departments....more
On 18 November 2022, the UK government announced a decision to require the divestment of an 86% stake in one of the UK’s largest semiconductor plants, Newport Wafer Fab (NWF), held by Dutch-incorporated, but ultimately...more
It has now been just over six months since the UK’s national security regime came into effect under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 (NSIA), enabling the UK Government to review and intervene in a variety of...more
Last week saw the first publicly disclosed uses by the UK Government of its new and expansive powers to investigate deals on national security grounds under the National Security and Investment Act (“NSIA”), which came into...more
5/31/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investigations ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Risk Assessment ,
Secretary of State ,
Strategic Planning ,
UK ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The National Security Investment Act 2021 (the “Act”) came into effect on 4 January 2022 and introduced a new UK investment screening regime focused on national security risks (the “NSI Regime”). It is similar to the...more