Expert Analysis

• 'EU Inc.' Proposal Offers Startups Flexibility But With Limits

  

  While the European Commission’s recent proposal for a single corporate framework across the European Union should offer a seamless and more accessible structure for high-growth businesses, seemingly minor variations complicate deal structuring and give rise to legal uncertainty in practice, says Mathieu de Korvin at Alkeom.

• New FDI Regs Signal Major Changes For M&A Deals In EU

  

  The European Parliament’s recent adoption of the new foreign direct investment regulation represents a major shift from the European Union's current regime, replacing a voluntary fragmented system with a mandatory baseline for screening and introducing procedural requirements that will bring greater consistency across member states, say lawyers at Covington.

• EU Merger Overhaul Gives New Weight To Deal Efficiencies

  

  The European Commission’s recently published draft merger guidelines mark a recalibration rather than a revolution, yet by elevating efficiencies to a central pillar of assessment they signal a deliberate pivot to innovation and investment, say lawyers at Slaughter and May.

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  Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

• How UK Security Act Plans Will Affect Foreign Investors

  

  The U.K. government's recently proposed changes to the scope of National Security and Investment Act transaction screening for foreign investment in sectors including communications, data infrastructure and energy should create a more proportionate, predictable and targeted regime, say lawyers at Skadden.

• UK Stock Exchange Changes Ease Path For Foreign Issuers

  

  Following the Financial Times Stock Exchange Russell's recent eligibility change aligning free float requirements for foreign and non-U.K. issuers, advisers to those considering a London listing should also assess index suitability, say lawyers at Debevoise.

• Darchem Ruling Clarifies Status Of JV Members' Solo Claims

  

  The High Court’s recent decision in Darchem Engineering v. Bouygues on whether individual members of an unincorporated joint venture can pursue claims against an employer provides a helpful road map for considering a JV's standing, and a reminder of the importance of contract construction, say lawyers at Squire Patton.

• Lessons From Spain's Decision Not To Enforce UK Judgment

  

  In a recent ruling, a Barcelona court refused to recognize a €365 million U.K. judgment against Cerberus Capital, showing that a foreign decision may be sound, final and enforceable in its own jurisdiction, yet still be refused entry where it threatens to displace a dispute already before the Spanish courts, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square.

• How New EU Third-Country Branch Rules Will Affect UK Banks

  

  The European Union's new directive on third-country branch rules for non-EU banks will have a significant impact on U.K. banks, which will no longer be permitted to provide core cross-border services into the EU without a local presence, unless an applicable exemption or carveout applies, say lawyers at Farrer & Co.

• CMA's 5-Point Plan Signals Shift In Enforcement Priorities

  

  The Competition and Markets Authority’s recently published annual plan is notable for a strong shift toward prioritizing U.K. enforcement of consumer protection laws, encouraging innovation and policing public procurement markets for anticompetitive conduct, which contrasts with previous plans that focused on competition in digital markets, complex merger review and sustainability, say lawyers at Cooley.

• Assessing The Significance Of Australia-EU's Free Trade Deal

  

  The recently concluded Australia-European Union free trade agreement could be a springboard for a more ambitious initiative bringing together the EU and the economies of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a critical mass capable of shaping norms across subsidies, sustainability disciplines and competition policy, says Alan Yanovich at Akin Gump.

• What CMA Blog Reveals About Pricing Collusion Scrutiny

  

  The Competition and Markets Authority's recent blog post announcing capabilities to screen for algorithmic collusion demonstrates that the regulator's concerns are crystallizing into enhanced investigative and enforcement actions, broadening the range of commercial arrangements at risk of antitrust scrutiny, say lawyers at Freshfields.

• What Brazil's Adequacy Status Will Mean For EU Data Flow

  

  The European Commission’s recent historic decision to grant full adequacy status to Brazil for personal data transfers removes a significant compliance burden for organizations and offers an opportunity to simplify transfer mechanisms, positioning Brazil as a major gateway for EU-Latin America data flows, say lawyers at Gibson Dunn.

• New Foreign Bribery Guide Can Help Int'l Cos. Identify Risks

  

  In light of growing global coordination on anti-bribery enforcement, the International Foreign Bribery Taskforce’s recent guide to foreign bribery indicators represents a step forward in the standardization of factors for evaluating corruption risks that multinational companies should consider, say lawyers at Paul Weiss.

• How UK Gov't Proposes To Streamline CMA Regime

  

  The Department for Business and Trade’s planned overhaul of the Competition Market Authority’s regime will introduce a series of targeted procedural changes aimed at improving efficiency and engagement, raising questions around procedural safeguards and jurisdictional thresholds, say lawyers at Baker Botts.