*Originally distributed on December 31, 2021 The second half of 2021 was an extraordinary time for Chinese companies seeking to list overseas, as well as for other relevant market participants. The Didi incident further deepened the anxiety and “mistrust” by US securities regulators on the risks associated with investing in China-based companies or that have … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights The boom in global M&A activity reached new heights in the third quarter of 2021, resulting in a record volume of global M&A through the first three quarters. M&A activity has surged on the back of pent-up demand for deals following the Covid-19 shutdown in the early part of 2020 and the subsequent … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights Global M&A activity reached historic levels in the first half of 2021, amounting to one of the highest first-half deal volumes on record. The surge in M&A activity following the early-pandemic shutdown has continued for the last 12 months, driven by a bull market, economic stimulus, corporate priorities to adapt to changes in … Continued
On April 10, 2021, the State Administration for Market Regulation (“SAMR”) imposed administrative penalties on a leading Internet company for abusing its dominance in the China online retail market by engaging in exclusive dealing conduct. This article will sort out the key points of this case from four different aspects: relevant market definition, market dominance evaluation, “either or” (exclusive dealing) conduct, and the penalty amount. It will also offer suggestions on compliance for Internet platform undertakings.
Executive Summary/Highlights Global M&A volume reached record highs in Q1 2021. As Covid-19 vaccines became more widely available and economies reopened, M&A volume reached the largest first quarter deal volume on record since records started being kept in 1980. In Q1 2021, global M&A volume was US$1.34 trillion, a 1.7% increase from Q4 2020 (US$1.32 … Continued
The Recent Judicial Development of “Piercing the Corporate Veil” in China 1. Summary of “Piercing the Corporate Veil” and the relevant regulations “Piercing the corporate veil” (also known as “forward disregard of corporate personality”, hereinafter referred to as the “forward disregard”), originated in the United States. The doctrine is used to prevent shareholders … Continued
P.R.C. Ministry of Commerce (“MOFCOM”) issued an order promulgating “Provisions on the Unreliable Entity List” (the “Provisions”) on September 19, 2020, effective immediately the same day. These implementing rules have been long awaited since the idea was first introduced nearly 16 months ago on May 31, 2019. The Unreliable Entity List (“UEL”) mechanism will create … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights Global M&A activity in Q2 2020 dropped to its lowest quarterly levels in more than a decade, as corporate dealmakers paused to weigh the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the responses of governments, businesses and consumers across the world, and many companies devoted all available resources to existence-preserving activities and not growth … Continued
On May 21, 2020, the United States Senate passed the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (the “Bill”) with unanimous consent. If it becomes law, the Bill would apply to Chinese companies, among others, listed on U.S. securities exchanges and require them to comply with U.S. regulatory and audit standards and information sharing, notwithstanding that to … Continued
The financial fraud committed by Nasdaq-listed Luckin Coffee Inc. (“Luckin Incident”) has sparked a heated discussion in the media and within relevant industries about whether the Chinese Securities Regulatory Commission (“CSRC”) will exercise long-arm jurisdiction pursuant to Paragraph 4 of Article 2[1] of the new Securities Law, implemented on March 1 of this year (“Securities Law”). … Continued
