Issues

GLOBAL M&A STATISTICAL UPDATE – XBMA Annual Review for 2011

Click here to see the Review Executive Summary/Highlights:  During the first half of 2011, global M&A continued the resurgence that began in the second half of 2010, but markets cooled in the second half of 2011, resulting in aggregate volume of US$2.38 trillion in 2011 (down 7% compared to 2010). Stock market volatility, fear of … Continued

Editors’ Note:  The XBMA Review is published on a quarterly basis using consistent metrics and sources of data in order to facilitate a deeper understanding of trends and developments.  We welcome feedback and suggestions for improving the Review or for interpreting the data.

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RUSSIAN UPDATE – English Law Still Dominates in Russian M&A Transactions; a Comparison Shows Why…

This paper is the first in a series of papers on the choice of law in international M&A transactions. We invite further papers on this topic. Highlights: Despite developments in Russian corporate legislation, the mergers and acquisitions and international finance markets in Russia still heavily rely on English law. Business partners in Russia often choose … Continued

Editors’ Note: This paper was co-authored by Goltsblat BLP (the Russian practice of Berwin Leighton Paisner) partners Ian Ivory and Anton Rogoza. Mr. Ivory is Head of English Law - Corporate Finance at Goltsblat BLP, where he and Mr. Rogoza focus on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures and corporate restructuring projects. They often represent international companies in connection with their investments in Russia. This paper is a summary of a report entitled “Use of English law in Russian transactions – a comparative review” which was recently published by the authors.

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AUSTRIAN UPDATE – New Approval Requirement for Austrian Foreign Investment by Non-EU, Non-EEA and Non-Swiss Investors

Executive Summary/Highlights: An amendment to the Austrian Foreign Trade Act (FTA), in force since 8 December 2011 subjects the acquisition of certain interests in enterprises in specific industries (including telecoms and energy) by non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss persons, to review and approval by the Austrian Ministry of Economic Affairs Approval must be sought before entering … Continued

Editors’ Note:   Christian Herbst is a partner of Schönherr and a member of XBMA’s Legal Roundtable.  He is one of the leading Austrian specialists in cross-border M&A, takeovers and joint ventures, representing mostly foreign clients with respect to investments in Austria and Central Eastern Europe.

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SINGAPOREAN UPDATE – Court Held That Terminology “Subject to contract” Indicated Intent Not to Be Bound Until a Formal Agreement Was Negotiated and Executed

Highlights: Offer and acceptance letters’ inclusion of phrase “subject to contract” was , in the context of the factual matrix, found to make clear the intent of the parties that they were not to be contractually bound until a formal agreement was negotiated and executed. While the Court in this case found that no contract … Continued

Editors’ Note:  This paper was contributed by Rachel Eng, Managing Partner of WongPartnership and a member of XBMA’s Legal Roundtable. It was authored by Andrew Ang, Deputy Head of WongPartnership’s Corporate/Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Ms. Eng and Mr. Ang are leading experts in both domestic and cross-border M&A in Singapore and other jurisdictions in Southeast Asia.

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RUSSIAN UPDATE – Amendments to Antitrust Laws Designed to Liberalize Prohibitions and Reduce Liability of Filers

Highlights: On November 22, 2011 the State Duma of theRussian Federationpassed a new package of amendments to the antitrust laws in the third reading. The proposed “Third Antitrust Package”, which still has to be approved by the Council of Federation and then signed by the President, changes antitrust regulation significantly. In expectation of the innovations, … Continued

Editors’ Note:  This paper was co-authored by Evgeny Bolshakov of the Competition Law Practice at Egorov Puginsky Afanasiev & Partners.  Mr. Bolshakov specialises in antitrust regulation, corporate and civil law and has been involved in numerous projects related to representing clients in antitrust proceedings, designing a business structure in line with antitrust requirements and contesting FAS (Federal Antimonopoly Service) decisions in courts.

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CANADIAN UPDATE – Canadian Government Reaches Settlement with U.S. Steel in Investment Canada Act Proceedings, Sending Message that Foreign Investors Must Comply with Commitments to Promote Economic Activity and Employment in Canada

Highlights:  The U.S. Steel settlement allows the Canadian government to avoid protracted litigation while underscoring its intended message, namely that foreign investors must take their Investment Canada Act undertakings seriously. It also comes against the backdrop of recent statements by the Prime Minister and Minister of Industry Paradis that while the Canadian government continues to … Continued

Editors’ Note:   This update was co-authored by Mark Katz and Erika Douglas of Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg in Toronto.  Mr. Katz is a partner in the Competition & Foreign Investment Review practice of Davies Ward and has advised domestic and international clients on a wide variety of competition law matters such as mergers and acquisitions, distribution and pricing practices, misleading advertising and compliance and other legislation governing foreign investment in Canada.  He also provides advice with respect to the application of the Investment Canada Act.

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BRAZILIAN UPDATE – Tax Rates Applicable to Foreign Investments in the Brazilian Financial and Capital Markets Reduced to Encourage Investment

MAIN ARTICLE The Tax on Financial Transactions (“IOF”) is a Brazilian umbrella-type tax comprising different tax modalities, each levied on a different type of financial transaction that is carried out in Brazil. The IOF taxes are regarded as “extrafiscal”, meaning that they have economic and financial purposes other than those strictly related to the collection … Continued

Editor’s Note:  This update comes from Francisco Antunes Maciel Müssnich, founding partner of Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão Advogados.  Francisco Müssnich is a member of XBMA’s Legal Roundtable, and a leading expert on Brazilian corporate and M&A matters. This paper was authored by Debora Bacellar, partner, José Otavio Faloppa, partner, and Daniel Abraham Loria, associate, from Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão – Consultoria Tributária.

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MINING AND METALS UPDATE – Global M&A and Capital Raising Trends in the Mining and Metals Sectors

Highlights: Low gearing, strong earnings and good capital availability supported an ideal environment for mergers & acquisitions (M&A) in the first half of 2011. However, jittery markets and dropping confidence caused activity to slow in the third quarter. While deal values in the first nine months of 2011 are up 67% on the same period … Continued

Editors’ Note:  This paper was prepared by Ernst & Young’ Global Mining & Metals Center, a team with deep technical experience in providing assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services to the mining and metals sector.  Franny Yao (Yao Fang), who contributed this paper, is a Partner & Leader at Ernst & Young in Beijing, responsible for Key Accounts and Government Relations in China.  She is a founding director of XBMA and has broad expertise in cross-border M&A, representing major Chinese companies in their global expansion and other strategic drives.

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CHINA/US/AUSTRAILIA Comparison – Comparing China’s NSR Process with the Process in Australia and the United States

Executive Summary/Highlights: Susan Ning’s last post explained China’s new National Security Review Process.  This post makes the case that, despite foreign investors’ fear that the new process is yet another tedious regulatory and “protectionist” hurdle to doing deals in China, the process is in fact quite similar processes in the Western world, including the United … Continued

Editors’ Note:  Susan Ning, a member of XBMA’s Legal Roundtable, co-authored this paper with Huang Jing, also of King & Wood.  Ms. Ning heads King & Wood’s International Trade and Antitrust and Competition Group and is widely recognized as one of the leading experts in the field, with many years of experience working with MOFCOM to secure merger clearance.

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DANISH UPDATE – Danish Disclosure Obligations Potentially Broader Than Other European Countries in M&A Context

Highlights:  Under Section 27 of the Danish Securities Trading Act, inside information must be disclosed by an issuer at the earlier of (i) the coming into existence of the relevant circumstances or occurrence, albeit not yet formalised, (ii) the disclosure of the inside information to a third party, or (iii) a leakage of the inside … Continued

Editors’ Note: Dan Moalem is a founding partner of Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen Advokatpart­ner­sel­skab in Denmark.  He is an expert on M&A and capital markets transactions in Denmark, including representation of foreign acquirors and investors entering the Danish market.  This paper was co-authored by Lennart Meyer Østenfjeld, a Senior Associate at Moalem Weitemeyer Bendtsen Advokatpartnerselskab.

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