Executive Summary/Highlights After a record-breaking 2021 in which global M&A volume surged to a new peak, global dealmaking slowed in the first quarter of 2022. Global M&A volume was approximately US$1.0 trillion in Q1 2022, less than any of the prior six quarters. Despite a decline in M&A activity relative to the record-breaking volumes of … Continued
The past year generated substantial interest in the operation of the Investment Canada Act (ICA), especially the national security review process, against the backdrop of changes in government policy that purport to articulate a more expansive view of Canada’s national security interests. We expect foreign investment review to remain an issue of public and political concern in … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights Global M&A volume was more than US$5.8 trillion in 2021, the highest annual volume on record. Each of the four quarters of 2021 was one of the top six most active quarters by dollar volume since the beginning of 2010. In addition to a legion of private equity funded transactions, including such major … Continued
Introduction The Biden administration has just completed its first full year in office, and the talk has been tough. New leadership at DOJ, the SEC, the FTC, the CFTC, and other regulatory and law enforcement agencies have issued statements and policy revisions signaling their intention to train more focus on white-collar and regulatory enforcement. We … Continued
*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
Since early 2020, a consortium of well-funded plaintiffs’ law firms have pursued an aggressive campaign of derivative litigation in the New York courts against major European companies, including Deutsche Bank, UBS, Volkswagen, Barclays, Novartis, and Bayer (represented by this Firm). While the lawsuits differed in detail, they shared a strategic purpose: to drag international companies … 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
*Originally distributed on May 27, 2021. Developments this week highlight the urgent imperative for boards and management teams to address climate-related challenges as part of their regular risk assessment practices: A Dutch court held Royal Dutch Shell partially responsible for global warming and ordered the company to reduce its carbon emissions. Engine No. 1, an … 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.
