Some Thoughts for Boards of Directors in 2019 By Martin Lipton, Steven A. Rosenblum, Karessa L. Cain, Amanda S. Blackett and Kathleen C. Iannone December 14, 2018 In recent years, it has become increasingly evident that the activism-driven corporate world is relatively fragile and is proving to be unsustainable, particularly when viewed in the broader … Continued
Dutch cooling-off period in face of shareholder activism or hostile take-over On December 7, 2018, the Dutch government published draft legislation aimed at promoting a careful decision-making process in case of shareholder activism or a hostile takeover. If enacted in its current form, the proposal would introduce a statutory cooling-off period of up to 250 … Continued
Spotlight on Boards The ever-evolving challenges facing corporate boards prompt an updated snapshot of what is expected from the board of directors of a major public company—not just the legal rules, but also the aspirational “best practices” that have come to have equivalent influence on board and company behavior. Today, boards are expected to: Oversee … Continued
Shareholders’ Rights Directive implementation bill now before Parliament On 16 October 2018, the bill for the implementation in Dutch law of the revised Shareholders’ Rights Directive (EU 2017/828) was submitted to the lower house of the Dutch parliament (Tweede Kamer). In this newsletter, we will describe the changes in the bill compared to the earlier … Continued
The Future of the Corporation A project of the British Academy—“The Future of the Corporation” reached a major milestone on November 1, 2018 with the public discussion of a framework and supporting papers. The project is led by Oxford Prof. Colin Mayer. In his framework, Prof. Mayer puts forth a radical reinterpretation of the nature … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: Global M&A in 2018 is at record levels, and at the current pace could approach 2007’s all-time high of almost US$5 trillion. Cross-border dealmaking has surged, with the volume of cross-border M&A over the first three quarters of 2018 already far surpassing that of all of 2017. Likewise, the market for mega-deals remains … Continued
Executive Summary/Highlights: The global M&A environment continued to show historic strength in 2018, as global deal volume reached nearly US$1.3 trillion for the second quarter and US$2.5 trillion for the first half of the year. Global M&A activity has enjoyed a steady climb over the last several quarters and has increased sharply since Q3 2017, … Continued
Summary There are numerous examples of Automotive JVs that have been operating successfully and profitably in China for more than a decade. With the imminent removal of the shareholding cap on foreign investment in automotive manufacturing, there will be opportunities for Chinese and foreign parties to alter their equity holdings, including being able to buy … Continued
Spotlight on Boards The ever-evolving challenges facing corporate boards prompt an updated snapshot of what is expected from the board of directors of a major public company—not just the legal rules, but also the aspirational “best practices” that have come to have equivalent influence on board and company behavior. Today, boards are expected to: Oversee … Continued
Over the past decade a global trend of optimising holding company structures has developed amongst publicly traded multinational corporations. The strategic relocation of a holding company is, more often than not, conducted in tandem with a merger or other significant M&A transaction. Ireland, alongside other jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom and Switzerland, has emerged … Continued
