On 11 November 2020 the UK Government introduced the National Security and Investment Bill (NSI Bill) to Parliament, setting out significant legislative reforms which will overhaul the review of transactions and investments on national security grounds in the UK, against a backdrop of tightening of foreign direct investment (FDI) regimes globally. If passed, the NSI Bill will … Read more

The UK Government will today introduce the National Security and Investment Bill (the Bill) to Parliament, setting out significant legislative reforms which will overhaul the review of transactions on national security grounds in the UK, against a backdrop of tightening of foreign direct investment (FDI) regimes globally. If passed, the Bill will introduce for the … Read more

Yesterday, on 11 October 2020, the EU Regulation on the Screening of Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI” and “the EU FDI Regulation”) became fully operational.  This creates, for the first time, an EU-wide framework for the coordination of FDI screening. Any companies engaged in current or future deals involving FDI into the EU should consider the … Read more

We are delighted to share with you our newly updated report on Foreign Investment: Rising Tides of Politics in Regulation, which reflects a swathe of recent changes to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) regimes around the world against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. FDI filings have become an increasingly important piece of the regulatory jigsaw … Read more

The UK Government has a significant choice to make over the next few weeks: it has to decide on its approach to protecting national security in a changing global landscape, while maintaining the country’s appeal – built up over the last 40 years – as an attractive and predictable jurisdiction for business and trade, welcoming … Read more

The UK government has announced two significant amendments to the UK merger control regime, intended to enhance its powers to scrutinise certain foreign direct investment (“FDI”) into the UK, against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic and wider national security concerns. These amendments come ahead of the National Security and Investment Bill (“NS&I Bill”), which … Read more

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) has published proposed regulations that would change the trigger for mandatory filing requirements for certain transactions involving critical technologies from the North American Industry Classification System (“NAICS”) code system to one that examines whether a US export control license would be required to transfer the … Read more

Foreign direct investment (“FDI”) regulation has featured increasingly on the radar for cross-border M&A, against a backdrop of amplified protectionist rhetoric. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of countries which have traditionally been seen as open to foreign investment were moving towards stricter public interest and FDI scrutiny of transactions (such as the UK, … Read more