Expert Analysis

• Europe's New Defense Push Creates Investment Prospects

  

  Recent increases in European defense expenditure and governments' desire to innovate are creating a compelling environment for investment and merger and acquisition activity, especially for small and midsize enterprises at the forefront of emerging technologies, say lawyers at Skadden.

• Key Considerations For Issuers In FCA Prospectus Reform

  

  The Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming reform of the U.K. prospectus regime should be attractive to both debt and equity issuers because it limits the circumstances in which a costly prospectus is required, making it easier and cheaper for listed companies to raise capital, say lawyers at Sullivan & Cromwell.

• How Top Court Ruling Limits Scope Of Motor Finance Claims

  

  The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in a landmark case concerning car finance commissions clarifies when and how a dealership’s fiduciary duties arise, considerably narrowing that path for mass consumer litigation and highlighting how an upcoming Financial Conduct Authority redress scheme will seek to balance consumer, lender and market interests, say lawyers at Cadwalader.

• FCA Misconduct Guide Will Expand Firms' Duty To Investigate

  

  The Financial Conduct Authority's recent proposals on workplace nonfinancial misconduct will place a greater onus on compliance and investigations teams, clarifying that the question to ascertain is whether the behavior is justifiable and proportionate, say lawyers at Ashurst.

• Lessons From Landmark UK Supreme Court Libor Ruling

  

  The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent quashing of former traders Hayes and Palombo’s interest rate rigging convictions on the ground of jury misdirection raises concerns about failings in the criminal appeal process, and whether encouraging institutions to accept regulatory settlements can create conditions for miscarriages of justice, says Ellen Gallagher at Vardags.

• Mansion House Speech Heralds New Financial Regulatory Era

  

  The chancellor of the exchequer's recent Mansion House speech introduced a sweeping commitment to modernize regulation, which will require U.K. retail banks and building societies to revisit core assumptions, and allow lawyers to play a key role in shaping the new rules, say lawyers at Addleshaw Goddard.

• Challenges For Managers In Navigating Continuation Funds

  

  With continuation vehicles becoming an increasingly popular alternative to traditional private equity investment exit routes, managers and lenders should be confident that they understand a transaction’s structure and how it interacts with existing debt arrangements, says Jason Larkins at Travers Smith.

• Key Points From EU Proposals To Ease Securitization Rules

  

  The European Commission’s recently proposed securitization framework amendments aim to relax existing rules, such as by reducing due diligence requirements and removing the need for investors to conduct certain prescribed compliance verifications by sponsors or original lenders, say lawyers at McDermott.

• High Court Elects Substance Over Form In Arbitration Dispute

  

  The High Court recently found that an arbitral tribunal has jurisdiction over the dispute in Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority v. India, underscoring the importance of aligning treaty interpretation with the goal of fostering investment, while rejecting interpretations that unduly limit investor protections, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.

• What New UK Stub Equity Rules Will Mean For PE Bidders

  

  The U.K. Takeover Panel’s recent guide to making stub equity offers, for the first time formally harmonizing the approach to be taken, should be helpful for both private equity bidders and practitioners, and not unduly restrictive, say lawyers at Davis Polk.

• What To Expect As FCA Preps To Launch AI Testing Service

  

  The Financial Conduct Authority’s forthcoming artificial intelligence live testing service will provide participants with access to appropriate regulatory expertise, but to gauge the tool’s potential utility, it is important to understand how it fits in with what the regulator is already doing, says Omar Salem at Fox Williams.

• New Interpol Silver Notice Could Be Tool For Justice Or Abuse

  

  Interpol has issued dozens of Silver Notices to trace and recover assets linked to criminal activity since January, and though the tool may disrupt organized crime and terrorist financing, attorneys must protect against the potential for corrupt misuse, say attorneys at Clark Hill and Arktouros.

• Weighing PE Transaction Risks As EU AI Act Rolls Out

  

  As the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act becomes effective in stages, legal practitioners involved in private equity deals should consider the transactional risks resulting from this measure, including penalties, extraterritorial reach and target-firm applicability, say lawyers at Covington.

• EU Banking Watchdog Regulations Herald New AML Era

  

  The European Banking Authority’s forthcoming anti-money laundering package will set a framework for compliance across the European Union by redefining the rules of engagement between financial institutions and supervisors, setting a new standard for transparency and accountability, say lawyers at A&O Shearman.

• What To Expect As UK, US Gov'ts Develop Stablecoin Policies

  

  While the U.K. and U.S. governments’ policies both suggest that fiat-backed stablecoins can improve efficiency and safety in payments systems, a perception that crypto-assets remain high risk means consumers are unlikely to use them in significant volume anytime soon, say lawyers at Cadwalader.