The geopolitical climate involving the US-China relationship has created opportunities in Southeast Asia, leading many businesses to look to Southeast Asia for growth. The region’s GDP growth is forecasted to reach 4.6% in 2024 and 4.7% in 2025, and businesses are keen to capitalise on its growth potential. In this episode, Ninette Dodoo, an antitr…

Keeping you up to date on executive compensation matters. In this podcast series, the Freshfields People & Reward team discusses key topics in the executive reward space for publicly listed and private companies in 2024, including considerations for remuneration committees, transatlantic regulatory concerns, and the structure of specific incentive …

Keeping you up to date on executive compensation matters. In this podcast series, the Freshfields People & Reward team discusses key topics in the executive reward space for publicly listed and private companies in 2024, including considerations for remuneration committees, transatlantic regulatory concerns, and the structure of specific incentive …

In this special episode, Emma Gateaud is joined by Head of London Restructuring Richard Tett as he marks his 20th anniversary as a partner and his 30th anniversary at the firm. They discuss Richard’s life in restructuring, including his role models and career highlights, and how the market has changed over the decades.…

On 25 April 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published a suite of reforms to the way in which it carries out Phase 2 merger investigations. Intended to streamline in-depth reviews, improve opportunities to engage with the CMA throughout the process and incentivise merging parties to put forward remedies at the earliest possible …

In this episode, Craig Montgomery and Emma Gateaud are once again joined by Tom Smith KC, to continue their discussion on UK restructuring plans. They discuss the concept of the Relevant Alternative, when is the best time for a company to present a plan and the availability of new European tools for restructurings.…

The second episode of our restructuring podcast series, No Worse Off, which provides legal and commercial insights, and practical tips, on the world of restructuring. In this episode, Craig Montgomery and Emma Gateaud are joined by Tom Smith KC, to discuss some of the recent high profile challenges in restructuring plans and what we can learn from …

In this podcast series, the Freshfields People & Reward team discusses key topics in the executive reward space for publicly listed and private companies in 2024, including considerations for remuneration committees, transatlantic regulatory concerns, and the structure of specific incentive arrangements. In the first episode of this series, Being p…

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered the Spring Budget 2024. In a rowdy House of Commons, the Chancellor delivered what will be his last Spring Budget before a UK general election widely expected to take place in autumn this year. Further details on some of these measures are expected to follow on Tax Administration and Ma…

The first episode of our new restructuring podcast series, No Worse Off, which provides legal and commercial insights, and practical tips, on the world of restructuring. Podcast hosts Lindsay Hingston, and Emma Gateaud, in our London office, cover recent trends including the looming wall of debt maturities, liability management, contested restructu…

In January 2024, China implemented significant changes to its merger control thresholds – marking the first revisions in 16 years. Coupled with last year's amendments to the Anti-Monopoly Law, they represent a comprehensive revamp of China’s merger control regime. In this episode of our Essential Antitrust podcast, host Jenn Mellott is joined by Fr…

Listen to the latest episode of the Freshfields MedTech podcast as partner Vinita Kailasanath and Managing Director of Ivy Tree Advisors, Jonathan Olsen, discuss key MedTech hot topics coming out of this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.By Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

In our first Essential Antitrust podcast of 2024, host Jenn Mellott is joined by Alastair Chapman, Ninette Dodoo and Mark Sansom to explore some of the themes highlighted in “Global antitrust in 2024: 10 key themes”, our recent report on the biggest trends in antitrust for the year ahead. With insights from the US, UK, EU and Asia, we predict how a…

Boris Feldman, Freshfields Partner, interviews two of the most prominent pioneers of technology - Vinton G. Cerf, one of the ‘fathers of the internet’ and Whitfield Diffie, a leading inventor of public-key cryptography. Listen in for a fascinating discussion on the origin of technologies that have changed the course of history, and predictions for …

In this podcast Helen Mulholland KC and Victoria Heyworth reflect on and discuss the recent Judgment of Paul, Polmear and Purchase and the effect of the decision on the prospects of Secondary victim claims in the clinical negligence arena. Case referenced: Paul and another (Appellants) v Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (Respondent) [2024] UKSC 1 View…

In this episode in our Essential Antitrust Asia, Laurent Bougard speaks to Bilal Anwari and Gustaaf Reerink from ABNR Law in Indonesia, which is part of Freshfields’ StrongerTogether network. Together, they explore the evolving landscape of Indonesia's updated merger control regime, highlighting opportunities and potential pitfalls for foreign inve…

President Biden’s Executive Order 14105 on outbound investment restrictions is expected to take effect in 2024. While this policy may not be the sweeping “reverse CFIUS” regime that many in industry anticipated and feared, it nonetheless represents a disruptive shift in investment dynamics for Asian and US investors. In this podcast, Ninette Dodoo …

Back in October, the global Freshfields Tax team published the Tax investigations and disputes across borders guide which, among other things, provided an overview of current trends in corporate tax disputes and gave some predictions for the future. In our latest podcast, London Tax partner Sarah Bond, Düsseldorf Tax partner Philipp Redeker and Lon…

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will introduce the most significant reforms to UK competition and consumer laws since the CMA was established in 2014. The Bill is on track to take effect next year and is making its way through the UK Parliament. But its passage has been far from smooth sailing and fundamental questions about the…

In September 2023, the OECD and Canadian Competition Bureau published the Gender Inclusive Antitrust Toolkit. Designed to help competition authorities apply a gender lens to enforcement, the toolkit features key conclusions on how gender can be factored into merger review, evaluation of competitive effects in conduct investigations, detection of ca…

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered the Autumn Statement 2023. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) reports that the UK economy has proved to be more resilient to the shocks of the pandemic and energy crisis than anticipated, but with growth forecasts for the next two years reduced and the UK inflation rate expected…

With Tim Clark, Global Head of Private Funds and Secondaries at Freshfields, and Pablo Caló, Managing Partner of Fairview Capital. Join industry leaders Tim Clark and Pablo Caló as they discuss the evolution of the secondary market and share insights from their experiences. In this episode, Tim and Pablo delve into Pablo’s career arc, detailing how…

Olivia Wyld and Johanna Nerona speak at Legal Geek, a legal tech conference, about how we use legal project management and empathetic leadership to support the management of matters and to go from chaos to control.By Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

Nearly four years into his mandate as Director-General for Competition, Olivier Guersent joins us to reflect on this and on his 30-year career at the European Commission. Olivier speaks with our podcast hosts Jenn Mellott and Laurent Garzaniti to debate the most significant enforcement milestones and challenges faced by DG Competition in recent yea…

Over the past few years, competition law regimes in Asia have been undergoing dynamic changes and there has been a noticeable uptick in enforcement since the end of the pandemic. In our latest episode of our Essential Antitrust podcast, we provide a bird’s eye view of the intricate world of antitrust and foreign investments screening in this rapidl…

Join partners Takeshi Nakao (Tokyo) and Vinita Kailasanath (Silicon Valley) for the latest episode of the Freshfields MedTech podcast. With a focus on Japan and the US, they discuss trends and innovations in MedTech, and potential risk and regulation that companies with MedTech products and services face. Introduction (English translation): Hello e…

In this episode of our MedTech podcast series, Freshfields partner Vinita Kailasanath and Subha Airan-Javia, MD, Founder and CEO of CareAlign, discuss Subha’s career path, how she’s addressing clinician burnout and where AI fits into the landscape.By Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

The US FTC and DOJ recently released long-awaited updates to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Form and Merger Guidelines for assessment of mergers. The proposals entail much higher costs to notify transactions to the agencies, and we explore the substantive implications, including for industries such as tech, life sciences, and private equity. In this e…

With the continued growth of the life sciences sector in Asia, companies are increasingly entering into licensing and collaboration arrangements to drive innovation and manage risk. Understanding the risks involved in licensing and collaboration agreements is crucial for companies looking to tap into the thriving Asian market and establish successf…

Regulators across the globe are keeping a close eye on the rising influence of generative AI. In a few short months, generative AI has proven to be a potent tool and global sensation. With perspectives from the United States, Europe and China, we dive into how regulators are responding to generative AI, focusing particularly on the MedTech space. I…

The Biden Administration antitrust agencies have viewed merger remedies in the US with strong skepticism. The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division’s attempt to block ASSA ABLOY’s acquisition of Spectrum Brands’ Hardware and Home Improvement division was a case in point, until the trial concluded due to a rare settlement in May 2023, opening t…

Antitrust authorities are taking tougher and more interventionist approaches to merger reviews, deploying novel theories of harm and more forward-looking approaches to assessing nascent markets and technologies. These challenges are on full display in the Microsoft/Activision deal, which was recently blocked by the UK Competition and Markets Author…

In this episode of our MedTech podcast series, Freshfields Partners Vinita Kailasanath and Timothy Howard and Principal Associate Philipp Roos discuss what is top of mind for clients in terms of health data considerations, including with respect to AI usage, in both the US and EU. Other topics include GDPR and EU digital strategy; HIPAA and the Dob…

As international competition and antitrust laws continue to evolve, companies are concerned with ensuring that their sustainability collaborations do not fall foul of the law. With regulators globally continuing to set out their differing, and sometimes divergent, positions, it has never been more critical for multinational business to stay abreast…

At this year’s Spring Meeting hosted by the American Bar Association Antitrust Law Section in Washington, DC, antitrust and competition enforcers from the EU, UK, and US came together to share the latest in global antitrust enforcement and competition policy, as well as competition agencies’ collaboration, coordination, and goals for the coming yea…

In this episode of our MedTech podcast series, Freshfields Partner Vinita Kailasanath and Jhaymee Tynan, Principal, Healthcare Services at Korn Ferry, and author of Inclusive Sponsorship: A Bold Vision to Advance Women of Color in the Workplace, discuss MedTech trends they are tracking, inclusivity in MedTech, and approaches that MedTech companies …

In this first episode of our new EUnpacked podcast series that will look to dive into key hot topics being tackled in Brussels, podcast host Natalie Pettinger Kearney is joined by Léa Bareil (Brussels) and Marlen Vesper-Gräske (Hamburg) to talk about how the EU’s sustainability agenda continues to evolve and how the new proposed due diligence rules…

In this episode of our Essential Antitrust Asia, Freshfields’ senior associate Laurent Bougard speaks to Ninette Dodoo, a partner of the firm’s Beijing office and head of the China antitrust team, as well as Hazel Yin, an antitrust partner of RuiMin Law Firm in China. Topics discussed by our speakers include: Latest development in China’s antitrust…

The UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, has delivered the Spring Budget 2023. Following the instability experienced in the UK in recent months, it was a relief to many to see the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) confirm that ‘the economic and fiscal outlook in the UK has brightened somewhat’ since the Autumn Statement 2022 was delive…

The EU has a brand new tool to police subsidies from non-EU governments. It gives the European Commission power to review M&A deals and public procurement bids, as well as initiate investigations. Companies potentially affected need already now to set up internal information gathering, and to factor the new rules into deal feasibility assessments a…

In 2023 antitrust enforcement will continue to respond to calls for it to do more to address a range of global crises and social concerns. Authorities are being given enhanced powers and new tools, and are tackling novel kinds of cases, which is significantly increasing unpredictability. In this first episode of 2023, podcast host Jenn Mellott is j…

In this episode of our MedTech podcast series, Freshfields Partner Vinita Kailasanath and Stacy Hostetler, Co-Leader of Egon Zehnder’s Medical Technology Practice discuss the convergence between tech and life sciences, diversity in the industry ecosystem and whether you should have a sponsor or a mentor.…

Over the past several years, cartel enforcement actions appear to have been on the decline. Despite this, antitrust enforcers have made clear that they have no intention to ease up enforcement efforts and, in fact, have indicated a renewed commitment to aggressive enforcement – as illustrated by a recent spike in dawn raids, including of private ho…

In this episode of our MedTech podcast series, Freshfields partners Vinita Kailasanath and Theresa Ehlen sit down with Gloria Seibert – Founder and CEO of Temedica – to discuss the future of digital health innovations and to reflect on Gloria’s own experiences as a founder and entrepreneur in the MedTech industry.…

The UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has delivered the much anticipated Autumn Statement 2022 following a period of political and economic instability in the UK. The Autumn Statement 2022 comes at a difficult time for the UK economy with inflation at its highest rate for decades and a significantly increased budget deficit forecast. In view of this, the C…

US antitrust authorities have taken a more aggressive stance on merger enforcement, suing to block deals rather than looking for tailored fixes. After facing several defeats in US courts during September 2022, what does this new trend really mean for deal strategy? In this latest episode of our Essential Antitrust podcast our host Jenn Mellott is j…

“Activists are not creatures of trends or habits, necessarily, but are reactive to the market, society and where they fit in.” In this episode of our Great (stakeholder) expectations series, Freshfields’ Elizabeth Bieber and Pamela Marcogliese and FTI Consulting’s Patrick Tucker and Garrett Muzikowski discuss the shareholder activism developments c…

“Choose one carefully articulated path and hang with it, even under pressure.” In this episode of our Great (stakeholder) expectations series, Freshfields’ Elizabeth Bieber and Pamela Marcogliese and FTI Consulting’s Patrick Tucker and Garrett Muzikowski discuss the bastion of support for social issues coming out of the past proxy season, the impli…

By Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer

"It is still difficult to predict when the new world of corporate taxation will materialise and what it will eventually look like." In this podcast, tax partner David Beutel and principal consultant for EU Regulatory and Public Affairs Léa Bareil discuss the current status of the OECD’s Pillar Two proposals for a global minimum rate of tax. They lo…