Foreign investment regulation
A global team of foreign investment specialists.
Public interest and foreign investment issues increasingly are a threshold issue for global M&A. Our experienced team, which includes former regulators, provides a global strategic approach.
The regulatory environment for global M&A is more complex and deal execution risk is higher than ever. Since 2015, 11 G20 countries (including all of the G7) have enacted or set in motion more restrictive public interest or foreign investment measures. So parties need experienced, proactive legal advisers with the ear of regulatory authorities worldwide.
Freshfields is a world leader in public interest and foreign investment review, with experienced practitioners in all key jurisdictions. Our highly integrated team has worked together to provide global strategic advice on some of the highest profile transactions.
In the United States, our team includes the former most senior government official responsible for conducting national security reviews at the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Our specialists in specific jurisdictions are included in 'Our team' below.
Client successes
London Stock Exchange Group on the proposed $27bn acquisition of Refinitiv, a financial markets and infrastructure business
Vossloh on the divestment of its locomotives business to a subsidiary of the state-owned China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation
Infineon Technologies on its $8.7bn acquisition of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
KKR on the acquisition of a €2.9bn co-controlling stake in German media group Axel Springer
A group of private equity firms and institutional investors on the $3.4bn takeover of UK-based satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat
Comcast Corporation on the global merger control and public interest aspects of its £30bn public bid for Sky
Midea Group, a China-listed home appliances company, on its €4.5bn acquisition of Kuka, a Germany-listed robotics manufacturer
- Administrative and public law
- Anti-bribery and corruption
- Anti-money laundering
- Financial services regulation
- Business and human rights (regulatory)
- Carbon economy
- Data protection and privacy
- Defence and export controls
- Environmental, construction and planning law
- Foreign investment regulation
- Privatisation
- Product regulation
- Public procurement
- Regulatory and public affairs
- Sanctions
- State aid
- Trade
