Navigating the New European Commission’s M&A Landscape: What In-House Counsel Need To Know
As the new European Commission (EC) assumes office for the 2024 – 2029 term, in-house legal counsel across industries must brace for an evolving regulatory environment that promises to influence the landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). With significant shifts in priorities – from sustainability to strategic autonomy – and […]
Learning Old Lessons From Recent Life Sciences Earnout Disputes: Above All Else, Words Matter
There’s an old saying – “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” While this mantra may help bruised egos on the playground, it’s of no use in M&A disputes. Three recent Delaware Court of Chancery rulings on earnout disputes demonstrate that the contractual post-closing […]
Key Considerations as FTC, DOJ Significantly Change HSR Premerger Notification Requirements
On October 10, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a unanimous 5-0 vote to finalize changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) premerger notification program, including changes to the HSR form and associated instructions, with the Department of Justice (DOJ) concurring with the final rule. Under the HSR Act, parties to transactions are […]
As CFIUS Announces Significant Penalties, Companies and Investors Confront a Shift in CFIUS Filing Cost-Benefit Dynamics
On the heels of releasing its 2023 Annual Report to Congress, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) publicly announced six new penalties on parties that failed to comply with CFIUS requirements in connection with cross-border transactions. The penalties range from $100,000 to a staggering $60 million fine for T-Mobile’s alleged […]
Not the Show They Wanted: DOJ Hits Venue Services Group With $3.5 Million HSR Gun-Jumping Penalty
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a complaint and proposed consent decree alleging that Legends Hospitality Parent Holdings prematurely acquired beneficial ownership – often referred to as “gun jumping” – in connection with its proposed acquisition of ASM Global. The proposed final judgment requires Legends, a global venue services company providing food and […]
13 Top Considerations for Tackling a Merger of Equals Transaction Like a Mastermind
Just like the romantic union of global pop superstar Taylor Swift and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce, in the business world, combinations of similarly sized companies – or so-called mergers of equals – can yield positive benefits if executed with care[1]. Successful mergers of equals transactions prove the age-old saying […]
Will A Bump-Up Exclusion Bar Coverage of an M&A Settlement? It Depends.
Public company insurance policyholders beware: In recent years, insurance carriers have increasingly invoked the “bump-up” exclusion, which is a carve out provision typically found in directors and officers (D&O) insurance policies. In many public company M&A deals, the shareholders of the target or acquired company will file a lawsuit challenging […]
4 Tips for Drafting Earnouts To Avoid Disputes
Amid a somewhat sluggish mergers and acquisitions market, and as buyers seek to scoop up companies at a discount while sellers long for the sky-high valuations of 2020 and 2021, the earnout is having a moment. To learn more about tips on drafting earnouts to avoid disputes please see the […]
Recent Release of Updated Procedures for Section 355 Private Letter Rulings
The US Department of the Treasury (Treasury Department) and the IRS recently released Revenue Procedure 2024-24 (Revenue Procedure) and Notice 2024-38 (Notice) establishing revised standards and procedures for taxpayers seeking private letter rulings for spin-offs intended to qualify for tax-free treatment under Section 355 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). Much of the Revenue […]
Beyond Borders: A Guide for Navigating the European Regulatory Landscape
The heightened scrutiny M&A deals are encountering from various regulatory agencies in the US represents only part of the global regulatory regimes that cross-border dealmakers must navigate. European regulators have enacted – and aggressively pursued – a web of regulatory review tools, including merger control, foreign direct investment (FDI) and […]