The Freshfields Podcast

Essential Foreign Investment #3: Developments in the US and China

In the second of our new quarterly series, partner Alastair Mordaunt is joined by US CFIUS expert and partner Aimen Mir and China partner Hazel Yin to discuss developments in foreign investment.

Together they look at recent foreign investment screening activity levels across the key jurisdictions, discuss the latest policy changes and what they mean for regional attitudes to foreign investment generally, and make some predictions for activity levels and developments in 2022.

Tax matters: Digital taxes and trade wars – will the OECD/G20 agreement bring tax peace?

Following the recent OECD/G20 agreement on the two pillars, the US has agreed with various countries to terminate its trade actions against them in return for the withdrawal of their digital services taxes (DSTs).

In this latest episode of our Tax Matters podcast Joshua Critchlow interviews Lorand Bartels, Katharina Kubik and Brin Rajathurai about the implications of these recent agreements and what trade law challenges may remain in relation to DSTs. The team also discuss tax developments on the horizon that will need to be monitored from a trade perspective and explore challenges around getting the OECD agreement implemented in the US. 

Essential Antitrust Asia #5: Update with Gilbert + Tobin on proposals to reform Australia’s merger regime

This episode features Alastair Mordaunt, partner and co-head of our Asia competition practice and Elizabeth Avery, a senior partner at Australian law firm Gilbert + Tobin and leader of its competition and regulation group.

Merger control and antitrust regulation are on the rise across the region and Australia is high on the list of jurisdictions to watch out for in terms of competition enforcement.

In this episode, our experts will discuss:

•  An overview of the Australian merger regime as it currently operates today
• The proposed overhaul of the regime and why the ACCC thinks reforms are necessary
• Next steps and when we might see reforms come into force

What does BT 21, the EU’s ‘business taxation for the 21st century’ package, mean for US business?

The EU has proposed a sweeping set of measures designed to combat corporate tax avoidance, address the challenges of the digital economy and create a more sustainable and greener EU economy. Here, our transatlantic team – Claude Stansbury in Washington, Leza Bieber in New York, Georg Roderburg in Dusseldorf, Bob van Kasteren in Amsterdam and Léa Bareil in Brussels – discuss what the proposals mean for US corporates.

From growth to maturity: what founders and investors need to know about going public

From IPOs to direct listings and SPAC mergers, there are more ways than ever for tech founders to take their businesses to the next level. In the latest Freshfields TQ podcast, partners Sarah Solum, Mark Austin and Stephan Pachinger give a global perspective on the capital markets and discuss what founders and investors need to know at this critical phase of the corporate cycle.

Essential Antitrust #16: Global merger control: the EU and UK take centre stage

Merger control assessments are becoming less predictable. The European Commission has changed its policy towards Member State referrals. The CMA has been flexing its broad jurisdictional thresholds to call in transactions for review. Driven by a desire not to let any transactions fall through the net, there is a key focus on innovative sectors such as tech and life sciences but the uncertainty extends across industries. Parties must be prepared to deal with the difficulties of navigating this increasingly complex environment.

In this episode, podcast host Jenn Mellott speaks with Alan Ryan, Bertrand Guerin and Megan Yeates to discuss these developments and how merging parties can deal with this increasing uncertainty.  

The keys to successful corporate venture capital investing

Venture investments are an important way for companies to access technology and innovation - and generate financial returns. In the latest episode of the Freshfields TQ podcast, New York Partner Andrea Merediz Basham is joined by senior associates Marcus Wolter (Tokyo) and Saloua Ouchan (Amsterdam) to explore the secrets to successful corporate venture investing – from where the deal team should sit in the business to the structures and processes that are most attractive to founders.

Tax matters: German election – what do the coalition developments mean for global and domestic tax policy?

The German federal election on 26 September 2021 marked the beginning of the end of Angela Merkel’s time as German Chancellor, however, the outcome of the election is still unclear.

No single party has yet been able to claim leadership of the Bundestag – although negotiations have begun between the Social Democrats, the Greens and the Liberals which could result in the so-called “traffic light” coalition.

In our latest podcast, senior knowledge lawyer Alison Dickie speaks to David Issmer, Freshfields’ Head of Public Affairs in Germany, and German tax partners David Beutel, Philipp Redeker and Georg Roderburg to discuss the German election results and what the “traffic light” coalition might mean for both global tax policy and the domestic German tax landscape as well as the potential implications for businesses with presence in Germany.

View from the Valley #7: The future of data privacy in the United States

US data privacy law is evolving fast, with a number of states introducing tough new rules and even talk of a federal privacy regime. In a wide-ranging conversation across the data and cyber frontier, Christine Lyon, co-head of Freshfields’ global data privacy group, joins counsel Brock Dahl and Boris Feldman, Freshfields’ head of US tech, to discuss what’s coming down the track, whether tighter restrictions could stifle innovation, why companies should be wary about using 'black box' AI – and how boards can prepare for a data breach.

Essential Antitrust #15: Focus on fintech deals: navigating a tougher regulatory environment

Fintech M&A is booming, but so is regulatory scrutiny. Competition authorities are increasingly bullish to claim jurisdiction over fintech deals and to pursue novel theories of harm. At the same time, the scope of foreign investment regulation has widened due to the pandemic and ongoing trade tensions, adding yet another piece to the regulatory jigsaw puzzle faced by deal-doers. Getting your fintech deal cleared is no longer a given, and even if you get your merger control and foreign investment clearance, there is still a host of other financial regulation that applies before, throughout and after the deal process. 

In our 15th episode, podcast host Jenn Mellott speaks with Rod Carlton, Christine Laciak and Cyrus Pocha to discuss these developments.