The Freshfields Podcast

UAE employee monitoring and compliance #1: remote working

Despite the gradual return of employees to the workplace, employers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) face continuing challenges around improving productivity and compliance with company policies among their remote workers.

Freshfields’ global investigations lawyer Zara Merali in Dubai is joined by Sundaraparipurnan Narayanan from business advisory firm Nexdigm (SKP) and Shiraz Sethi from law firm DWF to discuss the:

• challenges employers are facing;
• regulatory framework, pitfalls and responses; and
• best practices for employers to focus on now.

Sanctions and international trade #3: US policy trends and outlook under a Biden administration

US international trade policy looked very different in 2020. So what should we expect in 2021? In the latest edition of the Freshfields podcast, Aimen Mir joins Nabeel Yousef to discuss the expected international trade, foreign policy, CFIUS and national security direction under a Biden administration - and the trends to watch in the year ahead.

Essential Antitrust #8: nascent competition – crystal ball gazing or a principled approach to regulatory oversight?

Competition authorities’ global quest to oversee a greater number of deals involving nascent competition looks set to intensify in the year ahead, making deal-making even more complex. Jenn Mellott speaks with Ninette Dodoo, Jan Rybnicek and Sharon Malhi to discuss the evolution of an increasingly interventionist approach to nascent competition across the US, UK, Europe and Asia and how multi-national companies can best navigate the heightened global scrutiny.

Tech transactions in the spotlight

But tech deals aren’t like other types of transactions – their value resides in an unusual combination of assets, and the rapidly evolving antitrust and national security landscape makes them challenging to execute. In this podcast – part of our 2021 board memo series – partners John Fisher, Aimen Mir and Alan Ryan explain what directors need to know.

The governance capsule collection #6: the secrets of board evaluations

Board evaluations are a vital way to gauge the health of a company. But what does a good evaluation look like? How are they best implemented? And should you disclose the results? In the latest instalment of our governance mini-series, Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber reveal all.

The governance capsule collection #5: human capital management

Few issues have grabbed the attention of investors in recent years quite like human capital management. In episode no. 5 of our governance capsule collection, Pamela Marcogliese, Leza Bieber and Maj Vaseghi discuss why you should be engaging with stakeholders now rather than waiting for proxy season, the role of the board in managing human capital – and whether HCM should be a metric when setting executive compensation.

The governance capsule collection #4: intercompany communications

As more employees are paid in stock – and social media gives everyone a voice - employee activism is on the rise. So what’s the best way to engage with this vital stakeholder group?

In the latest edition of our governance capsule collection, Sarah Solum joins Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber to discuss the tricky topic of intercompany communications.

The governance capsule collection #3: C-suite succession planning

You may have a great CEO or CFO, but are you prepared if they leave?

In the third instalment of our governance capsule collection, Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber are joined by Lori Goodman to discuss the ins and outs of succession planning. Why is it such a hot issue right now? What does good planning look like? And how should you communicate your progress?

The governance capsule collection #2: virtual shareholder meetings

Few people had experience of staging virtual shareholder meetings – then the pandemic struck in the middle of proxy season and everyone had to get up to speed overnight.

In the second episode of our governance mini-series, Pamela Marcogliese and Leza Bieber explore what we’ve learnt – and ask whether the traditional in-person model will ever return.

The governance capsule collection #1: taking control of the narrative

With so many disclosure requirements to satisfy and an ever-growing roster of stakeholders to inform, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to craft a coherent corporate narrative.

In the first of a new mini-series on governance, partner Pamela Marcogliese and counsel Leza Bieber explain how companies can get on the front foot, from working out what’s material to creating processes that keep everyone on message