The Freshfields Podcast

Essential Foreign Investment #4: Expanding areas of global regulation

In our fourth podcast in this series, partner Alastair Mordaunt is joined by Michele Davis, partner in London, Aimen Mir, partner in Washington, DC, and Felix Roscam Abbing, senior associate in Amsterdam to look at developments in some of the fastest changing areas of global regulation.

Together they share their initial impressions of the UK’s new National Security and Investment Act, provide an update on enforcement activity in the US by CFIUS, and discuss risks for limited partners in financial sponsor deals.

Essential Antitrust Asia #6: Key updates and enforcement trends in Hong Kong

This episode focuses on the key updates and enforcement trends in Hong Kong.

It features Hong Kong-based partner Alastair Mordaunt, co-head of Freshfields’ Antitrust, Competition and Trade practice in Asia, and senior associate Laurent Bougard, moderated by Hazel Yin, co-head of the Antitrust, Competition and Trade practice in China.

In this episode, our experts cover:

• An overview of Hong Kong competition regime, including the latest developments and enforcement trends
• Practical tips when doing businesses in Hong Kong

Fintech in focus: Buy now, pay later

Driven by accelerated digitalisation, evolving consumer demand and merchant adoption since the onset of COVID-19, the buy now, pay later sector is growing rapidly with emerging business models, new payments providers and increased interests from investors as well as incumbents.

In this podcast, Matt O’Callaghan (Head of Financial Services Asia), Janina Heinz (Counsel) and Eugene McQuaid (Senior Consultant, EU Regulatory and Public Affairs) provide an update on the market landscape and how different regulators around the globe are approaching this topic. We explore how the regulatory trends will shape the market in 2022 and beyond, and what new entrants and investors interested in this space need to be mindful of.

Navigating risks: tax disputes and privilege

In this podcast senior knowledge lawyer Alison Dickie speaks to partner Sarah Bond, senior associate Simon Murray, and associate David Haughey about the relevance and practical application of legal professional privilege in the context of contentious tax matters. Our cross-practice team explain how and when the different categories of privilege under English law will be relevant as a tax dispute progresses, as well as discussing some common areas of difficulty and pointers for dealing with privilege issues in practice.

Future trends in MedTech

In the first of a new podcast series exploring the fast-evolving world of MedTech, Freshfields Partner Vinita Kailasanath sits down with Matthew Holt – MedTech blogger, trend-spotter and self-confessed ‘healthcare curmudgeon’ – to talk about the future of machine learning in healthcare, telemedicine, digital therapeutics and much more.

Essential Antitrust #20: Innovation-driven deals: plan for success (part 2)

Data issues are increasingly in the spotlight in the tech and life sciences sectors, requiring a holistic approach to antitrust and data protection considerations.

The second of a two-part series covering the regulatory landscape in innovation-driven industries, in this episode of the Essential Antitrust podcast our host Meghan Rissmiller is joined by Christine Lyon, partner in Silicon Valley, Kaori Yamada, partner in Tokyo and Rikki Haria, senior associate in London to discuss the increasingly key data issues and remedies which frequently arise in innovation-driven deals and the complex interplay between antitrust and data protection in this sphere.

Essential Antitrust #19: Innovation-driven deals: plan for success (part 1)

Licensing and collaboration agreements, integral to the life sciences and tech industries, are increasingly complex from an antitrust perspective.

First in a two-part series covering the regulatory landscape in innovation-driven industries, in this episode of the Essential Antitrust podcast our host Meghan Rissmiller is joined by Tone Oeyen, partner in Brussels, Jenny Leahy, senior associate in London and Kristen Riemenschneider, partner in Washington DC to discuss the cross-border regulatory considerations that arise throughout the lifespan of licensing and collaboration agreements.

UAE employee monitoring and compliance #3: strategies and best practice to combat cyberattacks, mitigate and manage risks

The rate of cyber attacks has increased since the beginning of the pandemic affecting businesses across all sectors. This podcast, featuring Lori Baker, Vice President of Legal and Director of Data Protection in the DIFC,  introduces effective strategies to combat cyber attacks, mitigate and manage risks, as well as best practices when it comes to investigating cyber attacks. Freshfields’ global investigations lawyer Zara Merali in Dubai is joined by Lori Baker, Kevin Wong, cybersecurity consultant in Dubai, and Shiraz Sethi, Regional Head of Employment at Dentons in Dubai.

Essential Antitrust #18: US review of merger guidelines: what could it mean for M&A?

The US FTC and DOJ Antitrust Division recent launch of a process to review the agencies’ merger guidelines comes amid a broader trend of heightened antitrust scrutiny.

In this episode of Essential Antitrust, podcast host Meghan Rissmiller is joined by Justin Stewart-Teitelbaum, partner, and Laura Onken, counsel, in Washington DC to discuss the RFI in the context of this broader trend, the anticipated process for revision of the guidelines, and implications for merger review in the meantime.

Investing in tech: trends to watch in the year ahead

In the latest episode of the Freshfields TQ podcast, partners Natasha Good, Andrea Merediz Basham and Nigel Gleeson provide a global view on the tech investing trends to look out for in 2022. Together they discuss the increasing diversity of investors seeking to gain a foothold in the sector, the impact this is having on deal structuring – and the asset classes to watch in the year ahead.