Akin Gump Hosts Briefing on UK National Security and Investment Bill
Contact:
(London) – At a recent webinar titled “Protecting the Crown Jewels,” members of Akin Gump’s London international trade and competition team addressed issues pertaining to the United Kingdom’s new National Security and Investment (NSI) Bill, which, when implemented, will provide one of the most comprehensive investment review mechanisms globally.
The bill is expected to become law in early 2021 and will dramatically reduce the level to which deal makers can acquire some of the most sensitive (and often lucrative) parts of the U.K. economy without evidencing their bone fide intent for an acquisition.
Speakers included partners Jasper Helder and Davina Garrod and counsel Daniel Lund, who discussed the bill and its likely impact on transactions in sectors critical to national security. They also addressed the following topics:
- An overview of the mandatory and voluntary notification regimes.
- Consideration of the new controls on asset transfers and acquisitions.
- A deep dive into the opaque nature of national security assessments.
- The impact on deal timelines, the consequences of not filing and the risk of retrospective government action.
- Some practical steps businesses should be taking right now.
To watch the presentation in its entirety, please click here.
Mr. Helder and Ms. Garrod have both been quoted recently in the media on the NSI Bill, including here and here. They also co-authored an Akin Gump client alert that can be found here.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers and advisors in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Founded in 1945, the firm is proudly celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2020. #AkinGump75
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