Our global network of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) experts meet regularly to share key developments across our regions, to ensure our teams are well briefed on the rapidly evolving FDI regimes affecting cross-border transactions. Following feedback from clients we are pleased to be able to open some of these calls up for an external audience, so we can update our network on this increasingly important gating item for many investments – FDI clearance.
The latest webinar in this series was held on 30 March 2023, focussing on the implications of FDI regulation for dealmakers in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Our FDI experts discussed the types of energy and infrastructure transactions caught by FDI regimes and offered insights into recent cases and legislative developments in jurisdictions including Australia, the US, the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain and France, as well as considering the FDI co-operation framework which operates at EU-level. They also offered some practical tips for deal planning and how to ensure that transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors progress as smoothly as possible through the FDI approval process.
The live webinar audience was invited to participate in an interactive poll at the start of the webinar, which was then also repeated at the end, with the following results:
| Start of webinar | Poll question: Do you think FDI regimes are too interventionist in Energy/Infra M&A? | End of webinar |
| 47% | Yes, some FDI regimes over-reach (sectors covered/remedies) | 38% |
| 53% | No, broadly the right balance (remedies vs national security) | 62% |
| 0% | No, there may be scope for more intervention by FDI agencies | 0% |
A recording of the webinar can be accessed here.
For further information, please contact:
Veronica Roberts, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills
veronica.roberts@hsf.com
