Why Bear Hugs Are Making A Comeback In UK M&A Deals

With "bear hugs" recently reemerging as an attractive negotiation tool for bidders in mergers and acquisitions, both target boards and potential acquirers should note the effect of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers' timing and drafting limits, says Ben Land-Maycock at Covington.

How AI Can Complicate Liability Limits In Contracts

With the U.K. Jurisdiction Taskforce's recent legal statement on liability for harms confirming that contract clauses remain subject to established norms, AI-drafted limits on liability pose concern, as the wording chosen must account for human definition and interpretation, says solicitor Daniel Erskine.

UK Corp. Crime Landscape Raises Global Governance Stakes

The Crime and Policing Act 2026 recently entered into force, highlighting a growing emphasis on governance and senior management oversight, the influence of compliance on commercial decision-making, and an overlap between legal and regulatory risk across jurisdictions, say lawyers at McDermott.

Int'l Arbitration Can Serve As Critical Tool In Hormuz Crisis

As the closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to severely disrupt global commercial navigation, companies should understand the key claims likely to arise in emergency and expedited arbitration procedures — including force majeure, breach of contract and pricing disputes — and the contractual safeguards and protective measures to consider, say lawyers at McDermott.

FCA Letter Highlights Football Clubs' Crypto Deal Risks

The Financial Conduct Authority’s recent warning to Premier League football clubs about sponsorship arrangements with unauthorized crypto-asset businesses demonstrates its concerns over unlawful financial promotions and anti-money laundering compliance failures, both of which run the risk of significant reputational damage and criminal prosecution, says Sushil Kuner at Freeths.

Why Tonzip Is Notable In English Sanctions Law Development

The Court of Appeal's ruling in Tonzip Maritime Ltd. v. 2Rivers Pte Ltd., the latest in the English law of sanctions ownership and control, confirms that where a contract refers to sanctions exposure, the relevant question may be whether there is a real and objectively reasonable risk, not whether a sanctions breach has already been proved, say lawyers at Michelman Robinson.

AI Makes Law Firm Change Management A Client Issue

As artificial intelligence implementation is causing clients' expectations of outside counsel to shift toward greater risk control and more transparent value, successful law firm transformation and the preservation of professional trust will require governance, training and accountability, says John Hutchinson at Broadfield.

How Firms Can Prepare For Increasing AI-Cybersecurity Risks

The growing convergence between cybersecurity and artificial intelligence means that businesses need to recognize the breadth of the threat, and conduct repeated testing and adjustment to address the shifting risk landscape, say lawyers at Debevoise.

Series

Practice Leader Insights From Mayer Brown's Miriam Bruce

Miriam Bruce, Mayer Brown's head of business protection, discusses how being promoted on the eve of the pandemic was a baptism of fire in leadership, the challenges of multidimensional disputes, and why lawyers should invest in relationships, not just technical knowledge.

Nonequity Partner Tier Presents Lawyers With Pros And Cons

While the nonequity partner model may offer law firms' management flexibility and be a genuine stepping stone for lawyers in some organizations, at others the tier functions more as an extended holding pattern whose uncertainty can cause frustration for ambitious lawyers, say Filippo Falchi and Portia White at Major Lindsey.

AI Deals Call For Tailored Approach To Address Hidden Risks

As artificial intelligence deals continue to advance, they raise complex intellectual property questions with hard-to-verify technical facts that require a different approach to due diligence, risk allocation and execution, say lawyers at Katten.

EU Directive Recalibrates States' Anti-Corruption Landscape

The European Union's recently adopted anti-corruption directive does not transform compliance requirements overnight, but it will establish a minimum harmonization framework addressing substantive offenses, corporate liability and sanction levels across member states once national legislation is in place, say Katharina Humphrey, Karla Böltz and Maximilian Schach at Gibson Dunn.

Easing Of UK Stablecoin Rules Will Encourage Crypto Growth

The Bank of England’s recent decision to relax parts of its proposed framework for sterling-backed stablecoins balances innovation with financial stability, and will help the U.K. remain competitive with crypto markets across the globe, says Thomas Cattee at Gherson.

Series

Studying Foreign Languages Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Studying Italian and Japanese has shown me that learning a new language can benefit a legal career in several ways, including by demonstrating the importance of approaching problems from a fresh perspective and the value of practicing patience with colleagues and clients, says Anna King at Genworth Financial.

Reflecting On The UK Senior Managers Regime 10 Years On

While the ongoing changes to the senior managers and certification regime to streamline processes and remove certain restrictions are welcome, the scheme has worked well overall since its 2016 inauguration, and firms’ compliance and risk management-thinking have shown a marked improvement, say lawyers at Faegre Drinker.