Work Area: Foreign investment control

The UK government has blocked a Chinese technology company’s planned purchase of cutting-edge vision processing technology from the University of Manchester, marking the first time it has prohibited a deal under the country’s new foreign investment screening regime.

21 July 2022

The UK government has cleared Parker Hannifin’s £6.3 billion purchase of rival aerospace component supplier Meggitt after accepting commitments to protect national security, competition and the future of the merged business in the country.

21 July 2022

A New Zealand lawmaker has suggested exempting members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development from the country’s foreign investment law to stimulate growth in the grocery sector, as he slammed the government’s response to the cost of living crisis.

20 July 2022

The UK has conditionally cleared the takeover of a domestic defence company after accepting undertakings designed to protect intellectual property and sensitive capabilities, while also including a slate of public interest promises.

07 July 2022

A pair of Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill that would add the secretary of agriculture as a standing member to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States as part of an effort to protect national security.

05 July 2022

The UK’s business secretary is leaning toward accepting proposed remedies to allay national security and competition concerns related to Parker Hannifin’s £6.3 billion purchase of rival aerospace component supplier Meggitt.

30 June 2022

The UK’s business secretary has said he is “minded to accept” undertakings offered by defence, aerospace and communications company Cobham Ultra Acquisitions to allay national security concerns regarding its proposed acquisition of defence company Ultra Electronics.

27 June 2022

The National Māori Authority has called for New Zealand’s government to pause the sale of the country’s third-largest fuel retailer to offshore interests and questioned whether the national interest test under the country's foreign investment control regime is robust enough.

17 June 2022

The UK government has praised the first three months of a new foreign investment control regime that took effect in January to increase national security scrutiny of deals in sensitive industries, but lawyers argue there is room for improvement on key issues.

16 June 2022

The Italian government has blocked a Chinese robot maker’s €2 million investment in a domestic robotics company under the country’s “golden power law” for sensitive industries.

09 June 2022