The Allen & Overy Bratislava podcast

Welcome to episode #3 of the A&O Career Insights podcast. This podcast series aims to shine a light on individuals in the firm, to explore how they navigated their careers to become more senior and successful. Our host, Danielle Viner, a training events coordinator in London, will be interviewing a different guest in each episode to help inspire people to shape their own careers, In this episode, Danielle meets with Jantien van Renterghem, a financial crime and sanctions lawyer in the BAU. In this episode, Jantien shares invaluable insights into the role of the BAU, outlining how she ensures that accepted business aligns with the firm's commercial objectives and legal obligations. We also delve into the effects of global conflicts on new business, including the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Deconstructing Crypto Ep10

La Legge sulla Competitività dei Capitali vuole favorire la raccolta dei capitali sul mercato, sia incentivando la quotazione di nuove società sia semplificando le regole applicabili alle società già quotate. Alessandra Pala, counsel del dipartimento International Capital Markets, e Marco Biallo, senior associate del dipartimento Corporate, parlano dei cambiamenti più rilevanti per le società, dalla corporate governance e lo svolgimento dell’assemblea delle società quotate, al voto plurimo e maggiorato, fino alle misure adottate in tema di piccole e medie imprese.

In this episode, we continue our discussion with Dr. Sandie Okoro OBE, Group General Counsel at Standard Chartered Bank joins Justin Farrance. Sandie was told at the age of eight that ‘little black girls like you don’t become judges’.  Having ignored the naysayers and risen to be listed by Powerlist as one of the most influential people of African and African Caribbean heritage in the U.K., Sandie shares her story, meaningful advice to those who feel pressured to conform within their careers, and some of her decisions along the way, including why her ‘Women in Law’ portrait is captioned, ‘this is what a single mother from Balham looks like’.

In this episode, Dr. Sandie Okoro OBE, Group General Counsel at Standard Chartered Bank joins Justin Farrance. Sandie was told at the age of eight that ‘little black girls like you don’t become judges’.  Having ignored the naysayers and risen to be listed by Powerlist as one of the most influential people of African and African Caribbean heritage in the U.K., Sandie shares her story, meaningful advice to those who feel pressured to conform within their careers, and some of her decisions along the way, including why her ‘Women in Law’ portrait is captioned, ‘this is what a single mother from Balham looks like’.

Women in Funds 12 February

Cristiano Tommasi, Alessandra Pala ed Emiliano La Sala del dipartimento International Capital Markets di Allen & Overy in Italia, fanno il punto sui principali cambiamenti che porta il DDL Capitali, una legge che si pone come obiettivo la crescita del mercato dei capitali italiano.

In this podcast, our tax experts look into the implications of Pillar Two, the OECD/G20’s initiative to introduce a global minimum tax, for structured finance transactions. Tax partners Chris Harrison, Esther Lemmon and Charles Yorke speak to tax knowledge counsel Brin Rajathurai about various topics including: A recap of the global minimum tax – what is Pillar Two and how does it work? The tax consequences of the new rules in the context of structured finance transactions and the potential commercial repercussions The significance of consolidation for Pillar Two purposes and unexpected grouping of orphan vehicles How the UK and other jurisdictions are addressing some of the potential issues for structured finance transactions

Livio Bossotto e Giorgia Giorgetti, rispettivamente partner e counsel del dipartimento Employment di Allen & Overy in Italia, parlano del recente provvedimento con cui il Garante della Privacy ha chiarito i limiti per il trattamento dei metadati contenuti nella posta elettronica dei dipendenti da parte del datore di lavoro e della portata di tale provvedimento per le aziende.

In this podcast, Godwin Tan and Vicky Chen from A&O’s Society of East Asian Lawyers (SEAL) chat with Grace Wang and Miao Wang, two recently promoted A&O partners based in New York and Luxembourg respectively. Grace and Miao discuss their career journeys, the challenges and opportunities they faced as lawyers of East Asian ethnicity, and their advice for junior lawyers. Tune in to hear about the experiences and achievements of two East Asian lawyers across three continents!

In this podcast, members from our global ESG and sustainability team discuss what lies ahead on the sustainability agenda and the key regulatory developments to watch in 2024.  The main themes include: Political and economic drivers of market activity and regulation, including the implications of 2024's “year of elections” and of the commitments made at COP28 [01:23]; Sustainability data and reporting – key trends in the global sustainability reporting landscape [17:26], and three significant challenges for business, namely: scope 3 GHG emissions, transition plans, and nature [26:17]. Supply chains – significant regulatory initiatives focusing on adverse impacts on human rights and the environment [31:56], deforestation [40:09], and critical minerals for the net zero transition [35:08]. Carbon pricing, carbon trading and related measures, including carbon border adjustment mechanisms [44:05], voluntary carbon markets and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement [47:47]. Closing thoughts [50:26], including on ESG litigation, greenwashing claims and enforcement, the weaponisation of ESG, PFAS regulatory enforcement and litigation, and the interplay between taxonomies, reporting frameworks and transition plans. This podcast was recorded on 31 January 2024. 

In this episode, Johanna Tschurtschenthaler (Counsel, Tax), Stephanie Yiolitou (Senior Associate, Tax) and Chiara Wolf (Junior Associate, Tax) uncover the impact of ATAD 2’s reverse hybrid mismatch rule on Luxembourg fund structures and dive deep into the implications of this rule for Luxembourg fund entities. They share best practices related to tax structuring and risk management for Luxembourg funds and give an update on the latest guidance from tax authorities regarding the respective tax forms. An episode full of practical examples and answers to the market’s most common questions!

In this episode, Johanna Tschurtschenthaler (Counsel, Tax), Stephanie Yiolitou (Senior Associate, Tax) and Chiara Wolf (Junior Associate, Tax) uncover the impact of ATAD 2’s reverse hybrid mismatch rule on Luxembourg fund structures and dive deep into the implications of this rule for Luxembourg fund entities. They share best practices related to tax structuring and risk management for Luxembourg funds and give an update on the latest guidance from tax authorities regarding the respective tax forms. An episode full of practical examples and answers to the market’s most common questions!  

Join Allen & Overy U.S M&A partner Dario de Martino, Senior Counsel Kuang Chiang, Associate Puja Patel and Associate Mara Goodman, and as they analyze key tech M&A and regulatory trends of 2023 and discuss predictions for 2024. The panel discusses the downturn in tech M&A during 2023, attributing it to macroeconomic factors, including geopolitical conflicts and heightened regulatory scrutiny. A key issue highlighted is the valuation discrepancies between buyers and sellers in 2023, often bridged by earnouts. Mara Goodman delves into the increased adoption of earnouts in tech and life sciences M&A. These arrangements, generally pegged to financial metrics like revenue, earnings or EBITDA targets, have been pivotal in reconciling differing valuation expectations. However, Dario de Martino and Mara Goodman caution that one of the issues in the use of earnout provisions is the complexity of these provisions. If not drafted simply, with clear language and objective criteria, they can lead to post-transaction disputes that are costly and time consuming. They further discuss the use of arbitration clauses for dispute resolution in the event of a post-transaction dispute. The conversation also highlights the vital role of tech M&A in corporate growth strategies, emphasizing drivers such as AI (including AI-enabled enterprise software), cybersecurity and Web3, which are poised to propel future M&A activities in 2024. The team also discusses the aggressive antitrust merger enforcement regime seen in the U.S. in 2023 and how it has affected dealmakings. Anti-trust specialist Puja Patel examines expected developments in 2024, including the release of new FTC/DOJ Merger Guidelines and the proposed changes to the HSR Act notification form, and discusses how these changes will influence dealmaking. Lastly, the team discusses the outlook for cross-border tech M&A deals in 2024 and evaluates how the recent increase in scrutiny of inbound investments for national security issues may impact tech transactions. CFIUS specialist Kuang Chiang analyzes how the current regulatory regime, including mandatory filing requirements, the increase in foreign direct investment regimes, and new regulation on outbound investments, impacts dealmakers. 

In this episode, we continue our discussion with Tuvia Borok, Goldman Sachs’ Managing Director and Global Head of Policy and Document who shares his career journey and insights, as well as the importance of inclusive leadership and theories including stereotype threat.

In this podcast Emma Danforth, Vittoria Faraone and Joseph Ray discuss some of the key European and UK regulatory changes on the horizon which asset managers and funds should have on their radar as we move towards 2024, including the hot topics of ESG, AIFMD II and retailisation of funds. This podcast forms part of the Great Fund Insights series, a global resource providing practical insights into legal and regulatory developments affecting fund managers and institutional investors across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the U.S.

Non-fungible token (NFT) predstavuje unikátny kryptografický záznam na blockchaine, ktorého obsahom sú metadáta odkazujúce na podkladové aktívum. Michal Porubský a Lukas Ljubovič túto zložitú definíciu v rozhovore s Monikou Nagyovou rozobrali na drobné – výsledkom je právnické zamyslenie sa nad tým, čo sú NFTs a hlavne aké práva sa nadobúdajú s ich kúpou. Vo svojej diskusii sa venujú vlastníckym a autorským právam, ktoré sú spojené s NFTs. Samozrejme preberú aj rozdelenie NFTs, účastníkov v NFT ekosystéme, súčasnú právnu reguláciu, spôsob určovanie jurisdikcie pre NFTs a odpovedia aj na ďalšie právne otázky.

Insgesamt werden in teilweiser Ausnutzung des genehmigten Kapitals der Gesellschaft 11.783.766 neue, auf den Namen lautende Stückaktien, mit einem rechnerischen Anteil am Grundkapital von je 1,00 Euro ausgegeben. Dadurch erhöht sich das Grundkapital der Gesellschaft von 29.459.415,00 Euro um 11.783.766,00 Euro (entsprechend rund 40,00% des derzeitigen Grundkapitals) auf 41.243.181,00 Euro. Die neuen Aktien sind ab dem 1. Januar 2021 in vollem Umfang gewinnberechtigt. Die neuen Aktien werden voraussichtlich am 21. April 2022 in die bestehende Notierung am regulierten Markt der Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse sowie im Teilbereich des regulierten Marktes mit weiteren Zulassungsfolgepflichten (Prime Standard) an der Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse einbezogen. Die MAX Automation SE mit Sitz in Düsseldorf ist eine mittelständisch geprägte Finanz- und Beteiligungsgesellschaft, die sich auf die Verwaltung und den Erwerb von Beteiligungen an Wachstumsunternehmen konzentriert, die in Nischenmärkten tätig sind. Seit 2015 ist das Unternehmen im Prime Standard der Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse gelistet (ISIN DE000A2DA58) und erzielte 2021 einen Umsatz von 349,1 Millionen Euro. Mit der Bezugsrechtskapitalerhöhung, die zu einer erheblichen Stärkung des Eigenkapitals der Gesellschaft führt, hat MAX Automation – nach der Fremdkapitalseite – nunmehr auch die Eigenkapitalseite sortiert, um sich verstärkt auf Wachstum und Profitabilität konzentrieren zu können. Das Team von Allen & Overy stand unter der Leitung von Partner Dr. Knut Sauer (Eigenkapitalmarktrecht) und umfasste darüber hinaus Partner Dr. Michael Weiß (beide Frankfurt), die Counsel Dr. Jens Wagner (München) und Dr. Andre Wandt (alle Gesellschaftsrecht), Senior Associate Nadine Kämper sowie die Associates Anna Schön (beide Eigenkapitalmarktrecht), Veronika Gaile und Christina König (beide Gesellschaftsrecht, alle Frankfurt).

Od vypuknutia vojny u našich východných susedov ubehol už mesiac. Pomocnú ruku Ukrajine mnohé spoločnosti, jednotlivci a dobrovoľníci. Dvaja z našich kolegov taktiež strávili vo Vyšnom Nemeckom niekoľko dní ako dobrovoľníci.  O tom, čo na tomto hraničnom priechode robili a ako to tam vyzeralo sa porozprávala naša marketingové koordinátorka, Monika Nagyovová spolu s Pro Bono právnikou Barborou Brunovskou a Dávidom Mikušom, právnikom bankového oddelenia.

Aj tento rok priniesol magazín Právo v spolupráci s FinStatom a The Slovak Spectator komplexný prehľad o trhu právnych služieb na Slovensku. Čo tento rebríček hovorí a ako sme sa v ňom umiestnili? Čo napovie študentom práva? Ponúka korporátny právny svet priestor aj pre nezištných právnikov? Pozývame Vás vypočuť si ďalšiu epizódu nášho podcastu, v ktorom Vám naša marketingová koordinátorka Monika Nagyová, spolu s partnermi našej kancelárie, Martinom Magálom a Renátusom Kollárom, dajú odpovede nie len na tieto otázky.