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Briefing Notes
M&A
FedEx-Led Consortium Launches $9 Billion Tender Offer for Polish Parcel Giant InPost, with Acceptance Period Running May 26 to July 27
A $9bn logistics take-private spanning three jurisdictions means the CMA and EU filings will define the timeline.
Energy & Tech
Chancellor Reeves Announces Plan to Shield Clean Energy Projects from Judicial Review, Giving Parliament Direct Power to Designate Critical National Infrastructure
Removing judicial review risk from CNI energy projects collapses a key financing hurdle — lenders can commit capital earlier.
Banking & Finance
UK Public Sector Borrowing Hits £24.3bn in April — Second-Highest on Record — as Iran War Energy Shock Threatens Rachel Reeves' Fiscal Targets
Record April borrowing forces more gilt issuance, pushing up benchmark rates that squeeze every leveraged borrower's refinancing cost.
Disputes
UK Court of Appeal Orders SRA to Pay 65% of Dentons' Costs — Over £500,000 — After Losing Anti-Money Laundering Dispute
A £500k costs order against the SRA raises the stakes for how regulators decide which AML cases are worth fighting.
Capital Markets
European Equities Head for Fourth Straight Day of Gains as Iran Peace Talk Optimism and Brent at $104 Reshape Market Risk Sentiment
Geopolitical windows drive IPO timing — a four-day rally can unlock listings that have been queued for months.
Regulation
FCA and PRA Refresh Skilled Person Panel in Competitive Retender, Appointing Five Major Firms for Four-Year Terms Including New Panels for Transaction Reporting and Market Abuse
New s166 panels for transaction reporting and market abuse signal exactly where the FCA expects to focus enforcement pressure next.
AI & Law
Client Pressure Now Directly Shapes Law Firm AI Tool Selection as 85% of Firms Already Feel or Expect Client-Driven Demands on Their AI Strategy
When clients pick the AI tools, firms that resist lose mandates — technology procurement is now a client relationship issue.
International
London International Disputes Week 2026 Convenes in June with NERA, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, Pinsent Masons, and Monckton Chambers Anchoring Expert Sessions on Carbon, Competition, and Cross-Border Tax
Carbon neutrality claims are the next wave of international arbitration — quantifying damages where ESG representations are contested.