Daily Briefing Podcast

Capital Markets

Shein wins Chinese regulatory approval for Hong Kong IPO in its third attempt to go public

Three failed listing attempts show that geopolitical risk is now a core underwriting variable for cross-border IPOs.

Energy & Tech

UK government moves to bring cloud computing giants under direct financial regulatory oversight to protect systemic resilience

Regulated cloud providers means every major bank's infrastructure contracts need a compliance audit overnight.

Regulation

FCA finds widespread product design failings in Consumer Duty review but points to measurable improvements where firms have engaged seriously

Consumer Duty enforcement is no longer theoretical: the FCA now has an evidence base to benchmark firms against.

Disputes

London court largely defeats Dieselgate emissions claims against major carmakers, ruling most challenged software was not a prohibited defeat device

A mass Dieselgate defeat resets the litigation funding calculus for future UK automotive group actions.

Banking & Finance

Private credit exit routes shift toward strategic buyers and IPOs as sponsor-to-sponsor deals decline, DBRS data shows

Strategic buyer exits from private credit portfolios generate dual mandates: acquisition finance for the buyer and full credit refinancing for the seller.

International

Latham and Watkins hires two capital markets partners from Davis Polk as US firms accelerate lateral recruitment in London and New York

Partners follow deal flow, and deal flow follows relationships: lateral capital markets hires are a leading indicator of which US firms are winning the IPO pipeline.

AI & Law

UK firm Setfords builds proprietary AI-integrated legal intelligence platform as in-house GCs accelerate AI adoption to cut costs and reshape firm pricing

GCs using AI to insource work compress the billable hour market for exactly the tasks junior lawyers currently perform.