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Briefing Notes
M&A
EU and UK competition regulators signal new openness to defence sector consolidation as Europe's €800 billion rearmament drive reshapes merger control
Defence M&A is the one sector where regulators are now actively helping deals through, not blocking them.
Energy & Tech
TotalEnergies plans to appeal a French court ruling ordering it to adapt its business strategy to meet climate targets
Climate courts are no longer just ordering disclosure, they are ordering energy companies to change what they actually do.
Disputes
High Court refers barrister and legal consultant to BSB and Attorney General after finding fabricated documents and false witness statements in London property litigation
This case shows that AI cannot be used as a shield against contempt when courts find documents were fabricated.
Capital Markets
Shein's planned Hong Kong IPO brings management and ownership structure into focus as the fast-fashion giant moves closer to a public listing
Shein's ownership structure is the disclosure bottleneck that determines whether this IPO can actually complete.
Banking & Finance
HSBC is preparing to announce the sale of its $30 billion-plus Australian loan book to a US credit firm ahead of its August 4 interim results
A $30 billion loan book sale shows non-bank credit buyers now have the scale to absorb what major banks no longer want on their balance sheets.
Regulation
Swiss parliament eyes new regulatory framework for UBS, seeking to balance financial stability against competition concerns after Credit Suisse rescue
Switzerland is trying to write rules for a bank so large relative to its economy that no existing regulatory playbook quite fits.
AI & Law
Monday.com cuts 600 jobs citing AI-driven restructuring, as a Clyde and Co survey finds 86% of corporate leaders now rate AI as a high-impact risk
When 86% of board-level leaders say AI is a high-impact risk, AI governance stops being an IT question and becomes a boardroom legal mandate.
International
Magic Circle firms slow US lateral hiring as talent war with elite US firms intensifies in the American market
Slowing US lateral hiring is a tactical adjustment, not a retreat; the Magic Circle's transatlantic ambitions remain firmly intact.