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19 February 2025
Issue: 8105 / Categories: Legal News , International , Legal services , Sanctions , Regulatory
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Expect permanent disruption to cross-border deals, warns report

Cross-border deals are becoming more uncertain, costly and challenging for senior in-house counsel at major multinationals.

That’s the thrust of a report, ‘GeoDisruption: balancing gigawatts, gigabytes and gigapowers’, published this week by Lex Mundi, a membership organisation of 150 law firms. It anticipates that global turmoil will increase and will require earlier, more complex legal advice for boards and management teams.

It identifies three key areas of regulation—sanctions, which can create hidden risks within supply chains and generate litigation; geo-economic risk, which can block or delay deals; and supply chain disclosure rules, which increase compliance costs.

Helena Samaha, CEO and president of Lex Mundi, said: ‘One silver lining may be innovation in technology and AI, but legal teams still need structured, high-value, legal risk management support from their law firms.’  

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Jurit LLP—Caroline Williams

Private wealth and tax team welcomes cross-border specialist as consultant

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

Freeths—Michelle Kirkland Elias

International hospitality and leisure specialist joins corporate team as partner

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Flint Bishop—Deborah Niven

Firm appoints head of intellectual property to drive northern growth

NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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