Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions and the Law

Cross-border mergers and acquisitions are an imperative part of the accelerated economic globalization of our time. Cross-border transaction volume now accounts for almost one-third of global M&A activity and this number will only increase as business world-wide continues to expand. The complex legal issues to be handled in such transactions encompass the co-ordination of different concepts of corporate governance and capital market regulations in the laws involved, as mirrored by the intense debate on M&A law making within the European Union, and for example, Germany. Lawyers engaged in the M&A practice will inevitably be confronted with cross-border transactions and will have to appropriately counsel their clients in the variable aspects of the law. This book, based on an international conference held by the Law Centre for European and International Cooperation (RIZ) in co-operation with the Centre of Commercial Law Studies, the Asian Institute of International Financial Law, and the SMU Institute of International Banking and Finance, provides a comprehensive exploration of the legal implications of a cross-border merger or acquisition. Applying a comparative approach, the compilation of articles by professors, practitioners and bankers provides thorough information on relevant topics. In addition to this, case studies analyzing the Daimler/Chrysler Merger and the British Petroleum/Amoco Merger have been included to illustrate the impact that different structures can have on the success of a business combination.