The Freshfields Podcast

Chi fa l'arbitro quando la partita riguarda la concorrenza? In questo episodio di Essential Antitrust – The Italian Voice guardiamo allo sport da una prospettiva diversa, esplorando il ruolo del diritto antitrust in un settore sempre più rilevante dal punto di vista economico. Dal caso Superlega alla recente sentenza ROGON, passando per il pattinaggio, il calcio europeo, le regole sugli agenti sportivi e i trasferimenti dei calciatori: analizziamo alcune delle decisioni che stanno ridefinendo i rapporti tra federazioni, club, atleti e organizzatori di competizioni, per capire come l’antitrust scende in campo quando si parla di sport.

Tune in to the latest episode of our EUnpacked podcast series, where we unpack the forthcoming revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) – the EU’s flagship climate policy and one of its most consequential regulatory frameworks for business. With the European Commission’s legislative proposal which has just been postponed for publication on 17 July. The debate is intensifying around key issues including the future pace of emissions reductions, reforms to free allocation, the role of carbon removals and international credits, and the possible extension of the system to new sectors. In this episode, Freshfields' EU Regulatory & Public Affairs Senior Consultant Karl Thies is joined by James Chapman, Partner in the firm's Energy and Infrastructure practice, and Stefan Schröder, Partner in the firm's Energy Regulatory practice, to discuss what the revision could mean for companies' investment decisions, competitiveness, and decarbonisation strategies in the years ahead.

In our latest episode of "No Worse Off," host Lindsay Hingston is joined by Amsterdam partner Michael Broeders and senior associate Huub Boekhorst for a deep dive into the Dutch restructuring market.

The Netherlands is one of Europe's most versatile restructuring jurisdictions - and this episode explains why. How does the WHOA compare to Chapter 11 and the UK scheme? How powerful is Dutch share pledge enforcement? Is the Dutch regime more receptive to LME transactions than elsewhere? They provide answers to all this and more, by reference to the leading cases including McDermott and Selecta.

Stay tuned for more insights into the world of restructuring and thank you for listening to "No Worse Off.

In this episode of Well-Caffeinated, host Tim Clark is joined by four Freshfields colleagues to examine one of the most significant trends impacting Private Capital today: the increasing focus on “retail” sources of capital for Private Capital investment strategies. Melissa Hodgman, David Nicolardi, Andrew Gladstein and Jeremy Barr unpack what it means for a Private Capital managers to add a retail component to its investor pool.  

The conversation covers the differences between the types of private funds traditionally managed by Private Capital managers and so-called retail funds, such as interval funds, tender offer funds and business development companies (BDCs); the different regulatory regimes applicable to retail funds as compared to traditional closed-end Private Capital products; and the risks associated with managing retail investors in open-ended funds versus institutional investors in closed end products. The panel addresses the areas of sharpest regulatory focus — valuation, liquidity, conflicts of interest, fees and distributions — before closing with practical guidance on how Private Capital managers should think about structuring their compliance programs and managing regulatory, litigation and reputational risks throughout the life cycle of a retail vehicle.

For additional context and resources related to today’s discussion, visit the referenced article on the retailization of Private Capital authored by the podcast panel.

Twelve months ago, Daniele Calisti, Head of Unit for Merger Policy and Case Support at the European Commission, joined us to discuss the launch of the Commission's public consultation on the revision of the EU Merger Guidelines. Now, with a draft text on the table, host Jenn Mellott welcomes him back — alongside economist David Foster of Frontier Economics and Brussels partner Thomas Janssens — to get the insider’s perspective on the most significant rewrite of EU merger control in over twenty years.

The conversation goes beyond the published text to explore the Commission's own thinking on the revamped efficiencies and "theory of benefit" framework, the new dynamic theories of harm, the differentiated evidential standard, resilience as a parameter of competition, and the Innovation Shield for acquisitions of small innovative companies. Whether you're a friend of the podcast or a new listener, you'll find everything you need in this episode to navigate the reform with confidence.

With the consultation closing on 26 June and the Commission already applying the new principles informally, this episode delivers the insight your deal team needs — directly from the source.