Political Intervention in M&A: Overview and Implications for Private Equity

Although political interventions have traditionally tended to focus on national security, defense, critical infrastructure, access to sensitive information, and employment, the scope of many FDI regimes is being extended to cover high tech industries and critical technologies. For example, France has recently broadened the sectors covered by its regime (effective since 1st January 2019) to cover space operations as well as certain activities involving artificial intelligence (“AI”), IT systems, robotics, additive manufacturing, semiconductors, and data hosting activities.