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Herbert Smith Freehills LLP have published an article in Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law on the litigation and regulatory risks for special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in England & Wales.

SPACs scorched the US stock markets last year, with the UK left out in the cold. While the recent crackdown by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is cooling investor interest in the US, the UK regulators are hoping that changes to the regulatory framework will bring some SPAC sunshine to this side of the Atlantic.

Given the limited number of London-listed SPACs to date, the litigation and regulatory risks for SPACs in the UK remain broadly untested. However, some cautionary tales are emerging from the US, where increasingly SPACs are the subject of litigation and regulatory scrutiny.

The article considers the changes to the UK's regulatory framework applying to SPACs, before exploring some of the key anticipated regulatory and litigation risks for SPACs in this jurisdiction.

The article can be found here: SPACs in the City: the emerging litigation and regulatory risks in England & Wales. This article first appeared in the October 2021 edition of JIBFL.

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Karen Anderson

Consultant, London

Karen Anderson
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Emma Deas

Partner, London

Emma Deas
Sarah Hawes photo

Sarah Hawes

Head of Corporate Knowledge, UK, London

Sarah Hawes
Ceri Morgan photo

Ceri Morgan

Professional Support Consultant, London

Ceri Morgan
Eleanor Dole Sheaf photo

Eleanor Dole Sheaf

Associate, London

Eleanor Dole Sheaf

Key contacts

Karen Anderson photo

Karen Anderson

Consultant, London

Karen Anderson
Emma Deas photo

Emma Deas

Partner, London

Emma Deas
Sarah Hawes photo

Sarah Hawes

Head of Corporate Knowledge, UK, London

Sarah Hawes
Ceri Morgan photo

Ceri Morgan

Professional Support Consultant, London

Ceri Morgan
Eleanor Dole Sheaf photo

Eleanor Dole Sheaf

Associate, London

Eleanor Dole Sheaf
Karen Anderson Emma Deas Sarah Hawes Ceri Morgan Eleanor Dole Sheaf