A&O Shearman U.S. and Americas

Congratulations to Karen Contoudis Buzard and Elaine Johnston, who are amongst this year’s Corporate Counsel’s 2024 Women, Influence and Power in Law Awards honorees. The awards recognize women leaders and allies who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law. Karen Buzard, U.S. Head of our markets innovation group (MIG) received the Innovative Leadership award. Elaine Johnston, antitrust partner, received the Lifetime Achievement award. We celebrate these inspiring women who continue to push the boundaries and empower women in the legal industry. Learn more about Karen here: https://lnkd.in/enAAcsHs Learn more about Elaine here: https://lnkd.in/eqM7mS_M #AOShearman #WomenInLaw

Dive into the latest insights on recent trends and patterns in the enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) with our latest FCPA Digest. Our latest report offers an in-depth look at the trajectory of FCPA enforcement throughout 2023, taking into account the evolving priorities of enforcement agencies and the dynamic landscape of global geopolitics. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gYcAAyd9 #AOShearman #FCPA

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement a new Outbound Investment Security Program. This new proposed program is intended to address the national security threat posed by certain “countries of concern” – currently defined to include China, Hong Kong, and Macau – that are seeking to develop sensitive technologies and products for military, intelligence, surveillance, or cyber-enabled capabilities. The proposed rule would prohibit or require notification of certain types of outbound investments involving covered national security technologies and products in the semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information technologies, and artificial intelligence sectors. Learn more about the proposed rule, key takeaways, and potential impacts investors should consider from partners Ken Rivlin, Maura Rezendes, Michael Walsh, counsel Kuang Chiang, and associate Ben Vallimarescu: https://lnkd.in/gXg-s562 #AOShearman #OutboundInvestment

Our capital markets team represented the dealer managers, led by BofA Securities and RBC Capital Markets, in a USD1.384 billion abbreviated cash tender offer by Teck Resources Limited, a leading Canadian resource company focused on responsibly providing metals essential for economic development and the energy transition.   Our team was led by partner Ryan Robski and associates Nicole Bennewies and Nikolaos Chagias with support from partners Jason Lehner and Larry Crouch and associate Austin Jones.   Read more on the deal here: https://lnkd.in/efCek6CW #AOShearman

Our capital markets team, led by partner Alejandro A. Gordano alongside associate Gonzalo Robles and visiting attorney Moises Gonzalez Arroyo, advised the initial purchasers in connection with Telecom Argentina’s offering of USD500 million. This transaction, which represents Telecom Argentina’s return to the international capital markets since 2020, is intended for loan payments and transaction expenses, and any remainder for general corporate purposes. Additional support on the transaction was provided by partner Lorenz Haselberger and associate Daniel Kachmar. Read more about the transaction here: https://lnkd.in/dvPf-SHR #AOShearman

Doreen Lilienfeld, our U.S. co-managing partner and member of the executive committee, and Emily Black, managing partner of our Austin office, spoke with Law360 about our firm’s strategic presence and investment in the world’s tenth largest economy, Texas. "The scale of this merger and the opportunities it presents to us, both inbound to Texas and outbound from Texas, are endless," said Doreen. "We have the ability to provide our clients with excellence everywhere they're doing business." Commenting on our global reach and local depth, Emily added: "We provide local law advice, U.S. law advice and we are second to none on U.K. advice. It doesn't matter where you are, it's where you want to be, and we are everywhere you want to be.” Read more about our growing footprint in Austin, Dallas and Houston here (subscription required): https://lnkd.in/eQc7e7v3 #AOShearman #Texas

What’s next for the SolarWinds’ cybersecurity case? Partners Anna Rudawski, Julian Moore, and Adam Schwartz and associates Alexander K. Bussey and Alexis Wilpon dissect the district court’s partial motion, examining which parts of the case continue to move forward, which claims were dismissed, and what that means for the SEC and cyber cases in the future. Read what’s in and what’s out here: https://lnkd.in/dJ4vAZH9 #AOShearman

Our DEI Women’s Initiative & LSR team co-sponsored our Second Annual Bay Area Women’s Afternoon Tea & Philanthropy event, held by partner Helen Christakos. Despite the heat, we enjoyed afternoon tea and finished the day assembling “Healing Vibes” dignity kits benefiting The Grateful Garment Project, for women who are victims of abuse. We are proud to support the organization that provides kits to survivors impacted by violence, including Chanel Miller, a survivor whose impact statement was read 15 million times within five days of publication. #AOShearman

The Supreme Court's decision in Loper Bright Enterprises et al v. Raimondo has overturned the long-standing Chevron precedent, altering the landscape of administrative law by ending the practice of courts deferring to agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Partner Chip Cannon and senior counsel J. Porter Wiseman explain how this seismic shift impacts regulatory frameworks and raises questions about the future of energy projects and regulatory authority. Read our insights here: https://lnkd.in/eSn8AsYw #FERC #EnergyRegulatory #Energy

We represented Stelco Holdings Inc. in its agreement to be acquired by Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. in a deal with a total enterprise value of approximately CAD 3.4 billion.   Stelco is a low cost, integrated and independent steelmaker, supplying customers in the construction, automotive, energy, appliance, and pipe and tube industries across Canada and the United States. Cleveland-Cliffs is the largest flat-rolled steel and iron ore pellets producer in North America.   Our team was led by Sean Skiffington and included partners Ryan Robski, Jason Lehner, Benjamin Gris, Jonathan Cheng, Larry Crouch, and Jai Garg and associates Luca Marescotti, Austin Jones, and Daniella Villatoro.   Read more on the deal here: https://lnkd.in/eDN4JSnh   #AOShearman