A tech-entwined world necessarily puts focus on technology companies and the opportunities that arise with them. TMT Talk, the Global Technology Sector podcast, will help you navigate and prioritize via insights from top legal advisers in strategic technology markets. We'll go into the issues, how they affect businesses, society, and the way players deal with them.
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Navigating Antitrust Challenges for Tech Companies
(Recorded June 27)
Antitrust authorities have embraced a position of intensified scrutiny, giving rise to significant challenges for technology companies. In this episode, Kim Sartin is joined by Paul Johnson and Brian Burke who delve into key developments in merger control across the US, Europe and UK, the emerging theories of harm being employed to challenge major transactions and look ahead to future antitrust trends and their associated risks. Tune in to an insightful discussion on the rapidly changing antitrust environment in the technology sector.
The Evolving TMT Carve-Out Landscape
(Recorded March 25)
The TMT sector is constantly transforming. Major TMT players regularly conduct strategic reviews which can lead to potential divestments or carve-outs of business units, key assets and divisions into independent entities, reshaping the industry dynamics. In this episode, Kate Alexander is joined by Robert Wright and Darcy Down who dive into the current market conditions driving opportunities for carve-outs, the key legal and structural considerations to focus on during the planning phase, and insights on limiting value leakage. Tune in for guidance on navigating complex carve-out transactions.
2024 Disputes Predictions for the TMT Sector
(Recorded February 20)
Baker McKenzie's seventh annual report, The Year Ahead: Global Disputes Forecast offers invaluable insights from a survey of more than 600 senior lawyers on disputes risks and predictions for 2024. In this episode of TMT Talk, Teresa Michaud, Ryan Grant and Francesca Richmond discuss the overarching trends in TMT disputes and provide actionable advice on mitigating risks and enhancing preparedness. Tune in to gain strategies for navigating the complexities of TMT disputes with confidence.
The State of Tech M&A
(Recorded June 15)
Recently there have been less mega deals but the technology industry still commands a significant portion of the M&A market. In this episode of TMT Talk, Tino Marz, Matt Jacobson, and Hong Zhang offer a multijurisdictional perspective on the current state of tech M&A. Our panel of experts share their insights on the risks and challenges that businesses should pay attention to, as well as tools and mechanisms that are important to know in order address such challenges.
Disputes in Virtual Worlds
(Recorded May 11)
The metaverse continues to be a trending topic across industries but is still largely undefined as businesses have yet to grasp the full potential of this new technology. In this episode of TMT Talk, Pablo Usle, Zelander Gray, and Sara Pitt share their insights on how navigating disputes may be transformed in the context of virtual worlds, such as metaverse. Our panel of experts discuss what companies need to consider when it comes to metaverse disputes and the challenges that arise from metaverse disputes in key areas such as employment and content moderation.
The Impact on the TMT Sector of Trade Sanctions as a Geopolitical Tool
(Recorded March 30)
Heightened sanctions and export controls targeting key technologies and the TMT sector are an important trend of recent years and reflect the current geopolitical climate. In this episode, Anne Petterd, Frank Pan, and Alison Stafford Powell discuss the practical impact these sanctions have on TMT companies and what TMT companies should do in their strategic plans to de-risk their exposure.
Workforce Reduction in TMT Companies
(Recorded March 21)
As layoffs hit the headlines in the post-pandemic world it raises the question as to what is next when it comes to managing work forces. In this episode of TMT Talk, Susan Eandi, Kim Sartin and Jonathan Isaacs discuss key factors of workforce reduction, developing restructuring plans, cost-cutting measures to consider and opportunistic hiring across the US, Europe and Asia Pacific in this unique economic climate.
The Impact of Pillar 2 on TMT Companies
(Recorded March 8)
The OECD has provided further updates on its Pillar 2 initiative and some countries have responded with their intention to implement as early as 2024. In this episode, Ciro Meza, Miles Humphrey, and Allen Tan highlight key points of the new guidelines, questions that companies have been raising and how these may affect TMT companies. Since the impact of Pillar 2 will transcend various functions within a business, our experts will share their insights on how TMT companies should react to these developments and when they should start taking action in light of the implementation timelines that have been announced.
The Evolving 5G Regulatory Landscape - Antitrust and Patents
(Recorded July 20)
The fourth instalment of Baker McKenzie's TMT Looking Ahead delves into 5G, which, with its high speed, ultra-low latency and ability to simultaneously connect multiple devices, continues to drive global business opportunities. 5G use cases are increasingly popular in all levels of infrastructure and across industries and, as such, continue to attract the scrutiny of governments and regulators. In this episode of TMT Talk, Raffaele Giarda, Stephen Crosswell, and Mackenzie Martin discuss the evolving regulatory landscape that applies to 5G and its uses cases, with a particular focus on antitrust and patents.
Protecting Your Interactive Entertainment and Metaverse Assets
(Recorded July 5)
The arrival of the metaverse presents opportunities for companies, as it is quickly becoming a platform for the distribution of products and services. The opportunities come with unique and complex legal challenges, given the relative novelty of this concept. In this episode, Teresa Michaud, Jose Maria Mendez, and Marcela Trigo* focus on the possible issues that companies may face when it comes to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights in this interactive space.
*Trench Rossi Watanabe and Baker McKenzie have executed a strategic cooperation agreement for consulting on foreign law
What to Expect for SPACs & de-SPACs in the TMT Sector
(Recorded June 28)
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have gained a lot of traction in the recent years and are expected to keep growing in popularity across markets. In this episode of TMT Talk, Raffaele Giarda, Adam Farlow, and Ivy Wong discuss what lies behind this sudden boom, the current state of SPACs in the US, Europe, and Asia Pacific, and what these markets are experiencing from a regulatory perspective, as a result of their unprecedented growth.
Outlook for M&A and Financing Transactions in the Interactive Entertainment Sector
(Recorded June 21)
Last year was a landmark year for the Interactive Entertainment sector with record M&A and financing deal values amounting to USD 85 billion, but this was easily exceeded by even higher deal values in the first few months of 2022. In this episode, Teresa Michaud, Lisa Fontenot, and Tino Marz discuss the key developments that defined the M&A and investment market in recent few months and the possible outlook they see for transactional activity in the IE sector.
How the Cloud is Driving Interactive Entertainment
(Recorded June 15)
The adoption of cloud services is essential for Interactive Entertainment companies that are looking to expand their businesses by offering content on demand and cloud-based games. In this episode, Teresa Michaud, Carlos Vela-Trevino and Dominic Edmondson look into the factors that will affect the demand for cloud services and the issues and challenges that have an impact on this sector's cloud adoption strategies.
Importance of Tax Considerations When Planning for Tech Transactions
(Recorded June 10)
The international tax landscape is expected to change with the addition of new obligations, which would also require additional due diligence in tech transactions. In this episode of TMT Talk, Raffaele Giarda, Maria Antonia Azpeitia, and Erik Christenson discuss the impact of Digital Services Taxes, the OECD's Pillar 1 and Pillar 2 initiatives, the possibility of a US tax reform and what companies need to consider given these changes.
Future Spotlights on Tech Compliance and Investigations
(Recorded June 7)
There is a continued uptick in compliance and investigation activity in the technology sector and it is expected that this will remain true in the future. In this episode of TMT Talk, Carolina Pardo, Jerome Tomas, and Yindi Gesinde discuss the current state of the enforcement landscape, the issues, risk, and opportunities that technology companies need to consider given this, and what factors might drive enforcement in the future.
IP Acquisition as a Driver for Tech M&A
(Recorded May 31)
Intellectual property (IP) and data have been essential to the rapid growth of tech companies. IP, specifically the ability to use, protect, and monetize it, is a driving deal component in tech M&A. Thorough due diligence of the target's IP and its compliance with applicable data privacy/protection laws is crucial to manage the risks of tech deals. In this episode of TMT Talk, Raffaele Giarda, Andy Leck, and Adam Aft give their insights on the critical role of IP and data when it comes to tech M&A and on the relevant trends and issues that we may see in the future in this space.
Thailand’s Personal Data Protection Act: Compliance, Employment, and Enforcement
(Recorded May 25)
The Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), Thailand's first law on data protection, is set to come into full effect on June 1 2022 and is designed to address key issues regarding the collection, use, or disclosure of personal data. With its extraterritorial reach, the PDPA is expected to significantly affect an increasingly global tech sector. In this episode, Lothar Determann, Kritiyanee Buranatrevedhya, Nam-ake Lekfuangfu, and Wasin Lertwalaipong go into detail about the compliance, employment, and enforcement aspects of the PDPA and provide their insights into what tech companies need to know and do in preparation for this new law.
Tech M&A - What to Expect in 2022 and Beyond
(Recorded May 10)
Tech M&A experienced unprecedented growth in 2021, with an increase of 71% compared to 2020. As the tech sector continues to set records in deal value and volume, it has been more crucial than ever to examine and analyse M&A trends and get a sense of what to expect in 2022 and beyond. Raffaele Giarda, William Holder, and Sze Shing Tan provide their perspectives on these trends, and gives tips for the tech sector on doing the best deal.
Privacy – 2022 Predictions and What to Prepare For
(Recorded May 4)
The introduction of new technologies inevitably brings new data privacy (and protection) challenges. In this episode of TMT Talk, Carolina Pardo, Lothar Determann, and Michaela Nebel discuss how the EU and the US respond to these challenges. Our experts highlight the latest developments in privacy legislation and data transfer restrictions in these jurisdictions and provide their perspective on what tech companies need to do to stay ahead.
AI and Trade Secrets – What’s next in the US and China?
(Recorded April 19)
Baker McKenzie's TMT Looking Ahead 2022 in a five-part series presents themes, insights, and recommendations that TMT companies should know. The first report focuses on Tech Regulation and Compliance. This episode of TMT Talk covers one of the key topics in this report: developments in artificial intelligence in the US and China. Listen to Carolina Pardo, Bradford Newman, and Zheng Zhou share their unique perspectives when it comes to AI protection, trade secrets and relevant AI trends that companies should be aware of in these two jurisdictions.
The Year Ahead: Key TMT Trends in the Global Disputes Landscape
(Recorded February 23)
Baker McKenzie's fifth annual report, The Year Ahead: Global Disputes Forecast 2022, took insights from a survey of 600 senior lawyers worldwide on disputes risk and future trends across four continents. In this episode of TMT Talk, Teresa Michaud, Cyrus Vance, Ashish Chugh, Stephen Reynolds, and Francesca Richmond highlight key points in the report and discuss how TMT companies can prepare and manage dispute risk. Our experts, in particular, give their perspective on threats and potential disputes relevant to cybersecurity, digital transformation and ESG.
TMT Takeaways from Mind the Gap
(Recorded February 16)
Baker McKenzie's Mind the Gap report outlines the main barriers to I&D success and key actions that companies can take to further develop their I&D programs. In this episode of TMT Talk, Kate Alexander, Julia Wilson, and Paul Evans focus on the insights from a survey of 900 employment and I&D leaders, looking at the most relevant issues to the TMT sector. Our lawyers highlight the key I&D challenges that the tech industry is facing and give their perspectives on the priorities that these companies need to keep in mind as they build strategies and strengthen their I&D initiatives.
Artificial Intelligence and More in North America
(Recorded January 31)
Major industries like tech, healthcare, finance, energy, manufacturing, transportation and retail have started to rely heavily on artificial intelligence and machine learning, making it one of the fastest-growing technologies in the world. In this episode of TMT Talk, our panel looks into the complexity of AI/ML, and give their perspective on specific trends and issues tech companies should focus on. Raffaele Giarda, Bradford Newman, and Marcela Robledo will share their insights on points such as the AI use cases regulators are focusing on, what companies need to know when it comes to AI governance and oversight, and AI-specific trends in M&A.
Consumer Protection in Video Games - Age Rating
(Recorded January 24)
In this episode, Harry Valetk, is joined by Carlos Dávila-Peniche, based in Mexico City and Daniel Villanueva, based in Guadalajara, to discuss consumer protection in video games with a special focus on age ratings. Join us to hear more about how to meet challenges around age ratings, global classifications, localization expectations, how to comply with age ratings in app stores or console purchases, and much more.
2021/2022 TMT Takeaways from the Digital Transformation & Cloud Survey
(Recorded January 17)
Baker McKenzie's 2021/2022 Digital Transformation and Cloud Survey aims to capture an important aspect of the evolution of technology and cloud services, with findings from 500 cross-regional global respondents. In this episode of TMT Talk, Lothar Determann, Adam Aft, Anne-Marie Allgrove, Carlos Vela-Trevino, and Steve Holmes discuss the trends and key issues affecting clients in the TMT industry surfaced by the survey, including around liability, data residency and more.
Consumer Protection in Video Games – Advertising
(Recorded January 7)
In this episode of TMT Talk, Harry Valetk is joined by Renata Amaral, Head of the Environment, Climate Change and Sustainability Practice Group at Trench Rossi Watanabe in Brazil, to discuss consumer protection in the video gaming industry with a special focus on advertising. Learn what makes video game consumers a special category of consumers, who acts as providers according to the law and court decisions, how the law considers children video game consumers and much more.