Political due diligence

Overview 

The target company of our client was caught up in a public scandal in December 2020 that led to a number of changes in internal practices and catalysed a process of bringing in new ownership and management.

Work 

We evaluated the company's policy changes against the backdrop of legislative and regulatory proposals in the US and Canada that could affect its operations. 

We conducted interviews with industry groups, consumer advocates and former policymakers to gain perspective on policy developments that could affect the target. The analysis then informed our client’s investment strategy.

Impact

We provided a series of best practice recommendations drawing upon our work for other video-streaming and other consumer technology platforms for the target to consider should the prospective owners make the investment.

Overview 

As the owner of a hotel bed bank, our client was heavily impacted by government restrictions on international mobility due to the pandemic. 

Work 

We provided a deep-dive report assessing prospects for the return of international tourism in the US, UK, Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy and both national and supra-national political interventions which impact the return to more 'normal' travel flows. This included detailed policy and scenario analysis, informed by over 30 stakeholder and policymaker interviews.  

We continue to monitor, analyse and provide forward-looking assessments of when travel demand will return in the client’s core markets.

Impact

The client has used our insights to inform both financial hedging and financial arbitrage models that have allowed them to protect the asset from further financial losses, whilst seeking to position effectively to respond to pricing effects related to government intervention in the market.

Overview 

Our client was considering an investment in a B2C lighting business, sourcing products from all over the world (especially Asia) and selling into various end-markets in North America and Europe.

Work 

GC provided a top-to-bottom assessment of the company’s resilience against structural changes in the logistics arena stemming from Brexit and other geopolitical risks, and assessed the feasibility of diversifying suppliers of components to reduce reliance on Chinese producers. To deliver the work we drew upon teams in London, Washington DC, Brussels and Singapore, incorporating analysis from our PDD, USA policy, trade and ESG teams into one concise report.

Impact

The client provided a testimonial of our work: “Global Counsel quickly helped us form a view on geo-political risk, the taxation environment and ESG considerations in the supply chain, all in the backdrop of a highly complex environment driven by Brexit, the US election and US-China trade tensions. They were able to help us quantify and qualify a pragmatic risk-based approach. Their ability to empirically test and validate their thesis using a network of active policy makers and governmental bodies was particularly valuable and impressive.”