BLOMSTEIN assisted Xerox Holdings Corporation on German foreign direct investment control aspects relating its acquisition of Lexmark International, Inc. The deal valued at USD 1.5 billion was completed on July 1.

This briefing is the fourth in a series on the EU-Mercosur agreement, where BLOMSTEIN addresses key provisions with respect to Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Public Procurement, Competition and Sustainability, and outlines implications and opportunities for businesses.

Today’s briefing focuses on the Government Procurement chapter of the Agreement, which sets out a comprehensive framework for open and reciprocal access to public procurement markets between the two parties. Tendering processes are expected to become more streamlined, transparent, and competitive.

This briefing is the third in a series on the EU-Mercosur agreement, where BLOMSTEIN addresses key provisions with respect to Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Public Procurement, Competition and Sustainability, and outlines implications and opportunities for businesses.

In this release, we focus on the Agreement’s core provisions related to Trade in Services, particularly the commitments framework, national treatment and limitations. In 2023, the EU exported €28.5 billion in services to Mercosur, while Mercosur’s service exports to the EU amounted to €13.1 billion. The Agreement is expected to significantly boost this bilateral exchange. For the EU in particular, the agreement presents expanded opportunities in strategic sectors such as business services, financial services, telecommunications, maritime transport, and postal and courier services.

This briefing is the second in a series on the EU-Mercosur agreement, where BLOMSTEIN addresses its key provisions with respect to Trade in Goods, Trade in Services, Public Procurement, Competition and Sustainability, and outline implications and opportunities for businesses.

In this release, we focus on the Agreement’s core provisions with respect to Trade in Goods, particularly tariff elimination schedules, safeguards for impacted sectors and rules of origin.

BLOMSTEIN advised US investment firm Summit Partners on German foreign direct investment control aspects relating the sale of its shares in ELATEC to leading security and solutions provider Allegion plc. The transaction is valued at €330 million on a cash-free, debt-free basis, and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025.

BLOMSTEIN assisted French listed investment company IDI on German foreign direct investment control aspects relating the acquisition of a majority stake in radar technology specialist Intersoft Electronics Group (IE). The transaction was carried out as a secondary leveraged buyout in close partnership with the existing management team.

After more than two decades of negotiations, the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement  has taken a significant step closer to becoming a reality. Last December, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and her counterparts from four Mercosur countries (Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay) announced they reached a political agreement on the matter. However, the partnership agreement will only come into force after completion by each Party of its internal approval procedures (ratification process).

Am 27. Mai 2025 lädt das CELIS German Chapter gemeinsam mit BLOMSTEIN und Dentons zu einem wirtschaftspolitischen Round Table über Auswirkungen handelspolitischer Maßnahmen auf Investitionsentscheidungen in die Berliner Kanzleiräume von Dentons ein.

In der unternehmensinterne Compliance wird Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) zunehmend eingesetzt. Besonders in der Exportkontrolle und im Zollrecht lassen sich durch KI signifikante Zeit- und Effizienzgewinne erzielen, etwa bei der automatisierten Zuordnung von Produkten zu Zolltarifnummern, dem Abgleich von Kunden mit Sanktionslisten oder der Identifizierung relevanter Regelwerke. Eine besonders sorgfältige, rechtlich einwandfreie Vorgehensweise ist unerlässlich. In diesem Briefing erläutern wir, wie KI auch in reaktiven Compliance-Prozessen der Exportkontrolle und des Zollrechts Chancen bietet. Die rechtlichen Herausforderungen, die dabei berücksichtigt werden müssen, haben wir bereits in unserem Briefing „KI in internen Untersuchungen“ aufgezeigt.

„Wir befinden uns schon lange nicht mehr im Frieden, weil wir täglich angegriffen werden.“ – Generalleutnant André Bodemann.

Deutschland ist zunehmend Ziel niederschwelliger (hybrider) Angriffe. Diese reichen von Desinformationen über Ausspähung bis hin zu Sabotage. Häufig betroffen ist die kritische Infrastruktur – etwa Energie- und Wasserversorgung, Transport und Verkehr sowie Informationstechnik und Telekommunikation. Dadurch rückt die Resilienz von Unternehmen, insbesondere solche der kritischen Infrastruktur, verstärkt auch in den Fokus gesetzlicher Regulierung. Grund genug zu beleuchten, inwiefern die Wirtschaft in Deutschland derzeit und zukünftig in die Verantwortung genommen wird, sich gegen Angriffe zu schützen und im Krisenfall zu reagieren.