A&O Shearman network insights

AI Agents – Ep 3: Digital Fortresses: Cyber and Data Risks for AI Agents

This final episode of three parts explores how AI agents elevate cybersecurity and privacy risks: AI-enabled phishing, deepfakes, prompt injection, model theft, expanded attack surfaces, and nation-state agentic attacks, plus governance, controls, and regulatory expectations. Learn how to turn risk into advantage, build trust, meet regulatory expectations, and accelerate secure AI adoption.

Author: Alex Shandro and Anna Rudawski

AI Agents – Ep 2: Transactional Integrity: AI Agents for Payments

This part two episode explores how AI agents are reshaping the online payments journey, while navigating PSD2/PSD3, GDPR, and UK rules. We unpack consent, authentication, liability, and the protocols powering agent-led commerce which can turn regulatory complexity into advantage, with actionable takeaways for product, legal, and risk teams

Author: Alex Shandro and Nikki Johnstone

AI Agents – Ep 1: Regulating Autonomy: Managing Risk When Using AI Agents

This episode kicks off a three-part exploration of AI agents: what they are, why adoption is accelerating, and how to deploy them safely for business impact. Learn key use cases, governance challenges, and risks, decode the evolving regulatory landscape and liability, and take away pragmatic controls to move fast without breaking trust.

Author: Alex Shandro and Anna Rudawski

Contractual AIFs: Crisis resolution instruments and legal personality

In this podcast, Alberto Claretta-Assandri, head of Italy Funds and Financial Regulatory, and Tommaso Paltrinieri, senior associate from the restructuring team, provide an overview of the proposed reform of the Italian Financial Act with reference to the new insolvency-related measures applicable to Italian funds and their implications to the long-debated issue of their legal status.

This podcast is spoken in Italian. 

Restructuring Across Borders: Contentious restructuring proceedings in Hong Kong and Singapore

The A&O Shearman Restructuring Across Borders Toolkit has been developed by our market-leading restructuring group (where applicable, in conjunction with our partner law firms) offering a free and easy-to-use resource that provides information and guidance on key practical aspects of restructuring and insolvency proceedings in more than 50 jurisdictions around the world.

In the latest edition of the Restructuring Across Borders podcast series, Viola Jing and Rishi Hindocha—partners in our Hong Kong and Singapore Restructuring teams respectively—take a look at:

• the restructuring landscape in their jurisdictions
• whether restructurings are becoming more contentious (particularly in light of recent restructuring plan case developments in the UK)
• the use of parallel proceedings across borders
• whether stakeholders are considering the use of alternative implementation options such as liability management exercises. 

Failure to prevent fraud offence

Over the past year, the UK has implemented sweeping reforms concerning how corporates can become liable for fraud. In this podcast episode, Matt Townsend, co-head of our Global International Trade group, is joined by counsel Tom d’Ardenne (London) and associate Ming Zee Tee (London) to unpack the new failure to prevent fraud offence and its implications for M&A.

 

Our speakers explain how large companies may be held to account for fraud committed by employees, agents, subsidiaries, and other associated persons providing services. They explain what types of fraud are covered by the offence and how this regulation will reshape M&A due diligence and deal execution. The discussion highlights the practical steps businesses should take—particularly around governance, policies, and procedures—to mitigate risk and preserve value in transactions.

 

Drawing parallels to the transformational effect of the UK Bribery Act in 2011, we expect to see a significant shift in how clients prepare for and conduct deals. Tune in for a practical discussion of how the new rules will operate in practice and the key implications businesses need to consider.

Annual reports and AGMs—what you need to know this year 2025-2026

In this latest edition of our podcast, we delve into the essential considerations for company secretaries and their teams as they prepare for their next annual report and AGM.

The key themes covered in this podcast include:

• AGMs: current market practice and trends expected in 2026
• Annual reports: a practical guide on the impact of the UK Corporate Governance Code 2024, an overview of changes that will impact the directors' report and directors' remuneration report, and a discussion of developments in sustainability reporting
• Horizon scanning: developments currently in the pipeline as well as market trends that may impact UK AGMs and corporate reporting in the future

Private equity investment in the defense sector: navigating a transforming landscape

The defense sector is seeing a level of interest, investment and focus not seen in generations, with significant implications for private equity investors. Interest in this sector has surged globally, and Europe in particular is witnessing a marked increase in activity.

As momentum continues to grow in this sector, investors and issuers are presented with both distinctive opportunities and complex challenges. In this podcast, our private capital team consisting of Peter Banks, Hendrik Roehricht, Magdalena Nasilowska, and Alain Dermarkar, examine the most recent trends, principal drivers, and challenges shaping private equity investment in the defense sector.

Reverse hybrid mismatches: Is the CIV carve-out finally decoded?

In this episode, Chiara Wolf (associate, Tax) and Johanna Tschurtschenthaler (counsel, Tax) return to one of Luxembourg’s most puzzling tax topics: the reverse hybrid mismatch rule under ATAD 2. And yes, it’s back—with clarity.

Reverse hybrid mismatches: Is the CIV carve-out finally decoded?

In this episode, Johanna Tschurtschenthaler (counsel, Tax) and Chiara Wolf (associate, Tax) return to one of Luxembourg’s most puzzling tax topics: the reverse hybrid mismatch rule under ATAD 2. And yes, it’s back—with clarity.