Companies braced for rising geopolitical risk exposure

Businesses around the globe are facing heightened risk exposure and cost pressures as geopolitical disruption and price volatility continues to rise. In this episode, we pinpoint what to watch out for and we suggest ways to minimise exposure and mitigate the impact of potential disputes. The current geopolitical instability is creating a multitude of legal and compliance risks for businesses globally, most notably for those operating in – or financing – the construction, energy and infrastructure sectors. For this episode, we’ve assembled an expert team to highlight the key litigation and compliance risks arising from the conflict in the Middle East, and to share practical considerations and actions for in-house legal teams navigating these challenges. It’s a timely discussion, given the confluence of force majeure notices, supply chain disruptions, tightening insurance and extreme weather in the Middle East region. We tackle the rise of opportunistic claims from contractors and subcontractors seeking to excuse pre-existing delays and performance failures to current events. We walk through the contractual and regulatory ramifications and the proactive steps companies can take now.  Conduct and decisions made during high-pressure environments can incur serious liability years later. So, we also consider the chief risks of financial crime that often spike during periods of military conflict and supply chain instability. And we address implications for M&A due diligence as well as the heightened scrutiny from banks over cross-border transactions. To peel back the complexity and get to the heart of these issues, Ashurst’s Ruby Hamid is joined by colleagues Cameron Cuffe, Philip Chong and Neil Donovan. Listen to this episode by searching “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. Find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurst.com/podcasts. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.