Page 15 - Dittmar Quarterly Q1 2019

Artificial intelligence, Brexit and third-party funding
The technological revolution is here and is eventually expected to affect also the resolution
of complex disputes. But two thirds of the respondents do not expect artificial intelligence (AI) to substantially affect the resolution of complex disputes in the next few years.
Brexit also raises concern among M&A experts. Nearly one-quarter of the respondents say that their attitude towards English law as the applicable law in M&A contracts has changed as a result of the Brexit. Responses to the open-ended questions show that attitudes towards English law as the applicable law has become more cautious and uncertainties created by Brexit have increased. About half of the respondents would not accept English law as the applicable law in their M&A contracts.
Third-party funding, where a third party pays for the legal costs in litigation or arbitration on behalf of one of the parties to the dispute, is making its entry into the Finnish market. A few respondents have already encountered disputes that have been funded by a third party. Approximately 15 % of
the respondents considered it possible that their disputes will in the near future be funded by a third party.
Jan Ollila, Senior Partner @JanOllila
Jussi Lehtinen, Partner @jussi_lehtinen
PREVENTING DISPUTES
Three points to consider for the Purchaser in order to avoid disputes:
1. What are you buying?
The importance of due diligence
2 Onwhattermsareyoubuying? The importance of the contract
3. How are you integrating?
The importance of the integration plan and its execution
The study was carried out for the third time and was based on interviews with representatives of Finnish listed companies, large non-listed companies, and private equity investors who have collectively participated in more than a thousand M&A transactions during the last five years.
-120 Years of Thinking Ahead-