On June 8, the Scott Simpson Cross-Border Institute at Fordham Law held the 2023 Transatlantic Conference, titled “How Geopolitical Instability Affects the Global Deal Market.” The conference was held at the Law School and featured a keynote address by John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, followed by expert panels on China and Ukraine. More than 100 guests convened for the conference, which was hosted by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and the Fordham Corporate Law Center.
Brennan’s keynote, informed by 30 years of working in national security, provided a snapshot of the current global ecosystem including a discussion of recent geopolitical developments involving Russia and China, globalization, geopolitical instability, and the effects these issues have on corporate dealmaking around the world.
When discussing China’s role in the global economy, Brennan stated that it would be a “vast understatement to say that the U.S.-China relationship is marked by deep mutual distrust.”
“The status of that relationship, especially its high points and low points, will have a deep and profound impact on global affairs and global dealmaking for many, many years to come,” he added.
Additionally, on the subject of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, Brennan noted, “There is one thing that I can say with absolute confidence about Russia’s brutal and unprovoked attack against Ukraine: that is, unfortunately, the conflict will not end anytime soon.”
John Brennan, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, addresses the audience.
Specialist Panels on Russian and China
The keynote was followed by a lively panel discussion featuring experts on both China and Ukraine. Henry Hong Liu, an experienced legal and business advisor on Asian banking and regulation and former general counsel and director-general of the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and Roy Liu, partner and chair of Hughes Hubbard & Reed’s Greater China practice group, discussed the recent history of trade negotiations between the U.S. and China.
Andrew S. Weiss, the James Family Chair and vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Peter Clement, senior research scholar at the Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies at the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, provided an analysis of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent political and military decisions.
All four panelists also spoke about the obstacles to dealmaking and business opportunities in both China and Ukraine, as well as predictions for the future, with moderator Richard Squire, faculty director of the Corporate Law Center and Alpin J. Cameron Chair in Law.
Advancing Knowledge about Worldwide Legal and Regulatory Issues
The Scott Simpson Cross-Border Institute at Fordham Law—led by an advisory board chaired by Skadden and managed through Fordham Law’s Corporate Law Center—was first conceptualized by the late Scott Simpson ’82, an adjunct professor at the Law School who passed away in 2022. Simpson also founded the London office of Skadden, where he served as co-head of the global transactions practice.
A key initiative of Simpson’s prior to his passing, the annual Transatlantic Conference allows practitioners and business leaders to come together and focus on some of the most pressing issues in the field.
“The Corporate Law Center was honored to work with Skadden and Scott’s family to put together this tremendous event,” said Amelia Martella, executive director of the Corporate Law Center. “From the energy in the room to the thought-provoking remarks of Mr. Brennan and our panelists, we are so proud of how this year’s Transatlantic Conference turned out and we look forward to many more successful SSCBI initiatives.”
“The Institute aims to bring together members of the worldwide legal community and academia to discuss and address significant global legal and regulatory issues,” said Dean Matthew Diller. “The goal was to unite leading law firms, practitioners, academics, and students around the world to assess and look at cross border transaction trends, to analyze issues, to drive innovation, and to focus on best practices.”
