The Eighth Annual Berkeley Spring Forum
on M&A and the Boardroom

Hosted by Ethan Klingsberg of Freshfields and
Steven Davidoff Solomon of the University of California, Berkeley

Forum Takeaways

Berkeley Law Center for Law and Business

April 27, 2022

1:00 pm

The Berkeley Forum for M&A and the Boardroom Opens

1:05 pm

Welcome Remarks

1:10 pm

FTC Commissioner Noah Phillips on antitrust and M&A in 2022 and follow-up discussion

Speakers:

Noah Phillips, Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

Jan Rybnicek, Partner, Freshfields

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

1:40 pm

Break

1:55 pm

Fireside chat with UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) General Counsel, Sarah Cardell, on the CMA’s approach to M&A by U.S. tech and life sciences companies

Speakers:

Sarah Cardell, General Counsel, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), United Kingdom

Rod Carlton, Partner, Freshfields

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

2:20 pm

Reactions to Commissioner Phillips and GC Cardell and discussion of the impact of antitrust on the startup and tech M&A ecosystem

Speakers:

Sarah Cardell, General Counsel, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), United Kingdom

Jeremiah Gordon, General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, CapitalG

Kristen Limarzi, Partner, Gibson Dunn

Jan Rybnicek, Partner, Freshfields

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

2:50 pm

Break

3:00 pm

Changing Impact of U.S. National Security Considerations on M&A, Joint Ventures, and Alliances — Featuring Current and Former U.S. National Security Personnel

Speakers:

Peter Harrell, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness, National Security Council, White House

Aimen Mir, Partner, Freshfields

Frank Partnoy, Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

3:30 pm

Break

3:40 pm

SEC Commissioner Allison Lee, with former SEC Commissioner Robert Jackson, on disclosure and securities law issues for pre-IPO companies, followed by reactions from Silicon Valley insiders

Speakers:

Adam Eltoukhy, Vice President, General Counsel, Samsara

Robert Jackson, Former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Scott James, General Counsel, DCVC

Allison Lee, Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Sarah Solum, Partner, Freshfields

Jen Yeh, Vice President, General Counsel, Checkr

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

4:35 pm

Break

4:50 pm

Fireside chat with the Honorable Lori Will, Vice Chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery, on troubling signs from recent M&A caselaw

Speakers:

Mary Eaton, Partner, Freshfields

Lori Will, Vice Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

5:20 pm

Closing Remarks on Twitter, Poison Pills, and Deals in the Age of Social Media

Speakers:

Steven Davidoff Solomon, Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Ethan Klingsberg, Partner, Freshfields

Video transcripts can be provided upon request. Please email bclb@law.berkeley.edu

5:35 pm

Cocktail Reception

Speakers

Sarah Cardell

General Counsel, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), United Kingdom

Rod Carlton

Partner, Freshfields

Georgia Dawson

Senior Partner, Freshfields

Mary Eaton

Partner, Freshfields

Adam Eltoukhy

Vice President, General Counsel, Samsara

Jeremiah Gordon

General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer, CapitalG

Peter Harrell

Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness, National Security Council, White House

Robert Jackson

Former Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Scott James

General Counsel, DCVC

Ethan Klingsberg

Partner, Freshfields

Allison Lee

Commissioner, Securities and Exchange Commission

Kristen Limarzi

Partner, Gibson Dunn

Aimen Mir

Partner, Freshfields

Frank Partnoy

Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Noah Phillips

Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission

Jan Rybnicek

Partner, Freshfields

Steven Davidoff Solomon

Professor, University of California, Berkeley

Sarah Solum

Partner, Freshfields

Lori Will

Vice Chancellor, Delaware Court of Chancery

Jen Yeh

Vice President, General Counsel, Checkr

The Eighth Annual Berkeley Spring Forum
on M&A and the Boardroom

Berkeley Spring Forum

Conference Schedule