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Ross Evans

Special Counsel

London +44 20 7067 2319

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Ross Evans is a leading foreign investment controls lawyer, who focuses on helping clients navigate the shifting global landscape of foreign direct investment (FDI) and national security reviews and regulations, and other regimes providing for security and public interest related geopolitical interventions in corporate, commercial and financial transactions.

    His practice covers foreign investment and international trade laws, encompassing FDI, national security and public interest review and approvals, inbound and outbound investment screening, and export control/sanctions matters, alongside related licensing and compliance and internal and regulator-facing investigations.

    Ross regularly advises major multinational companies and a broad range of strategic and financial investors. With nearly a decade of global experience managing engagement with UK, EU and international authorities, and a deep understanding of the trade and investment issues connected to critical and strategic assets and technologies, Ross provides strategic and commercial guidance to clients, general counsel and C-suite decision makers, across industries including technology and telecommunications, infrastructure, life sciences, aerospace and defence, engineering, and financial services.

    Ross frequently presents on legal developments and trends to industry bodies and trade groups in the United Kingdom and internationally. He has worked in Singapore and Stockholm, and has spent over a year on two separate secondments with a multinational technology company in London and California.

    As an elected member of the National Security Committee of techUK, a technology industry trade association, Ross works alongside committee members drawn from the technology and security sector to break down the impact of new law and policy and to advance engagement and understanding between industry and government in the UK. In connection with his expertise in sensitive and emerging technologies, Ross provided industry focused input at the request of the UK Government on drafting secondary legislation and guidance in connection with the UK's National Security and Investment Act (NSIA).

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters

    Foreign investment control and national security matters:

    • Advised a major global technology business and holding company on multiple aspects of, and matters in connection, with UK foreign investment review and the National Security and Investment Act (NSIA), including engagement with industry and government consultation, and supporting strategic assessments relating to the new regime in key areas (artificial intelligence, communications, fibre/networks).
    • Advised a leading cybersecurity business on foreign investment and national security assessments and clearances in connection with the $4 billion divestment of its enterprise security arm to a private equity group and in connection with the $14 billion public-to-private buyout of its business by a consortium.
    • Advised a multinational enterprise security business on global foreign investment review and national security clearances in connection with a >$1 billion spin out of its products business to private equity consortium.
    • Advised a global data analytics and consulting business on foreign investment review aspects of its $10 billion sale to a buyers consortia; and on the >$2.5 billion sale of its data and predictive tools business to a global private equity investor.
    • Advised the major investor on global foreign investment controls and related filings and approvals for a cross-border public-to-private acquisition of a UK-listed security and privacy software provider, valued at £1.25 billion ($1.6 billion).
    • Represented an energy sector business in relation to NSIA clearance for multiple corporate transactions including clearances in relation to a milestone merger transaction valued over £350 million.
    • Secured clearances under the UK NSIA regime for global strategic investors in relation to transactions concerning UK government defence and security contractors and security-related services providers.
    • Advised on UK ‘Public Interest’ intervention cases under the Enterprise Act 2002, including providing guidance to an indirect investor in a high-profile UK technology business and advising a third party on information requests and engagement with UK government in connection with a media / news merger case.
    • Consulted by UK government to provide specific expertise in connection with scoping of mandatory sector definitions and related guidance for sensitive technology businesses.

    Trade, sanctions and export control matters:

    • Advised a number of the world’s largest financial groups, technology businesses, professional service providers, and engineering and manufacturing businesses, in responding to UK, EU and global sanctions imposed on Russia (and counter-sanctions), and on divestment/exit strategy and transactions.
    • Secured export control, trade and financial sanctions licences for clients, including in relation to semiconductor technologies, security software, technical assistance, trade and brokering, professional services, and energy sector facilities and financing.

    • Advised a leading global technology business/holding company on cross-border export control and sanctions matters, in connection with data infrastructure, cloud services and SaaS, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, digital payments, media and telecoms.
    • Advised an S&P 100 professional services business on technology and services-focussed trade sanctions measures, financial sanctions, export controls, compliance policies and procedures, licence applications and engagement with national authorities; and advising on the divestment of its Russian operations through a local management buyout.
    • Advised multiple major multinational financial services business (including FTSE 100 and S&P 100 listed banks) on sanctions and export control matters including internal investigations and voluntary disclosures, engagement with authorities, and on sanctions considerations (and securing licences and authorisations) in connection with divestments/exits from Russia.
    • Represented an S&P 100 technology corporation on UK and EU export controls, including internal investigations and regulator facing matters, and advising on UK and EU export control and sanctions restrictions.
    • Advised leading fintech businesses on export and sanctions compliance in relation to financial services and payments technologies.
    • Assisted several international NGOs with trade and financial sanctions matters, including securing licences and authorisations, supporting on policy, training, and investigations, and strategic and operational guidance on humanitarian work in high risk areas; further supported NGOs and the humanitarian sector in their engagements to work towards adoption of humanitarian work exemptions in sanctions regimes at national and international/UN level.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Credentials
    Education
    • King's College London, PgDip, 2017
        • EU Competition Law
    • The University of Law, LL.M./L.P.C./G.D.L., 2014
        • International Legal Practice; Law
    • University of Oxford, MMathPhil, 2012
        • Mathematics and Philosophy
    Bar Admissions
    • Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales
    Languages
    • English
    Pro Bono
    • Advised a number of major UK and global NGOs on sanctions, export control and compliance matters related to their humanitarian operations; including in relation to compliance policies and programmes, engagement with authorities (including OFSI and ECJU), working with financial services partners on trade sanctions licensing and compliance, and securing licences under financial and trade sanctions regimes.
    • Advised a major humanitarian organization on engagement with UK government in relation to incorporation of humanitarian exemptions into national law and on the adoption of general licenses.
    Accolades
    Memberships and Affiliations
    • National Security Committee (elected position), techUK (2023-present)
    Previous Experience
    • techUK, National Security Committee (member elected position) (2023-2024)
    • Google Inc., Global Trade and Export Compliance Secondee on-site in San Francisco and Mountain View (2016)
    • Google Inc., EMEA Trade Compliance Secondee on-site in London (2015)

    Areas of Expertise

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