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Ross Evans

Special Counsel

London +44 20 7067 2319

  • About
  • Representative Matters
  • Credentials
  • About

    Ross Evans is an international trade, investment and national security lawyer with deep expertise in emerging technology and critical industries. He helps clients navigate the increasingly interconnected landscape of foreign investment screening, export controls, sanctions and other economic security and national security measures, including government interventions in corporate, commercial and financial transactions.

    His practice encompasses global FDI reviews; UK, EU and international sanctions and export controls, including licensing, compliance, investigations and voluntary disclosures; national security and foreign influence regimes; public interest reviews and regulatory clearances; inbound and outbound investment screening; and related government engagement. He also advises on trade and investment restrictions affecting emerging and strategic technologies, critical infrastructure and secure and resilient supply chains, including semiconductors and advanced processors, AI, cryptography, quantum technologies, cloud and data infrastructure, telecommunications, and other dual-use and sensitive technologies.

    Ross regularly advises leading multinational companies and strategic and financial investors. He leads cross-border teams advising on complex matters at the intersection of trade, investment, technology and geopolitics. With nearly a decade of experience managing engagement with UK, EU and international authorities, he provides strategic and commercially focused advice to general counsel, boards and senior decision-makers on complex matters at the intersection of trade, investment, technology and geopolitics. His work spans sectors including technology and telecommunications, infrastructure, life sciences, aerospace and defence, engineering and financial services, with a particular focus on economic security and the resilience of critical capabilities and supply chains.

    Ross is a frequent commentator on legal and policy developments and regularly speaks to industry bodies and trade groups in the United Kingdom and internationally. He is also regularly quoted in the national, legal and trade press. He has worked in Singapore and Stockholm and spent more than a year on two separate secondments with a multinational technology company in London and California, focused on global trade and export compliance.

    Drawing on his experience in national security and sensitive and emerging technologies, Ross has provided legal and industry-focused input to UK Government bodies and to European and global authorities on legislation and guidance relating to the National Security and Investment Act and on the scope and implementation of key global investment screening regimes, and to governments and regulators on sanctions, export controls, and wider economic security policy. As a former elected member of the National Security Committee of techUK, a technology industry trade association, Ross has worked with representatives from the technology and security sectors to assess the impact of new law and policy and strengthen engagement between industry and government. He has also delivered postgraduate course teaching on comparative investment screening laws.

    Areas of Expertise

  • Practices and Industries
  • Representative Matters

    Foreign investment control and national security matters:

    • Advised a global technology conglomerate on foreign investment aspects of strategic acquisitions and minority investments across artificial intelligence, emerging energy technologies and other sensitive technology sectors, including the application of the UK National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) and international investment screening regimes.
    • Advised GlobalFoundries on European and global foreign investment approvals for multiple strategic acquisitions in the semiconductor sector, including its acquisition of MIPS and a strategic processor IP business, involving coordination of investment screening requirements across multiple European jurisdictions and related semiconductor strategy and export control considerations.
    • Advised Eaton on the UK NSIA aspects of its $1.55 billion acquisition of Ultra PCS, a UK-headquartered supplier of mission-critical aerospace and defence electronics.
    • Advised Applied Materials on foreign investment and national security aspects of multiple acquisitions in the semiconductor and advanced chip technology sectors.
    • Advised Aptiv on foreign investment and national security aspects of multiple transactions involving advanced automotive and other sensitive technologies, including the separation and spin-off of its Electrical Distribution Systems business as Versigent, with an approximately $2 billion equity value at separation.
    • Advised a leading global communications and marketing group on foreign investment aspects of its $2.2 billion acquisition of a global data collaboration platform, including securing regulatory approvals across multiple European jurisdictions.
    • 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 private equity and its $14 billion public-to-private acquisition by an investor consortium.
    • Advised a multinational enterprise security business on global foreign investment clearances in connection with a more than $1 billion private equity transaction.
    • Advised a global data analytics and consulting business on foreign investment review aspects of its $10 billion sale to an investor consortium and the more than $2.5 billion sale of its data and predictive tools business to a global private equity investor; and advised a major investor on foreign investment approvals for the £1.25 billion public-to-private acquisition of a UK-listed security and privacy software provider.
    • Advised investors and emerging UK technology businesses on NSIA, foreign investment and export control considerations arising in seed and Series A–C financings, including advising Portal Biotech on the foreign investment and national security aspects of its $35 million Series A financing led by the NATO Innovation Fund.
    • Advised on complex UK national security and public interest matters, including investment in UK government defence and security contractors, classified information and personnel security requirements in sensitive transactions, and UK government consultations on the scope and implementation of the NSIA regime.

    Trade, sanctions and export control matters:

    • Advised a global technology conglomerate on complex cross-border trade control matters, including coordinating EU and national military and dual-use export control requirements across multiple jurisdictions, and on export controls and sanctions affecting artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and strategic investments.
    • Advised leading global technology businesses (including consumer and enterprise technology businesses, semiconductor manufacturers, AI businesses, and cybersecurity businesses), on UK, EU and international export controls and sanctions affecting semiconductors, data infrastructure, cloud services, SaaS, artificial intelligence, digital payments, telecommunications and other sensitive technologies, including compliance, licensing, internal investigations and regulatory engagement.

    • Advised major multinational technology companies, financial institutions (including FTSE 100 and S&P 100 listed banks), professional services providers and engineering and manufacturing businesses on UK, EU and international sanctions relating to Russia, including transactional risks, restructuring and divestment strategies, internal investigations, voluntary disclosures and engagement with regulatory authorities.
    • Secured export control, trade sanctions and financial sanctions licences and authorisations for clients across sectors including semiconductor technologies, security software, technical assistance, brokering, professional services, financial services and energy infrastructure.
    • Advised an S&P 100 professional services business on technology and services-related trade restrictions, sanctions and export controls, including compliance programmes, licensing, regulatory engagement and the divestment of its Russian operations through a local management buyout.
    • Advised international humanitarian organisations on sanctions and export control compliance, licensing and investigations, and supported engagement with UK and international authorities concerning humanitarian exemptions and authorisations for operations in high-risk jurisdictions.

    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
    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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