Welcome to the guide
Welcome to the guide
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays a crucial role in the economic growth and development of nations across the globe.
The UK is a major attraction for FDI, with an estimated stock value of over £2 trillion, according to the Office of National Statistics. With London as its prime destination, the UK has been historically attractive to overseas investors due to:
- Its speed of doing business
- Its robust legal framework
- An open and business friendly environment for foreign direct investment (FDI).
But the last few years has seen some turbulence: Brexit, war in Ukraine and a number of changes at government level presenting a perception of instability. Despite this, the UK has remained an attractive destination for FDI.
Following the election of the Labour government, a number of initiatives have seen a recommitment to growing FDI. These include the launch of the International Investment Summit and funds being made available in the Budget to grow the UK-wide Freeports and Investment Zones programme. In October 2024, the UK Infrastructure Bank became the National Wealth Fund, expanding beyond infrastructure to include a wider industrial strategy. It is the UK’s sovereign wealth fund and has £27m assets under management at time of writing.
Bryan Bletso
Head of International +44 (0)7770 795 703 bryan.bletso@irwinmitchell.com
How we can help
Our firm is uniquely positioned to assist businesses looking to invest in the UK. Our international lawyers help clients with their personal and business needs in over 100 countries worldwide. We provide guidance and representation when it comes to international laws and immigration processes.
We are members of numerous strategic international networks, including First Law International, where we sit on its Advisory Board, and the Commonwealth Enterprise & Investment Council – a network of around 100 Commonwealth business and government members – with a seat on its Global Advisory Council.
In addition to working with experts around the world, we have over 20 dedicated international desks, each with a deep knowledge of their specific region and the language skills and cultural understanding to match.
Working on International Acquisitions
We helped a central European manufacturer in its acquisition of a UK distributor, which became the UK subsidiary of the European parent.
As well as providing full support on the acquisition, once the deal was concluded we gave full legal support to the parent and subsidiary directors.
This included:
- Real estate acquisition of premises and investment properties
- Commercial contract support
- Employment support
- Litigation support
- Day-to-day corporate law support on the business’ operations.
Working on International Acquisitions
We helped a central European manufacturer in its acquisition of a UK distributor, which became the UK subsidiary of the European parent.
As well as providing full support on the acquisition, once the deal was concluded we gave full legal support to the parent and subsidiary directors.
This included:
- Real estate acquisition of premises and investment properties
- Commercial contract support
- Employment support
- Litigation support
- Day-to-day corporate law support on the business’ operations.