We provide political and regulatory advice to businesses and investors operating in Asia-Pacific, and to Asia-Pacific businesses and investors operating or wishing to operate in Europe.
There continue to be considerable opportunities and prospects for growth in many Asia-Pacific markets. But businesses must also contend with an increasingly uncertain and complex political and regulatory environment. Starting in January 2023, Flint’s newly launched Asia-Pacific business (incorporated both in Hong Kong and Singapore) is helping clients to navigate this environment, bringing together experience at senior levels with deep sectoral expertise within the region. We intend to grow our presence over time to match our European offering by serving clients from many countries and in many sectors, including digital, tech, telecoms, media, financial services, life sciences, manufacturing, transport and energy.
Flint’s approach
We help clients stay ahead and respond to business-critical political and policy developments. By providing clients with forward-looking geopolitical and sectoral advice, we help them to make informed strategic decisions. We also support clients’ political and regulatory engagement with sophisticated analysis of key decision-makers and evidence-based arguments that have impact with on those individuals.
Insight
We provide clear, expert analysis of political and policy events in Asia-Pacific and European markets, drawing out those implications most relevant to our clients.
Strategy
We provide notes and lead workshops with clients facing key strategic decisions, providing bespoke advice that draws on both our political and commercial expertise.
Planning
We identify key decision-makers in regulatory agencies and governments and develop plans for effective engagement.
Implementation
We support clients’ engagement with evidence-based arguments that are sensitive to political realities and that have an impact on decision-makers.
Case studies
Identifying the international commercial impacts of the Ukraine crisis
Identifying the international commercial impacts of the Ukraine crisis
Analyse the commercial impacts of the Ukraine crisis for a major international investor, including both cross-sectoral economic impacts and the impact on specific sectors.
To support the above analysis, model the likely macroeconomic outcomes of potential scenarios for how the war unfolds.
Incorporate global and regional impacts alongside those with a strong or unique jurisdictional-specific element, covering a wide range of geographies.
*This project required the integration of a wide range of sectoral and geographic expertise into a single coherent and cohesive product.
Mapped our internal sectoral and geographic expertise against the required deliverables and the client’s commercial priorities.
Experts across Flint contributed analysis and political insight, drawing upon their deep and extensive jurisdiction-specific expertise and networks.
A central team coordinated this input and synthesised our analysis, insight and advice into a single final product, overlaying Flint’s broader geopolitical analysis and knowledge.
The final product provided a risk and impact weighted analysis of potential short to long-term macroeconomic and geopolitical outcomes, and the commercial implications for our client’s operations and strategy.
The product enabled our client to form a clear picture of the commercial risks and opportunities facing them, and to tailor its investment strategy in response to the crisis.
*We delivered a comprehensive, insightful and commercially valuable assessment of the crisis’s impacts on our client’s business.
Mapping a major Asian manufacturer's exposure to UK/EU-China relations
Mapping a major Asian manufacturer's exposure to UK/EU-China relations
Analyse and assess the likelihood of different potential scenarios for how China’s relationships with the EU and UK might develop.
Consider in depth the risk posed by different scenarios for the client’s business model, including the impact of supply chain due diligence rules, future restrictions on hardware and software, and potential reputational impacts.
Advise the client, both on internal facing actions to prepare the organisation and mitigate risk and on external facing actions to engage with policy-makers.
Mapped the different positions on China among UK and EU policy-makers, including the stance taken by different EU Member States.
Provided our assessment of the likely evolution of China’s relations with the EU and UK, including taking into consideration economic inter-dependence and the impact of the war in Ukraine.
Mapped the severity of political, regulatory and reputational risks for the client, providing clear advice on prioritisation of risks.
Recommended actions the client could take to increase its resilience and reduce its political and reputational exposure.
The client gained a clearer sense of its commercial exposure to a breakdown in EU/UK-China political and economic relations.
The client used Flint’s analysis to inform its political engagement strategy.
Our assessment informed strategic and operational decision-making within the company.
*This project required both deep political and policy expertise on China’s external relations, alongside an extensive understanding of the client’s commercial priorities.
Informing Asia-based investment through a deep dive into EU policy
Informing Asia-based investment through a deep dive into EU policy
Inform the investment case for a Hong Kong-based investor, that wanted to acquire a biofuel manufacturer that had a handful of manufacturing plants across Asia.
Provide a complete, in-depth understanding of the EU policy and regulatory landscape for energy, transport, and trade and its outlook. The EU is the world’s largest and most developed biofuel market and the investment hinged upon the target company’s prospects in the EU market, a market that is created through regulatory requirements.
Provided an outlook for incoming energy and transport policies, highlighting their impact on the biofuel market.
Through interviews with officials, industry players and NGOs, helped inform the case for investment.
Mapped regulatory bodies and regimes, and assessed the impact of regulation on supply and demand up to 2030.
We provided insight on policy targets to a strategy consulting company brought on board by the client to support their quantitative market analysis.
Outlined geopolitical and trade-related risks to the asset and recommended steps to mitigate these risks.
Through regular engagement with us over the 12-week project, the investor was able to build a strong case for investing in the target company.
Flint continues to monitor policy and regulatory developments for the target company and contributes to its engagement strategy.
*This project required awareness of the nuances involved EU-Asia trade as well as a holistic understanding of EU policy. This work was made possible by the Flint team’s wide-ranging background and expertise.
A late change to an incoming prudential regime resulted in a client’s international operations being brought in scope, meaning the client would be required to hold significant additional capital. The client needed support to consider the options and make a decision about how best to mitigate the impact of this.
What Flint Did
Outcome
Flint advises international businesses and investors on policy, politics, regulation and competition.
