professional-toolkit/skills/regulatory-checklist/SKILL.md

name

description

regulatory-checklist

Generate transaction-specific regulatory compliance checklists by jurisdiction. Use this skill when a user mentions regulatory requirements, cross-border transaction, regulatory compliance checklist, multi-jurisdiction, foreign investment review, merger clearance, data protection requirements, licensing requirements by country, regulatory approval, or compliance requirements for a deal. Also trigger when users are doing cross-border M&A, establishing operations in a new jurisdiction, or need to understand what regulatory approvals are needed for a specific transaction. This is transaction-specific — what do you need for THIS deal in THIS geography — not framework-specific.

Multi-Jurisdiction Regulatory Checklist

Generate transaction-specific regulatory compliance checklists based on deal type, sector, and jurisdiction. Unlike framework-specific compliance skills (which tell you how to implement ISO 27001 or GDPR in general), this skill answers: "What regulatory approvals and filings do I need for THIS specific transaction in THESE specific jurisdictions?"

When to Use

• You are planning a cross-border acquisition or investment
• You need to know what regulatory approvals are required before closing
• You are establishing a subsidiary or branch in a new jurisdiction
• You need a compliance roadmap for a transaction timeline
• You are advising a client on regulatory risk for a proposed deal

Input Requirements

Ask the user for:

1. Transaction type — acquisition (asset/share), merger, joint venture, greenfield establishment, licensing, lending, fund formation
2. Sector — financial services, technology, healthcare, energy, defense, telecommunications, real estate, infrastructure, media
3. Jurisdiction(s) — where the target operates, where the acquirer is based, where the transaction closes, where the funds flow
4. Parties — nationality/jurisdiction of acquirer and target; state-owned enterprise involvement; fund vs. corporate buyer
5. Transaction value — affects filing thresholds
6. Target's characteristics — revenue, employees, assets, market share, data it processes, licenses it holds

Regulatory Categories

For each jurisdiction involved, check these categories:

1. Foreign Investment Review

Jurisdiction	Regime	Threshold	Timeline
Canada	Investment Canada Act	>C$1.141B (WTO), lower for cultural/SOE	45 days initial + extensions
United States	CFIUS (FIRRMA)	No threshold (voluntary, but recommended)	45+45+15 days
United Kingdom	National Security and Investment Act 2021	No threshold for 17 sensitive sectors	30 working days + extensions
EU member states	National FDI screening (varies)	Varies by member state	Varies
Australia	FATA / FIRB	A$0 for sensitive; A$310M general	30 days + extensions
Singapore	No general FDI screening	Sector-specific (banking, media, telecom)	N/A
UAE	Varies by emirate and free zone	Up to 49% foreign ownership limit (mainland), 100% in free zones	Varies

2. Competition / Merger Control

Jurisdiction	Authority	Filing Threshold	Timeline
EU	European Commission	Combined worldwide turnover >€5B + EU turnover >€250M each	Phase I: 25 WD; Phase II: 90 WD
United States	DOJ / FTC (HSR Act)	Transaction value >$119.5M (2024)	30 days + second request
United Kingdom	CMA	>£70M UK turnover or >25% share of supply	Phase 1: 40 WD
Singapore	CCCS	Voluntary (no mandatory filing)	Phase 1: 30 WD
Canada	Competition Bureau	Size of parties + size of transaction thresholds	30 days (short form)

3. Sector-Specific Licensing

Identify sector-specific requirements:

• Financial services: Banking license, insurance license, securities license, payment institution license, change of control approval
• Telecommunications: Spectrum license, carrier license, foreign ownership limits
• Healthcare: Operating permits, pharmaceutical licenses, medical device approvals
• Energy: Generation license, distribution license, environmental permits
• Defense / dual-use: Export control licenses, security clearances
• Real estate: Foreign ownership restrictions, land acquisition approvals
• Media: Broadcasting licenses, foreign ownership limits

4. Data Protection and Privacy

Jurisdiction	Regime	Key Requirements
EU/EEA	GDPR	DPIA for high-risk processing; DPO appointment; cross-border transfer mechanisms
United Kingdom	UK GDPR + DPA 2018	Similar to EU; UK-specific adequacy decisions
Singapore	PDPA	Consent obligations; DPTM designation; notifiable data breaches
Canada	PIPEDA / provincial	Consent; accountability; cross-border transfer
UAE	Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021	Registration; DPO; cross-border transfer restrictions

5. Employment and Labour

• Transfer of employees (TUPE / equivalent in jurisdiction)
• Works council / union consultation requirements
• Employment permit requirements for foreign employees
• Redundancy / retrenchment rules if restructuring post-acquisition

6. Tax and Transfer Pricing

• Withholding tax on purchase price payments
• Stamp duty / transfer tax on share or asset transfers
• Transfer pricing documentation requirements
• Tax clearance certificates
• Substance requirements in holding jurisdictions

7. Anti-Corruption and Sanctions

• Parties screened against relevant sanctions lists
• Anti-bribery due diligence on target's operations
• Third-party intermediary risk assessment
• Facilitation payment exposure

Output Format

# Regulatory Compliance Checklist

## Transaction Summary
- **Type:** [description]
- **Parties:** [acquirer] acquiring [target]
- **Jurisdictions:** [list]
- **Sector:** [sector]
- **Value:** [amount]

## Critical Path Items (Must Complete Before Closing)

| # | Requirement | Jurisdiction | Authority | Threshold Met? | Est. Timeline | Status |
|---|-----------|-------------|----------|---------------|--------------|--------|
| 1 | [requirement] | [country] | [authority] | Yes/No/TBD | [days/months] | NOT STARTED |

## Post-Closing Requirements

| # | Requirement | Jurisdiction | Deadline | Status |
|---|-----------|-------------|----------|--------|
| 1 | [requirement] | [country] | [deadline] | NOT STARTED |

## Timeline Estimate
[Visual timeline showing parallel and sequential regulatory workstreams,
identifying the critical path to closing]

## Risk Assessment
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-----------|--------|-----------|
| [risk] | [H/M/L] | [H/M/L] | [action] |

Important Notes

• Regulatory thresholds and requirements change. Always verify current requirements with local counsel.
• For adversarial verification of regulatory compliance claims in deal documents — cross-referencing representations against actual regulatory status — see DiligenceWorks.