Akin Gump is to act for Nexperia in Nexperia’s application for a judicial review of the UK government’s decision to block the deal.
The review could end in the decision being declared unlawful.
Nexperia has also engaged the barrister Lord Pannick KC to pursue its application.
The UK government based its decision to block the bid on grounds of national security.
A number of US congressmen wrote to President Biden asking that the deal be blocked.
Nexperia is owned by the Chinese company Wingtech which is partly owned by Chinese government-backed funds.
China is making a big effort to acquire compound semiconductor technology – particularly GaN and SiC- which Nexperia runs in Newport Wafer Fab.
Nexperia has warned that blocking the deal could put 600 jobs at risk.
