Business Perspectives: Back on the Beach (or Shore)

Anyone remember those fuzzy, colorful Magic Eye images that the newspapers used to publish, which would yield an interesting three-dimensional picture if you stared long enough and unfocused your eyes? (Anyone remember newspapers?) You can still find them on the internet. I could rarely get them to work. But sometimes if I stared at one long enough I could.

Actually, I just tried viewing one online and it worked surprisingly well, but I hope I haven’t permanently damaged my eyesight.

It seems we all have been staring at a Magic Eye picture of the United States and broader world economy for the past several years, which is just coming into focus.

China and Asia generally no longer will be the main “workshop of the world.” Every day more and more companies announce their plans to relocate manufacturing operations locally and regionally. Transatlantic trade and investment are on the rise. We get the picture pixel by pixel, more and more each day.

My own native land, the great state of Ohio, is seeing massive investment in new factories for a range of products, such as electric vehicles, components, and microchips, and related spending on public infrastructure to support a resurgence of domestic manufacturing activity. “Onshoring” or “reshoring” are the order of the day.

We are seeing the evidence of these developments in our daily work for clients: investment projects, technology and intellectual property developments, hiring and other employment matters, merger and acquisition activity, and capital raising, among others. If this really is the picture that has been coming into focus here in recent months, the signal within the noise of day-to-day news items, it is good news for our clients and our communities. And a different picture of how the world of business and the economy will look in the coming years.

As always we hope you will find this information interesting and impactful for your business. We would love to hear from you with any comments or questions about this issue, and suggestions for topics you would like to see us cover in the future.

Frank Chaiken leads the firm’s highly regarded Corporate Transactions & Securities practice, which comprises more than 100 professionals who represent clients of all sizes across virtually every industry. If you have questions or would like to share your thoughts, please contact Frank at 312.998.4249 or Frank.Chaiken@ThompsonHine.com.

Business Law Update - March 2023 (Download)

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