Insights

Brexit: United Kingdom Votes to Leave the EU

Brexit: United Kingdom Votes to Leave the EU

The UK referendum has voted 52 percent to 48 percent to leave the European Union. This is the first time in the history of the European Union that a Member State has voted to withdraw from the trading bloc. What happens next?

The UK and the rest of Europe face a prolonged period of uncertainty. The referendum result is not binding on the UK Parliament, which still needs to decide whether, when and how to implement the decision. The contingency plans that financial institutions and other businesses have been making since the referendum was announced are now being revisited. Whatever lies ahead, the reality is that it will likely take at least two years to give effect to the UK's separation from the EU.

The Treaty of Lisbon requires a Member State to give an Article 50 notification of the intention to exit. After notification, a withdrawal agreement will be negotiated between the EU and the UK. The treaties of the EU will only cease to be applicable to the UK from the date of the agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification or any later date that they agree. During the negotiation, therefore, the UK will continue to be a full member of the European Union. The third quarter of 2018 is likely to be the earliest that the UK would leave.

A separation will require a wholesale review of UK legislation including in relation to financial regulation, employment, antitrust, data protection and intellectual property. This will extend to legislative powers that have been devolved to the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland assemblies. To complicate matters, separation will be against the will of the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland, who voted to remain.

Jones Day hosted a teleconference on Wednesday 29 June 2016, during which our lawyers commented on the key legal implications of the UK's withdrawal. A recording of this teleconference is available on the Jones Day YouTube channel.

We will also be monitoring and commenting on likely changes in legislation as they become clearer.

CONTACTS

London
John Phillips

Amsterdam

Luc Houben

Brussels

Bernard E. Amory

Düsseldorf

Dr. Ulrich Brauer

Frankfurt

Sandra-Christiane Kamper

Germany

Ansgar C. Rempp

Madrid

Mercedes Fernández

Milan

Marco Lombardi

Munich

Friederike Göbbels

Paris

Sophie Hagège

Anti-Money Laundering and Sanctions

Harriet Territt

Antitrust

Alan Davis
Matt Evans

Banking and Finance

Alban Caillemer du Ferrage
Michael Pabst

Capital Markets

Giles P. Elliott
Linda A. Hesse

Data Privacy and IP

Jonathon Little

Dispute Resolution

Sion Richards
Barnaby C. Stueck

Employment

Mark Taylor

Financial Regulation

John C. Ahern

M&A

Sophie Hagège
Leon N. Ferera

Private Equity

Patrick G. Stafford
Renaud Bonnet

Real Estate

David A. Roberts

Restructuring and Insolvency

Ben Larkin

Tax

Blaise L. Marin-Curtoud

Insights by Jones Day should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only and may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Firm, to be given or withheld at our discretion. To request permission to reprint or reuse any of our Insights, please use our “Contact Us” form, which can be found on our website at www.jonesday.com. This Insight is not intended to create, and neither publication nor receipt of it constitutes, an attorney-client relationship. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Firm.
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