The courts won’t resolve the Nexperia conflict

On Wednesday, the Enterprise Chamber will hold its first public hearing in the Nexperia case. After hearing both sides, the judges will decide whether to order a formal investigation into alleged mismanagement at the chipmaker and whether earlier court-mandated interventions in its leadership should remain in place. Legal experts broadly expect that an investigation will indeed be ordered.

The law must take its course. But from a practical standpoint, such an inquiry offers little promise. By the time it’s completed – a year would be a conservative estimate – there may be little left of Nexperia as a viable company. For the business to survive, the parties themselves will have to move. The de facto breakup of the company, however, now appears irreversible.