As mentioned in our article published on 3 April 2020, the deadline for compliance with the Securities and Futures Commission’s (SFC’s) circular of 8 July 2019 on new measures to protect client assets (Circular) was extended to 31 January 2021. With these new measures in place, intermediaries are now required to obtain confirmation from authorised institutions (AIs) (i.e ...
On 23 December 2020, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to Open-ended Fund Companies (OFCs) on matters related to custodians and the custody of assets and records of the OFC. Appointment of multiple custodians Under the Securities and Futures Ordinance, all scheme property of an OFC must be entrusted to a custodian of the OFC for safekeeping ...
On 5 February 2021, financial authorities in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, including the People’s Bank of China (PBOC), the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC), the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC), China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE), Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM), jointly signed a memorandum of understa
Post-Brexit, it’s now even more important for farming families to understand how changes to direct payments and valuation of farmland can affect succession, asset protection and family disputes. We explain what you need to know. Leaving the EU resulted in the UK leaving the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which paid farmers direct payments and has been a significant source of income for many farmers ...
Social bonds, which raise funds for new or existing projects seeking to address social issues, continue to soar in popularity among investors – but how is “social bond” designation achieved? The primary criteria for social bond designation is established by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) ...
Following last week’s FHFA announcement extending the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac foreclosure and eviction moratoria and their deadlines for applying for COVID-related forbearance, the White House announced on February 16 that FHA, VA, and USDA will extend their single-family residential foreclosure and eviction moratoria, and their deadlines for applying for COVID-related forbearance, to June 30, 2021 ...
On February 9, the Commission for the Financial Market ("CMF") published a proposal for the bill known as “Fintech Law”, the new regulation that intends to establish a legal framework applicable to Fintech companies in Chile, which until now have been characterized by operating without a specific regulation. The CMF’s proposal establishes a regulatory perimeter for certain types of Fintech companies and, also, in turn places them under the CMF's oversight ...
The Pension Schemes Bill received Royal Assent on 11 February 2021, becoming the Pension Schemes Act 2021. Originally introduced into Parliament in Autumn 2019, the Act covers a mix of pensions-related matters which we outline in this article. Parts One and Two set out the legislative framework for establishing a collective money purchase scheme, commonly known as a collective defined contribution scheme (Part Two extends this to Northern Ireland) ...
The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) issued Memorandum CN-No. 2020-0104, 1 dated December 21, 2020, on the amendments to its Voluntary Delisting Rules. These amendments tighten the approval requirements for delisting and seek to ensure the fairness of the tender offer price ...
The judgment of the United Kingdom Supreme Court On 1 May 2020, the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), the body that oversees the insurance industry in the United Kingdom, announced that it wanted to obtain a ruling from the English courts on the meaning and effect of the sample of business interruption clauses that it selected from eight insurers in particular ...
On February 9, the Federal Home Finance Agency announced extensions of time until March 31, 2021 for the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae COVID-related foreclosure and eviction moratoria, and allowed an additional three months of forbearance for borrowers in a forbearance plan as of February 28. Other federal agencies and various states have also extended such deadlines for foreclosure and eviction moratoria, and for borrowers to apply for forbearance ...
Coronavirus Insights & Updates The information listed below is categorized by topic for your convenience and includes content from the previous week. Bradley is actively monitoring and engaging with relevant federal, state or local entities on issues related to the coronavirus. Please contact one of the authors if you have any questions. Click on a link below to view the full article, alert, blog, webinar recording or interview ...
Over the next decade, challenges around public funding and a shift in live/work priorities will create an increasing need for public-private collaboration as we seek to rebuild and regenerate our towns and cities in a post-Covid and post-Brexit climate ...
Historically, New York State has not required the registration of investment adviser representatives (IARs). New York has adopted regulations providing registration and examination requirements for IARS. This article focuses upon the examination and registration requirements applicable to IARs of federally covered investment advisers. The newly adopted regulations became effective Feb. 1, 2021 ...
In recent years, with the continuous improvement of science and technology standards in China, the country’s cryptography technical capabilities have also begun to enter the global forefront. In turn, China has promulgated various policies and measures to fulfill its non-proliferation obligations, which have promoted the gradual implementation of control measures for the export of cryptographic technologies ...
As a developing country, Indonesia is still considered to have limited Government fiscal capacity and limited state-owned enterprise (Badan Usaha Milik Negara – “BUMN”) and financial sector funding capacity indicating that domestic capacity is not sufficient to meet what is needed to finance development and support economic growth and opportunities ...
The Minister of Communication and Informatics (“MOCI”) has finally issued MOCI Regulation No. 5 of 2020 on Electronic System Organizers (“ESO”) in the Private Sector (“MOCI Regulation 5/2020”) that serves as the new implementing regulation of Government Regulation No ...
On 30 December 2020, Bank Indonesia issued Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 22/23/PBI/2020 of 2020 on Payment Systems (“Payment Systems Regulation”). The Payment Systems Regulation is intended to serve as an “umbrella” regulation that provides a regulatory framework for the Indonesian payment systems industry. This regulation will come into force on 1 July 2021 ...
A recent UK Supreme Court Judgment, the Financial Conduct Authority v Arch Insurance (UK Ltd) & Ors [2021] UKSC 1, clarified whether a variety of insurance policy wordings cover business interruption losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures taken by UK authorities in response to the pandemic from March 2020 ...
Traditionally, Dutch mortgage lenders have always found themselves in quite a good position in the event of their borrower and mortgagor becoming insolvent. As a firm general rule, it is fair to say that the position of a secured creditor is quite secure under Dutch law. Recent insolvency and COVID related regulations have, however, made some inroads into the Dutch secured lender’s stronghold ...
Dr Michael Psaila, Managing Partner of Mamo TCV Advocates, underlined the firm’s commitment to the visually impaired and the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation (MGDF) in particular when he not only presented a donation but committed the firm to assisting the foundation in its legal affairs in the coming years. It was the wish of the firm, which has a staff complement of over 70 people, to select the MGDF as one of the beneficiaries of their annual charity donation ...
