ASIFMA, together with the Future of Sustainable Data Alliance, published a paper entitled “Data Challenges and Opportunities for ESG and Sustainable Finance in Asia Pacific” – a result of a year-long review of sustainability data challenges facing the industry in the Asia Pacific ...
In its most recent issue, For The Defense published an article by Dinsmore partner Richik Sarkar’s called "The Amicus Brief: An Efficient And Elegant Public Policy Tool." The article examines how, when properly employed, an amicus brief can be the best tool to effect lasting change for the benefit of the amicus and similar parties, industries, and legal interests. An excerpt is below ...
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
Did you know? China’s new patent law, which comes into effect on 1 June 2021, will significantly change the design patent regime and will see the introduction of partial design protection, the extension of the design patent term from 10 years to 15 years and the acceptance of domestic Chinese design patent filings as a basis for priority ...
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 ...
In an ever-changing working world, it has never been as important to stay in touch and up to date with what's happening around us. Our bite-sized webinars are designed to focus on practical tips for in-house lawyers ...
Andrew Pattinson and Anna Lowe interview Sarah Teal and Richard Symonds on how CVAs are currently being used, where they are going and what do landlords and tenants (and their advisors) need to know? What exactly is a CVA and why is it different from other forms of insolvency process A CVA is a company rescue procedure. It is a proposal whereby the company restructures its business (i.e. deals with historic debts, under performance stores etc ...
The VAT domestic reverse charge - referred to below as the reverse charge - is a major change to the way VAT will be collected in the building and construction industry. The reverse charge regime will come into effect on 1 March 2021 and will in many instances require customers receiving building and construction services to pay the VAT due directly to HMRC, instead of paying the supplier. This is a fundamental change to the way in which VAT is administered on construction contracts ...
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) ...
On 12 January 2021, the Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/Head of the National Land Agency (“MOA”) issued Regulation No.1 of 2021 on Electronic Certificates (“MOA Reg. 1/2021”). This new regulation is intended to optimize the use of information and communication technology by implementing electronic-based land services and thus improve public services and the ease of doing business. Under MOA Reg ...
Key Points Later this month, the Berkeley City Council is expected to consider ending exclusionary zoning by December 2022. The city has a long history of implementing single-family zoning, which encourages more expensive stand-alone homes that are often inaccessible to disadvantaged populations. The shift would place Berkeley, which in 1916 became the nation's first city with single-family zoning, at the forefront of a modern era of inclusionary housing policy ...
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 ...
Like every other higher education leader, I spent most of the last 10 months reacting to the operational imperatives driven by the COVID-19 crisis. Each day presented a novel crisis, and just when we thought we’d see no more plot twists, a new one emerged. In the midst of that maelstrom and as the state’s higher education chief, I often found myself trying to find elusive time to process what these daily crises meant for our enterprise over the long term ...
The reasons for the changes to the Golden visa rules: A legislative authorisation in the 2020 State Budget 2020 authorised the Government to review the rules on residence permits for investment provided for in Law 23/2007 of 4 July by the end of 2020. The aim is to encourage investment in inland areas, urban regeneration, cultural heritage, activities of high environmental or social value, and productive investment and job creation ...
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 ...
In January 2021, the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) announced $2.2 billion in False Claims Act (FCA) recoveries for fiscal year 2020, which ended on September 30.[1] Although this amount is substantial, it nonetheless represents the smallest recovery figure in 10 years. These figures reflect the Trump administration’s unaggressive enforcement efforts and its restrictive view of the FCA. As recently as 2016, FCA recovery exceeded $4.5 billion. Recoveries in 2019 were $3 ...
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 ...
Introduction On 27 August 2020 the European Commission, on behalf of EU member states, entered into an advance purchase agreement (APA) with AstraZeneca for the production, purchase and supply of the Anglo-Swedish company's COVID-19 vaccine in the European Union.(1) The APA provides for: AstraZeneca's supply of 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine (the initial Europe doses); and an option for the European Union to order an additional 100 million doses (the optional doses) ...
Takeaways from webinar on 2 February 2021 hosted by Karen Howard, Matthew Stimson and Grace Mitchell from our planning & environmental team. What are public rights of way and why are they relevant? A public right of way (PROW) is a type of highway - a route across land over which the public at large has a right to pass/ repass without permission or interference ...
This article forms part of our ‘New How: Perspectives’ report: ‘Can real estate help solve the productivity puzzle?. To access this free report, please click the link below. We all know a happy engaged employee is a productive and successful employee. Unfortunately, the UK has one of the least engaged employee populations in Europe ...
