On the 1st of December 2022, the MFSA published a Consultation Document on the New Publication Policy regarding Administrative Measures and Penalties thereby commencing a consultation period which closed on the 15th of January 2023. A subsequent Feedback Document containing the new Publication Policy was issued on the 16th of June 2023 (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Publication Policy’), following feedback received from the market ...
In a defining moment for the digital economy, Vodafone Germany has recently announced its partnership with Cardano, a public blockchain platform, to launch one of the world’s largest NFT collections. This move by Vodafone demonstrates the growing interest of global telecommunications corporations in embracing blockchain technology and digital assets ...
The economic landscape continues to place mortgage customers under significant pressure. Following discussions between the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and some of the largest mortgage lenders in the UK, the Mortgage Charter was signed to address measures aimed at helping customers who may be struggling to meet their mortgage repayments amid the cost-of-living crisis ...
In Industrial Tribunal case number 3642/CCG, the applicant claimed that he had been subjected to discrimination, lack of equal pay, a breach of the grievance procedure under the collective agreement, lack of payment of a performance bonus and constructive dismissal. Firstly considering discrimination, the applicant argued that he was not allowed to avail himself of a career break to work with a company operating in the financial services industry ...
Who qualifies as a Politically Exposed Person? Politically exposed persons (or “PEPs”) are individuals who have been entrusted with a prominent public function ...
Introduction The sphere of asset tracing and recovery, particularly the extent of tools available around the world, is rightly attracting more attention in cross-border fraud and investigations. This includes projects at the international level, such as UNCITRAL's ongoing efforts (for which the author acts as an expert), as well as attention being given in national legislatures around the world ...
While it may be arguable whether the announcement of the next phase of the UK’s open banking programme was as highly anticipated as the grand finale to HBO’s Succession, for the payment services industry a clear route to the future is much needed ...
On Monday, June 26, 2023, the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) issued the first two global sustainability standards: IFRS S1, General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, and IFRS S2, Climate-related Disclosures. These standards are intended to improve confidence in the sustainability disclosures made by companies to guide investment decisions ...
SEC Issues Regulations to Implement Financial Consumer Protection Act On 25 April 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") issued Memorandum Circular No. 5, series of 2023 and adopted the SEC Rules and Regulations of the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act of 2022 ("SEC FCPA IRR") to implement Republic Act No. 11765 (the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act ("FCPA") ...
On 28 June 2023, Parliament adopted a new law on non-profit organisations and foundations (the “Law”). The Law aims to simplify and modernise the legal framework created by the century-old law of 21 April 1928, by replacing its outdated provisions. The main changes introduced by the Law are as follows: Significant simplification of the administrative procedures for incorporating and managing non-profit organisations ...
ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence program, has grabbed wide attention since its first introduction to the public. It has become the fastest-growing consumer application in history with more than 100 million monthly active users. People are amazed by its ability to respond intelligently to complex queries. ChatGPT is only one of the many AI tools that are being developed and used in various industries to improve efficiency and customer service ...
A new report published today (28 June 2023) by The Law Commission of England and Wales has recommended a variety of law reforms to better integrate and deal with digital assets (like cryptocurrencies, tokens and NFTs to name a few), to promote certainty, and boost the UK’s position as a global leader for the crypto industry ...
1. What measures are available in your jurisdiction to allow struggling businesses to enter into a “pre-pack”? Guernsey stands out against many offshore jurisdictions because it has a dedicated administration regime designed to facilitate corporate rescue. The procedure is broadly similar to that in the United Kingdom, albeit it has been simplified and tweaked to suit Guernsey’s finance industry ...
1. What measures are available in your jurisdiction to allow struggling businesses to enter into a “pre-pack”? There is no bespoke legislation dealing with “pre-pack” restructuring or sale of the business or assets of an insolvent Cayman Islands company ...
There is no bespoke legislation dealing with “pre-pack” restructuring or sale of the business or assets of an insolvent British Virgin Islands (BVI) company, and in practice, as primarily a holding company jurisdiction pre-packs are not in high demand in the BVI ...
Introduction Parts of the Lending, Credit and Finance (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2022 (“Law”) came into force on 1 January 2023.The Law introduces new licensing regimes for lending, credit and finance activities and provides UK-style consumer protection for retail and home borrowers. The Law replaces the registration regime under the Registration of Non- Regulated Financial Services Businesses (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2008 (“RNFSB”) ...
Two months ago, in mid-April, the European Parliament approved the first legislation in the European Union on tracking payments in cryptocurrencies, supervision in this area and combating money laundering. The MEPs also adopted common rules for the supervision and protection of consumer rights (MiCA, or Markets in Crypto assets) with safeguards against market manipulation and financial crimes ...
SyCipLaw's Banking, Finance & Securities Department's Banking Bulletin for May 2023 features the latest issuances from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and theBangko Sentral ng Pilipinas(BSP or Central Bank of the Philippines), which includes the adoption of the ASEAN Sustainable and Responsible (SRF) standards, and the clarifications made by BSP on what is considered excluded from the Real Estate Loan Limit and Stress Test ...
As sustainable development and social responsibility are increasingly stressed in the business community, major institutional investors have come to focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, an approach that directs socially responsible investment decisions ...
As a part of Federal agencies’ issuance of their semi-annual Spring 2023 Regulatory Agenda, the CFPB has published its Spring 2023 Agency Rule List (“2023 List”). In that List, the CFPB has set forth the status of its present rulemaking activities and its plans for such activities in the next 6 months ...
From recovering after a global pandemic to the war in Ukraine, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank to soaring inflation, and supply-chain delays to employee shortages, businesses across all sectors are coming up against a number of operational and liquidity challenges in current market conditions. Despite these challenges, we have seen confidence and resilience across all sectors with investment from seed to IPO ...
