Regulation 45-106 respecting prospectus and registration exemptions (“Regulation 45-106”) has caused much concern and plenty of ink to flow since it came into force on September 14, 2005. The purpose of this newsletter is to discuss the modification made by Regulation 45-106 with respect to the restrictions that must be contained in an issuer’s constating documents in order for the issuer to have private issuer status(1) ...
On 16 March 2007, the National People’s Congress issued the Property Law of the People’s Republic of China. Effective on 1 October 2007, the Law defines the scope of property and property-related rights, such as use and possession, and sets out the protections afforded to State, collective and private property owners.BackgroundWork on the Property Law first began in 1993 ...
On 31 December 2006, the State Property Management Commission of the State Council and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the Notice Regarding Relevant Matters in the Assignment of the State-owned Property Rights of Enterprises to further clarify issues arising from the implementation of the Provisional Measures for the Administration of the Assignment of State-owned Property Rights of Enterprises and the Notice on Relevant Issues in the Assignment of State-owned Property
On 16 October 2006, the People’s Government of Guangzhou Municipality promulgated the Regulations of Guangzhou Municipality on Encouraging the Establishment of Headquarters and Regional Headquarters with Foreign Investment. The Regulations, which are effective for five years from the date of promulgation (i.e ...
On 22 January 2007, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the Regulations for the Administration of Construction Project Service Enterprises with Foreign Investment. Effective 26 March 2007, the Regulations outline the approval process for construction project service enterprises with foreign investment and set out the permissible types of business for these enterprises ...
The Ministry of Commerce issued the Provisional Measures on Tasks Related to Complaints from Foreign Investment Enterprises on 1 September 2006. Effective from 1 October 2006, the Measures establish a procedure pursuant to which foreign investment enterprises (FIEs) and foreign investors who feel their lawful rights have been infringed by an administrative agency may lodge a formal complaint ...
Most of the attention at this week's ASEAN foreign ministers meeting in Manila focused on the failure of ASEAN to reach a definitive approach on establishing a human rights body for the grouping. The proposed ASEAN Charter is supposed to address human rights concerns through this new entity. Perhaps given the diversity in governance standards among members, this was to be expected ...
When August turns to September, 2007, a new market called NewConnect will open on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE). It will support the trading of shares of small and medium-sized companies. The expectation is that issuers entering this new market will not be large companies (of market capitalization around PLN 20–30 million and with a public offer value from PLN several hundred thousand to several million) ...
It is a given that any human endeavor will have effects that we do not expect. Robert Burns identified the problem with the best-laid schemes of mice and men, and investors in the mortgage banking industry are learning that lesson now. In recent years, many borrowers entered into adjustable-rate mortgages with low initial rates, trusting that rates would stay low or that they could refinance or sell a property before larger payments came due ...
In response to certified questions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the Texas Supreme Court held that unintended construction defects are an occurrence and that allegations of loss of use or damage to a home may constitute property damage under a commercial general liability (CGL) contract. Lamar Homes, Inc. v. Mid-Continent Cas. Co., No. 05-0832 (Tex. Aug. 31, 2007) ...
On 3 October, the European Commission fined Visa €10.2 million (approximately £7 million) for its refusal to admit Morgan Stanley Bank International Limited of the UK as a member of the Visa network. The fine is to be seen in the context of continuing regulatory scrutiny of the financial sector, and the banking sector in particular, at both the EU and UK level ...
In recent years, Romania witnessed a continuously growing real estate market, along with a sustained rush of investors, including many foreign ones, eager to secure prime locations for their future development projects.On such a rapidly expanding market, it has been difficult at times to implement sophisticated real estate projects, as the country’s legal framework in the area of real estate did not change overnight, despite Romania’s recent accession to the EU ...
A federal district court judge in Pennsylvania ruled that first-party property claims for damages due to defective stucco arose from a single occurrence and, upon determining the date of loss, held that the coverage claims were barred by the insurance contract’s two-year suit limitations period. Smith, et al. v. Westfield Insurance Co., No. 06-3077; 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87431 (E.D. Pa. November 27, 2007) Case Background ...
The Florida Supreme Court has held that defective work performed by a subcontractor that damages a general contractor’s completed work constitutes “property damage” caused by an “occurrence” under a commercial general liability (CGL) policy. U.S. Fire Ins. Co. v. J.S.U.B., Inc., No. SC05-1295 (Fla. Dec. 20, 2007) ...
Real estate 1. Please briefly state what is considered real estate in your jurisdiction. What are the most common forms of security granted over it? How are they created and how are they perfected (that is, made valid and enforceable)?Under Romanian law, real estate (generally known as immovable property) covers land, buildings and those movable assets attached to land or buildings as fixtures ...
Commercial properties groups across Europe are being forced to wait longer to refinance their debts as lenders tighten their belts in the wake of the credit crunch, it has been reported ...
Investors in Scottish commercial property have been warned that the sector may see a zero per cent rate of growth in 2008 as supply continues to outstrip demand.In comparison to the situation just 12 months ago, where there were ten buyers for every commercial property put on the market, now ten sellers exist for every purchaser, new research from industry consultants Drivers Jonas has revealed ...
Dykema attorneys were recently involved in an interesting infrastructure project finance transaction relating to the rehabilitation of a portion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Dykema represented the lender in this transaction. To complete the transaction, a fairly unusual structure had to evolve ...
In late November 2007, the Supreme Court rendered a judgment on the law of sale in Quebec in the case of ABB Inc. v. Domtar Inc.(1) in which it pointed out important differences between Quebec law and the law of the other Canadian provinces regarding limitation of liability clauses ...
Firstly the act now expressly states that planning and building shall promote good economic growth and effective competition. This change is a clear signal from the legislator that municipalities must not only take into consideration the social and ecological effects in their planning but also the development of commerce and the provision of commercial service ...
The OFT has announced that, for a trial period of 18 months, it will offer cash rewards to individuals that blow the whistle on cartels. Pay outs of up to £100,000 could be made at the OFT’s discretion – but only where the information provided helps the regulator to identify and take action against illegal cartels ...