Search results for

Asian issuers of securities in the EU face potentially expensive, time-consuming and uncertain disclosure obligations under Europe's new prospectus laws. By Swain Roberts and Denise Cheong of Linklaters Allen & Gledhill

On August 1 2003 the Japanese government promulgated certain amendments to the Civil Code of Japan and the Civil Execution Law in connection with the foreclosure of mortgaged properties.

In the absence of Lenders' Liability law, the Reserve Bank, with a view to counter-balance lenders' power under the Securitization Act, has recently finalized its Guidelines on Fair Practices Code for Lenders. The Code aims to usher in greater transparency in financial dealings, the hallmark of most developed financial markets, by requiring financial and banking institutions to follow a number of guidelines.

Japan's largest-ever leveraged buyout, the $2.2 billion purchase by US private equity fund Ripplewood Group of Japan Telecom's fixed-line business from the UK's Vodafone Group, is a pioneering transaction - for cultural reasons as much as any others.

DLA gets eastern European boost in Weiss-Tessbach merger

The European Parliament overwhelmingly approved radical changes to the decade-old Investment Services Directive (ISD) last week, aimed at harmonizing share trading rules and boosting competition between banks and stock exchanges throughout the EU.

On September 19 2003 the Brazilian Securities Commission (the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários or CVM) rejected a request made by representatives of the accounting profession and other trade associations for relief from existing regulations that require the rotation of independent auditors of listed companies. The CVM has also suggested that existing accounting standards may require the rotation of lead audit partners, as well as the rotation of the audit firm.

In an effort to simplify its foreign investment legislation and bring it into line with international standards, Turkey passed Law Number 4875 on Foreign Direct Investment in June 2003. The law eliminates the previous inequalities between foreign and local investors and simplifies the process for establishing a company in Turkey, demonstrating the country's dedication to promoting foreign investment.

The Ontario Securities Commission has recently published for comment Proposed OSC Rule 48-501 (Trading During Distributions, Formal Bids and Share Exchange Transactions), which would impose trading restrictions on dealers and issuers involved in a distribution of securities and certain other transactions, such as a securities exchange takeover bid, an issuer bid or an amalgamation, arrangement, capital reorganization or similar transaction. The purpose of the rule is to prescribe safe harbours and to otherwise restrict trading activities and preclude manipulative conduct by persons who might have an interest in the outcome of such a distribution or transaction.

Proposals to end the practice of paying soft commission are on the table in both the UK and the US. Michael Evans reports