Search results for

With Euronext at the forefront of integration in European financial services, Thomas Williams talks to the exchange’s top lawyer about self-regulation and the ten best law firms in Europe

Amendments have been made to the Helsinki Exchanges regulations to allow block trading. These amendments took effect on February 25 2002. The reasons for the change include the desire to minimize the possibility of the manipulation of stock trading prices and to clarify the existing trading rules on the matter. It is hoped that the clarity these changes bring will encourage more block trading activity.

The Agreement on the Swiss banks' code of conduct with regard to the exercise of due diligence (CDB) is a multilateral agreement. Under its framework, banks located in Switzerland have agreed with the Swiss Bankers Association to verify the identity of their contracting partners and, should there be any doubt, obtain from them a declaration of beneficial ownership with respect to the deposited assets. They have also agreed to refrain from providing any active assistance in the flight of capital or in tax evasion.

On February 21 2002 ISVAP (the Italian supervisory authority on private insurance) issued Circular No 474 D, which sets out new provisions on unit-linked life insurance policies. Unit-linked policies are those policies the performances of which are connected to shares of funds that may be either internal to the insurance company or external.

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has won the first of what it hopes will be a series of mandates for issues from Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation's innovative mortgage-backed securities (MBS) programme.

Under listing rule changes proposed by the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), due to be implemented in June 2002, it will be harder for foreign companies to be listed on the ASX with special relief. Foreign companies already listed by the ASX would have only a few months to adapt to the new rules.

In a recent decision regarding the battle for Australia’s Normandy Mining, the Takeovers Panel made its first decision on break fees and has released its reasoning. Baden Furphy and Tony Damian of Freehills’ Melbourne and Sydney offices discuss the ruling and its implications

Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft has hired former Shearman & Sterling partner Stephen Mostyn-Williams to build a dedicated banking and finance practice in Europe.

In a landmark ruling, the SEC has allowed American Life to communicate with investors purely via the internet. However, as Sebastian Sperber and Eric Kolodner of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Hong Kong explain, it is far from clear where this will lead or what the effects of the Electronic Signatures Act will be

An offeror in a recent Canadian take over bid demonstrated ingenuity in squeezing out dissenting offerees in a new second step transaction designed to take the target private.