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The UK's equity market showed the first sign of returning health last month as the biggest initial public offering (IPO) launched in London since July 2001. Things are looking so good that a technology company is planning to list in June – the first technology IPO for over a year.

Shearman & Sterling is to launch a commercial arbitration practice from its Singapore office to focus on the Asian market. Paris-based arbitration partner John Savage, who will head-up the new team, arrived in Singapore last week month packing up his desk in Europe. Savage will work with two Singapore-qualified junior lawyers initially, but is already looking to boost his team by appointing two senior associates specialized in construction arbitration.

As a further sign of increasing awareness of the need to have tight controls over the operation of banks and other financial institutions, in November 2001 the State Council promulgated the "Regulations on dissolution of financial institutions", which contained 38 articles in all.

The UK has moved to safeguard London's future as a financial hub by protecting securitizations from revamped insolvency rules in the UK Enterprise Bill, published at the end of March. The government has listened to the concerns of banks, lawyers and accountants that the Bill could threaten the future of securitizations and other capital markets transactions in the UK by removing the right for secured creditors to appoint administrative receivers. Losing this right would make it hard for secured creditors to enforce security over the assets of a bankrupt company ahead of unsecured creditors.

Under the terms of its entry to the WTO, China is committed to allowing greater access to its banking sector. Despite the slow inroads being made by foreign institutions, however, rules remain in place that will slow their progress, as Lester Ross of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Beijing, explains

Shearman & Sterling opened its first office in Italy on March 18 in Rome and plans to open another in Milan. Partners Michael Bosco and Robert Ellison, together with Italian lead associate Domenico Fanuele, will lead the Rome operation. The office initially comprises about 10 lawyers with room for 25. And the firm is hunting for more. "We are actively looking for an Italian partner [from another firm]," said Ellison last month.

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.

Linklaters & Alliance has won the top award at IFLR's European awards ceremony in London, scooping the title of European capital markets team of the year.

The Andersen Legal network started to break up in April after plans to merge the auditor with big five rival KPMG collapsed.