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Among the most important recent developments in the Belgian financial landscape are the transformation of the Brussels stock exchange into Euronext Brussels and the start of Nasdaq Europe following the takeover of the pan-European Easdaq market by Nasdaq.

Singapore banks DBS and OCBC have both launched domestic takeover battles that will reshape the city state's banking industry. The Singapore government is committed to creating a regional financial powerhouse and its banks have taken up the fight. In May DBS took over Hong Kong's Dao Heng for S$9.9 billion ($5.4 billion) and it is now moving in on local rival OUB, at a cost of S$9.4 billion. Allen & Gledhill has advised DBS on both transactions and is also advising OCBC on the takeover of Keppel Capital, Singapore's smallest bank. The deal comes hand-in-hand with an offer of S$3 billion of new upper tier-two subordinated notes denominated in Singapore dollars, US dollars, British pounds and euros. Clifford Chance and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett are providing international advice.

UK firm Lovells has boosted its corporate and finance practices in London, Frankfurt and Paris by poaching five partners from the European offices of rival US and UK firms.

UK lawyers have reacted angrily to the German government's attempt to frustrate the agreement of a European takeover code. The 12-year long negotiations to establish a pan-European code were thrown into disarray at the end of May when German government officials bowed to domestic pressure and withdrew their support for the draft European directive. European member states now have until the end of this month, when the conciliation period over the takeover code ends, to agree a compromise or the draft directive will collapse and with it any hope of agreeing a European code.

Insiders face many legal obstacles to trading their company’s stock, but Rule 10b5-1(c) can provide a solution in the form of advance trading plans. Steven Bochner and Leslie Hakala of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati reveal how this often overlooked regulation can help

The Turkish parliament passed a new law amending the law of the Turkish Central Bank on April 25. This Law is designed to free the Turkish Central Bank from political influence and authorizes it to streamline monetary policy as a completely autonomous body.

According to article 758 of Poland's Civil Code, as amended by the Law on Amendment of the Civil Code Act of July 26 2000, agency is based on a contract by means of which the person accepting the mandate (agent) assumes the obligation to mediate permanently, within the scope of the activity of his or her enterprise, for a financial consideration, in the conclusion of contracts with clients for the benefit of the entrepreneur being the principal, or in the conclusion of such contracts in the prinicipal's name.

Shearman & Sterling has acted for Société Générale (Soc Gen) on its deal to buy a 70% stake in US fund manager TCW, structuring an unusual five-year purchase plan for the French bank rather than a typical one-off acquisition.

The downturn has made life harder for everyone in California’s technology sector, but as they showed after the Asian financial crisis, lawyers are able to adapt by meeting new needs and new clients. Tom Nicholson reports from California on how firms are surviving

The Vietnam and Singapore offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer are advising French waste and water management group Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux on the construction of a water treatment plant in Ho Chi Minh City. The deal is nearing completion following four years of work.