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New York-based Chadbourne & Parke, a general practice firm with a strong energy and projects practice, has poached Ian Johnson from Ashurst Morris Crisp. Johnson, head of Ashurst's energy and major projects group, will be the first English solicitor to be a partner at Chadbourne. He starts at the firm on March 1 1997.

International firms are increasing their ambitions in Italy. At the same time, Italian firms are looking to expand abroad.

Denton Hall has pulled out of the reported discussions between three London firms on a possible three-way merger. The two other firms, McKenna & Co and Cameron Markby Hewitt, are reported to be continuing their discussions, but other plans may intervene.

Performance bonds are contracts of guarantee commonly used in international trade. Their commercial purpose is to secure the performance of a primary obligation through assured and prompt payment in case of default. No dispute arising out of the underlying agreement between the principal and the beneficiary of the guarantee ought to interfere with the independent undertaking of the guarantor. Hence, performance bonds invariably include an absolute undertaking by the guarantor to pay 'on first demand'.

The regulatory reforms to the economic and tax regime of the Canary Islands are still awaiting approval by the Spanish authorities. When the process, which started in 1991, is finally completed, the Canary Islands Special Zone will take effect within the framework of the EU, and will remain operative until at least the year 2024. One of its objectives is the creation and development of a Canary Islands financial market.

The Limited Liability Partnerships (Jersey) Law is expected to come into force in the spring of 1997. The UK government has announced its intention to introduce similar legislation in Britain, thus demonstrating that it recognizes the liability issues now facing professional services organizations, and lending its support to the proponents of such legislation. The deputy vice-president of the Law Society, Michael Matthews, has stated that there is no policy reason why solicitors should not take advantage of Jersey's proposed limited liability partnerships.

The Central Bank of Chile has for sometime imposed a requirement to deposit with it on a non-interest earning basis (or to pay as an alternative a fee) an amount equal to 30% of almost all equity investments made under Chapter XIV of the Compendium of Foreign Exchange Regulations and of loans registered under that Chapter and under Decree Law 600.

Comparing the growth of the main foreign offices of the New York and London firms, Richard Forster identifies strategies that work and examines the prospects for a merged, truly global law firm

Simon Firth of Linklaters & Paines, London, looks at the growth of a trend that has contributed significantly to the reduction of credit risk in the financial markets, and a proposal to boost it further

The Capital Markets Efficiency Act is a pale shadow of the originally proposed reforms to end the federal/state dual regulation of securities issues and cut litigation by large institutions. By David Bernstein of Rogers & Wells, New York