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The Royal Trust Bank decision has left uncertainty as to how best to create a fixed charge over receivables. Chris Hanson and Geoffrey Yeowart of Lovell White Durrant, London, attempt to reconcile the cases

US firm Oppenheimer Wolff & Donnelly will merge with Californian intellectual property (IP) firm Poms, Smith, Lande & Rose on January 1 1997. The new firm will have one of the largest IP practices in the US and hopes to rank in the top 10 firms for trade marks issued. The firm will have 11 offices.

The Central Bank of Russia recently issued Instructions giving foreign investors greater scope to invest in rouble-denominated bonds. By Mira Davidovski and Robert Chernoff of Salans Hertzfeld & Heilbronn, Paris and Moscow

Following the debate launched earlier this year by the Commission's Green Paper on the review of the Merger Regulation, the Commission has published two proposals for revision of the Regulation, which it has submitted to the Council of Ministers for discussion. One of these, containing the Commission's more controversial proposals concerning reduction of the 'Community dimension' thresholds, is capable of adoption by qualified majority, as envisaged in the existing Regulation. The other proposal, which requires the unanimous agreement of the member states, contains a number of improvements to the Regulation which are likely to be less controversial.

The state reinsurance monopoly has now been lifted with the enactment of Constitutional Amendment No. 13 of August 21 1996. In accordance with the new wording of Article 192, II of the Constitution, licensing requirements and other conditions applicable to reinsurance shall be regulated in a complementary law. There are at present two bills on the subject being examined in Congress.

US petroleum refiner Diamond Shamrock is to merge with rival Ultramar in a US$2.35 billion deal. The transaction is structured as a stock swap, attracted the attention of regulators regarding Diamond Shamrock's call options after large purchases were reported a week before the announcement of the merger.

UK firm Amhurst Brown Colombotti has spoken to IFLRev following reports that the firm has transferred its Italian law department to another firm. It was alleged that Milan firm Studio Legale Sutti had taken over the department on the retirement of Italian law specialist Salvatore San Marco.

Arbitration is an increasingly popular form of dispute resolution. The recent Act for England and Wales boosts London's position. By David Wyld and Simon Nurney of Macfarlanes, London

Baker & McKenzie is opening an office in Munich early next year to complement its Frankfurt and Berlin offices. Three partners will manage the office, assisted by three associates. Walter Henle and Stephan Spehl join from the Frankfurt office, which will remain the leading office in Germany. Uwe Steininger, a tax and mergers and acquisitions lawyer, joins the office as partner from Bissman & Partner. Says Nigel Carrington, managing partner at the London office: "Munich is a major German centre, and we are already strong in Frankfurt and Berlin. It is an obvious move for us to make."

Uncertainty over the Brazilian's state's right to control the domestic insurance industry appears to have been temporarily resolved – to the advantage of foreign insurance firms. By Manoel Ignácio Torres Monteiro of Amaro, Stuber e Advogados Associados, São Paulo