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Publication of a draft Third Financial Markets Promotion Act (Drittes Finanzmarktförderungsgesetz) aimed at further enhancing the economic and legal framework for the operation of the German capital markets is now imminent. A number of the key changes to be introduced by the proposed Act are:

A question frequently raised both among members of the offshore community and the authorities in Cyprus is whether the existing favourable offshore tax regime will be affected in any way by the proposed accession to the EU.

Incoporating the EU Second Banking Directive into Spanish national law, Law 3/1994 regulates the basic aspects of Financial Credit Establishments (Esteblacimientos Financieros de Crédito, or EFCs), which have been further developed by recently-approved regulations. As a result, certain Spanish credit institutions have until the end of the year to comply with the new requirements.

The Bank of Italy has introduced changes to Chapter XII of its Regulations concerning the issue of bonds by Italian banks. These have the effect that the existing distinctions made between different types of issuing banks according to their capital base have been abolished. As a consequence, banks with a capital base of less than L50 billion (US$ 196 million) are now allowed to issue bonds with a denomination of at least L5 million provided that the issue has 'market characteristics'.

The recently enacted Decree 627/96 has provided a new set of rules in connection with leasing transactions. The Decree applies to leases governed by Argentine Law 24,441, in which the lessor is:

The tax consequences of a modification to US debt instruments have now been clarified by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Richard Andersen of Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, New York, looks at the implications

The following is a summary of recent developments:

Dr Berthold Kusserow and Dr Eva Reudelhuber discuss how own funds requirements for banks and investment services firms in Germany will change when the draft sixth amendment to the German Banking Act comes into force in 1997

Canadian firm Goodman Phillips & Vineberg opened a Vancouver office on September 9. The firm poached the managing partner for the office, Paul Goldman, from Canadian rival Lang Michener.

UK law firms Dibb Lupton Broomhead and Alsop Wilkinson merged on October 1 to form the UK's sixth largest firm and the world's eleventh largest (see page 16). The new firm, Dibb Lupton Alsop, will have 214 partners and a total of 734 fee earners, with a turnover in in the region of US$140 million. Both firms grew from strong regional bases, Dibb Lupton in Leeds and Alsop Wilkinson in Liverpool. Their London offices opened later but by merging they hope to build their City profile as well as develop an international presence. Alsop Wilkinson has offices in New York, Brussels and Hong Kong but Dibb Lupton did not have an office outside the UK.