Search results for

Daniel Futej Dalimir Jančovič The new act on local development fees came into force in Slovakia on November 1 2016. Under the act, a fee will be charged for certain construction activities that take place in municipalities and cities. The act is a response to the extensive development in towns and municipalities that need new infrastructure but do not have the finances to fund the building. Investors pay the fee, and local governments should use the revenue to build technical and social infrastructure.

After months of speculation and uncertainty, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect is officially up and running. The scheme, which is the second of its kind, was officially launched on December 5, linking the two bourses for the first time since the Shenzhen Stock Exchange was opened in 1991. It will allow international and Hong Kong investors to trade in 881 Shenzhen-listed stocks up to a quota of RMB13 billion ($1.89 billion), while PRC investors will have access to 417 Hong Kong-listed stocks and be subject to a daily quota of RMB10.5 billion.

Asset managers in the UK are readying themselves for a new individual accountability regime previously only applicable to senior staff members at banks, and for some – particularly international-facing businesses – governance structures will have to be overhauled.

Joseph Condo In a major shakeup in central America, global law firm DENTONS announced a proposal to open offices in central America through a combination with MUÑOZ GLOBAL. The Costa Rican-based Muñoz brothers, José Antonio Muñoz and Pedro Muñoz, have split from leading firm Arias & Muñoz, which will now be known simply as ARIAS. Muñoz Global will also have offices in Panama and Nicaragua. Gisela Alvarez de Porras will act as managing partner of the Panama office, having previously acted as managing partner of Arias & Muñoz's Panama office, but left the firm in April 2016 to serve on an Advisory Committee of Independent Experts for the Government of Panama to review financial practices. The partnership for the Nicaragua office is yet to be announced.

Inconsistent legislation and home-grown commercial specificities mean investors need to factor the risk of entering India into their deals

The lighter side of the past month in the world of financial law

Greece is amending parts of its out-of-court workout regime but the country’s economic situation may prove an obstacle to their successful implementation

Elias Neocleous The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) recently issued a draft circular for consultation with Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) and other stakeholders. The paper sets out the proposed changes to, and clarifications of, the detailed procedures that CIFs must follow to fulfil their obligations to safeguard clients' funds. The consultation period ran until November 18 2016; the new guidance is expected to be issued early in 2017.

Fabiola Cammarota de Abreu Ricardo Lara Gaillard In August 2016, the tribunal of the Brazilian antitrust authority (the Administrative Council for Economic Defense or Cade) reversed a previous decision of its General Superintendence. This previous decision held that down payments violated the so-called gun jumping rules laid down in Cade's guidelines. In doing so, Cade issued its first precedent on the legality of a down payment and the payment of reverse break-up fees in M&A transactions, vis-à-vis the current gun jumping regulations.

There are calls for the regulatory focus in the financial services industry to shift away from the authorisation of products towards the needs of investors