Search results for

Denis M Forster of the Law Offices of Denis M Forster, New York, who advised Procter & Gamble and its trial counsel in its suit against Bankers Trust, offers a first-hand analysis of the court's holdings in the case

Despite press reports, US firm Baker & McKenzie has denied that it is to close its second Vietnamese office in Hanoi after failing to secure a new branch licence. The office had been operating as a representative office under the old practice rules while the application for a branch licence was processed. Most foreign firms have already received licences for their first office, with Baker & McKenzie setting up in Ho Chi Minh City.

Andrew Carmichael, a partner with Linklaters & Paines capital markets group in London, has moved to Hong Kong to oversee the regional securities practice. The firm, with offices in Singapore and Tokyo, has a total of nine partners and a 40-lawyer team doing capital markets work. "It is important the offices work together," comments Carmichael. "We have similar clients and sometimes deals can be done out of any of the offices, so it is important that we run the operation in a unified fashion." Carmichael said that it was not an official role but as one of the long-standing capital markets partners he had been selected for the job.

The US's Republic Industries will bolster its electronic security business with the $5 billion acquisition of ADT, the largest electronic systems provider in the US.

The Korea Stock Exchange (KSE) has decided to ease disclosure requirements for foreigners to induce more foreign corporations to list their stocks on the local exchange.

On May 21 1996, 54.6% of the voting shares of electricity distributor Light were sold to a consortium lead by Electricité de France for US$2.2 billion. This was the largest privatization to date and the second to involve a significant foreign participation. Light has 80% of the distribution market in the state of Rio de Janeiro and has now been granted a new concession for 30 years.

With the adoption of a Communication by Sir Leon Brittan and Karel van Miert, the trade and competition commissioners, the European Commission has proposed the establishment of an international framework of competition rules. The Communication, which must still be presented to the Council, calls on the WTO ministerial conference in Singapore in December to agree to study, from 1997, the possibility of an international framework of competition rules.

The following is a summary of recent developments:

The Trust (Amendment No. 3) (Jersey) Law, 1996, which was adopted by the States of Jersey on November 21 1995 and sanctioned by Her Majesty in Council on April 24 1996, was registered in the Royal Court and came into force on May 24 1996.

The Finnish Council of State recently published a bill regarding the further implementation of the EU Directive on undertakings for collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS; 85/611/EEC) in order to improve and maintain the international competitiveness of Finnish investment funds.