Guernsey investment funds update - Q4 2023 Changes to the requirements for individuals acting as a director As noted in our previous update, on 8 July 2023 new regulations to The Regulation of Fiduciaries, Administration Businesses and Company Directors, etc (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2020 (the “Fiduciaries Law”) came into operation, introducing additional exemptions from the need to obtain a personal licence pursuant to the Fiduciaries Law ...
Jersey investment funds update - Q4 2023 FSJL - Changes to investment business On 31 October 2023, two amendments to the definition of “investment business” (as set out in article 2(2) of the Financial Services (Jersey) Law 1998 (“FSJL”)) came into force. The amendments have been discussed extensively over the last few years via numerous consultations with industry ...
It is highly documented that the transport sector is heavily male dominated. Indeed, reports suggest that while women account for 47% of the general UK workforce, within the transport sector women only account for 20% of the workforce and only 3% of HGV drivers in the UK. Many employers are aware of the work that needs to be done in this sector in terms of addressing and challenging behaviours, changing mindsets and creating inclusive cultures ...
THE BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REGISTER: IMPLEMENTING THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE’S RECOMMENDATIONS ON MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORISM FINANCING IN NIGERIA INTRODUCTION Section 119 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (“CAMA”) 2020, in conjunction with the Persons with Significant Control Regulations (“PSC Regulations”) 2022, requires companies, Limited Liability Partnerships (“LLPs”), and by extension, foreign exempted companies under
Introduction The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (“MARPOL” or the “Convention”) was promoted by the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”). It was adopted on the 2nd of November 1973 to tackle the menace of marine pollution by oil, chemicals, and other hazardous materials from ships through operational or accidental causes ...
Introduction Block exemption regulations (BER) for liner shipping companies have been in place in one form or another since 1986, originally as «Conference» BER, and since 2008 as «Consortia» BER. With the discontinuation, the liner shipping segment joins other shipping segments as fully subject to the competition rules in the EU, including the prohibition against anti-competitive cooperation under Article 101 TFEU ...
In last year’s predictions, we surmised that the pensions industry at large had put “a busy and unpredictable 12 months” at the top of its wish list at the start of 2022. It seems like everyone enjoyed having that wish granted so much last year that they asked for more of the same in 2023 and well, we certainly got it! What started out as a steady year soon took a different turn ...
On the 1st of August 2023, Bill No. 63 entitled the Air Navigation Act (hereinafter referred to as the “Act”) was published in the Supplement to the Government Gazette. The proposed Act has reached the stage of the Third Reading and shall repeal the Civil Aviation (Air Operators’ Certificates) Act (Chapter 218 of the Laws of Malta), the Air Navigation Order (Subsidiary Legislation 499 ...
The U.S. Department of State has released details on a proposed pilot program testing the agency’s ability to resume domestic visa renewals for certain nonimmigrant visa categories and to study the effect the program has on reducing visa wait times worldwide. The program will begin on January 29, 2024 and end on April 1, 2024 ...
On 17 December 2023, the State Council of the People's Republic of China (the "PRC")[1]promulgated the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Non-Bank Payment Institutions (the "Regulations") ...
Embezzlement and fraud within nonprofit organizations has reached epidemic proportions. According to the Association of Certified Fraud Examiner’s (2020) Global Study which contains an analysis of 2,504 cases of occupational fraud that were investigated between January 2018 and September 2019, 70 percent of frauds occurred in nonprofit organizations ...
Beginning January 1, 2024, companies created or registered in the United States will have to report information about their ownership to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, pursuant to The Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA” or the “Act”). For more information, see our prior alert on this topic here ...
By: Daniel Silva, Sanjay Bhandari, and Manisha Malhotra The Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) emerged as a lifeline for small businesses grappling with the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lenders navigated a landscape of regulations that Congress quickly drafted in response to the pandemic. These regulations and obligations evolved, subtly yet materially, from the first and second rounds of PPP “draws ...
Norway fully integrated the provisions of PSD2 and the Payment Accounts Directive into its legal system with the entry into force of the new Financial Agreements Act on January 1, 2023. The Norwegian Central Bank made significant strides in its exploration of digital central bank currency, completing the fourth phase of its initiative. This phase focused on testing and validating technical solutions, with findings reported on December 18, 2023, indicating successful outcomes ...
Mergers – recent cases On 15 December 2023, Nordea’s acquisition of Danske Bank’s private customer portfolio was unconditionally cleared after a phase II investigation. The market for banking services holds great significance for Norwegian consumers, prompting a thorough examination of Nordea’s acquisition of Danske Bank’s private customer operations by the NCA ...
Inflation and increasing interest rates continued to dominate headlines in financial markets in 2023. As central banks struggled to combat inflation and interest rates continued to increase, borrowers’ borrowing costs increased throughout the year. Increased borrowing costs caused some borrowers to default on their loans, requesting waivers and amendments or initiating a restructuring of their debt ...
Frank C. Aase has more than 16 years of experience assisting companies facing financial challenges, providing support to banking and company clients. He is regularly appointed as a trustee in bankruptcy and serves as the leader of the Norwegian Bar Association’s legal committee for bankruptcy, composition, security rights, enforcement, and debt collection. Frank comes from Brækhus Advokatfirma, where he previously served as managing partner ...
Another great year for the Ocean team at SVW has ended. The Shipping industry had a great year, as we have witnessed it through our clients’ engagements. More steps have been taken toward environmentally smarter investments by many clients, not only within the fuel engine options in new-building orders, but also piloting strategic joint ventures and collaborations in the fuel terminals infrastructure (hydrogen/ammonia), as well as power plants ...
Guernsey: an ideal domicile for continuation funds Guernsey provides an ideal domicile for continuation funds, with proportionate, principle-based regulation, and a neutral tax environment, facilitating quick-to-market establishments and competitive ongoing costs ...
Please note the following press release. This press release is available at our homepage Roman Ettl-Steger, Salaried Partner based at the Munich office, and an interdisciplinary team from Heuking comprehensively advised a group of entrepreneurs and senior managers, led by family entrepreneur Martin Schoeller, on the structuring of GESI Green Energy Storage Initiative SE (GESI) ...
ESG is in high alignment with China's "dual carbon" goals and has become an important indicator for measuring the sustainable and high-quality development of enterprises in China. Adopting a top-down approach, the Chinese central government has codified the importance of green and sustainable development in policy papers and Five-Year Plans ...
