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Commercial properties groups across Europe are being forced to wait longer to refinance their debts as lenders tighten their belts in the wake of the credit crunch, it has been reported ...

Dykema | February 2008

Dykema attorneys were recently involved in an interesting infrastructure project finance transaction relating to the rehabilitation of a portion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Dykema represented the lender in this transaction. To complete the transaction, a fairly unusual structure had to evolve ...

Delphi | March 2008

Firstly the act now expressly states that planning and building shall promote good economic growth and effective competition. This change is a clear signal from the legislator that municipalities must not only take into consideration the social and ecological effects in their planning but also the development of commerce and the provision of commercial service ...

Delphi | March 2008

In the autumn of 2007, the rules in the Environmental Code on liability for environmental damage in the form of pollution were made more stringent. The changes were due to the EC directive on environmental liability (1). The liability of businesses operators and property owners has thus become more extensive. Amendments have, inter alia, been made to chapter 10 of the Environmental Code ...

Deacons | April 2008

A number of leveraged funds, futures and options funds and market neutral funds seeking absolute returns were authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission in Hong Kong (SFC) during the 1990s, although most have since been wound up or deauthorised ...

Deacons | April 2008

The Asian hedge fund industry is comparatively new and small.  However, the industry has witnessed phenomenal growth since 2002. The purpose of this book is to assist start-up managers to establish a hedge fund business. To date, a majority of the newly-established funds in Asia have been set up by fund managers or proprietary traders setting up their own business, after a successful career at one of the larger investment houses ...

Lavery Lawyers | May 2008

Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations 2008 - Environment Canada Consultation DocumentEnvironment Canada hold consultations in January 2008 on modifications to the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005 that would prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale and importation of certain toxic substances. The modified regulations would replace the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2005 ...

Polenak Law Firm | June 2008

The real estate market in Macedonia has been in a state of transition for the last two decades. This period brought the country from a situation in which such investment was seen as a duty primarily fulfilled by State bodies, institutions and enterprises to one in which the sector was left virtually entirely to the private sector ...

Lawson Lundell LLP | June 2008

A. INTRODUCTIONThe development of transportation infrastructure in the Lower Mainland depends on expropriation of private property ...

Shoosmiths LLP | June 2008

As if employers and contractors needed reminding, two recent decisions emphasise the importance of having a contract in place as soon as possible, and the dangers of starting work on a letter of intent ...

Shoosmiths LLP | June 2008

Product liability insurance is often offered as an alternative to professional indemnity insurance by sub-contractors but is it really an alternative? The two forms of insurance have some fundamental differences. Professional indemnity insurance covers claims arising out of the professional activities of design consultants, sub-contractors or the contractor ...

Shoosmiths LLP | June 2008

Throughout the industry press, the topic of conversation at networking breakfasts, you can’t escape the doom and gloom of the global credit crunch. But what does this really mean for the industry? First and foremost, it means that risk will increase. There is more chance of a party experiencing cash flow difficulties, or even going bust. There will be less work around, resulting in keener prices and greater competition ...

Shoosmiths LLP | June 2008

Earlier this month the European Commission closed an investigation into a development in the German City of Flensburg.  On the facts which the Commission eventually established it decided to close its file and take no further action, but it is the background which is interesting and provides a pointer to what best practice should be – particularly now that the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 have been in force for a number of years ...

Shoosmiths LLP | June 2008

Several years ago the Municipal Council in Alexandroupolis invited tenders for a contract to carry out a project in respect of a town plan.  Using the appropriate procedure the Council issued a contract notice identifying the award criteria in order of priority (as was required by the relevant rules) ...

Lavery Lawyers | July 2008

On May 27, 2008, Line Beauchamp, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, announced an envelope of $60 million under the Assistance program to reduce or avoid greenhouse gas emissions by implementation of intermodal projects in freight transportation, to fund new projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions ...

Lavery Lawyers | July 2008

On May 9, 2008, the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) presented its new pricing system for applications for environmental authorizations. The Order-in-Council provides for a rate grid based on the nature of the work covered by the application for authorization. The base rate is $500, unless another rate is stipulated in the rate grid ...

Lavery Lawyers | July 2008

On April 29, 2008, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, Line Beauchamp, announced the adoption of new measures to improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. An amount of $16.4 million has been allocated to enable agricultural operations to intensify their actions favouring the preservation and improvement of water quality ...

Lawson Lundell LLP | August 2008

Concerns over global climate change have sparked a series of legislative and policy responses on the provincial, federal, regional, and international levels. The challenge of complying with climate change policy is that different governments have invoked a number of different policy tools to respond and adapt ...

Shoosmiths LLP | September 2008

Japanese knotweed is an extremely invasive plant which is capable of damaging property and can grow through concrete or even the floors of houses.    It is difficult to eradicate and its disposal is considered to be "controlled waste" for the purposes of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.   Knotweed will often be apparent on inspection but this will not necessarily always be the case. A fragment of root as small as 0 ...

Shoosmiths LLP | September 2008

From 1 October 2008, the Companies Act 2006 will repeal the prohibition on private companies providing financial assistance for the purchase of its own shares.  This change in law will not apply to public companies which will continue to be prohibited from giving financial assistance ...

Shoosmiths LLP | September 2008

The Crossrail Act 2008 (the “Act”) received Royal Assent on 22 July 2008.   The Act authorises the works necessary to build Crossrail and the acquisition of land and interests in land necessary for those works.   In addition, the Act establishes a planning and heritage regime for the works ...

Shoosmiths LLP | September 2008

The Government has announced a new scheme to supplement the existing HomeBuy scheme. The new scheme, known as "Rent to HomeBuy", will allow potential buyers to rent a property for a specified period at a less than market rent, with the option to buy a share of the property at the end of that period.  The Government hopes that the new scheme will enable more tenants to buy their own home ...

Dykema | September 2008

Part I of a III Part Primer: An Introduction This newsletter is the first of a three part report prepared for our public finance clients with respect to “public private partnerships.” Also known as “PPP” or “P3” projects, there is an increasing amount of press regarding these projects, some of which is contradictory and some of which is just plain confusing ...

Dykema | September 2008

A few years ago, Rick Rein got a call from a Chicago-area bank that had lost $1 million to a con artist who cashed a fake check that looked so authentic it easily passed through the bank's computer system.   The fraudster wired the money to an obscure bank in Florida, then out of the country before the bank realized a month later the check was phony.   Mr ...

Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP | September 2008

The Scottish Government has recently unveiled its long-awaited proposal for financing and delivering major public projects in Scotland. The initiative, the Scottish Futures Trust (the SFT), will replace the widely-criticised Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and heralds a golden opportunity for the delivery of high quality projects which represent value for money for the taxpayer ...

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