Episode 9: Financial Institutions in Post-COVID Africa This episode puts the spotlight on Africa, with a focus on South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ethiopia. Wildu du Plessis, a partner in our Johannesburg office and head of Africa, talks about the situation in Africa, in the context of the current pandemic…
Starting in March, both multinational companies and asset managers that trade US futures and certain other derivatives will face new, but long-awaited, position limit rules. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or “Commission”) recently amended its rules (“Final Rule”) limiting speculative positions that market participants may take in certain commodities contracts. While the US position limit regime is intended to limit speculation on commodities, the Final Rule covers derivatives commonly used by companies to manage agricultural, energy and other commodity risks. The Final Rule expands the scope of the US position limit regime to include not only specified futures but also swaps that are economically equivalent to those futures.
Join Baker McKenzie regulatory and enforcement practitioners as we navigate this uncertain time and work together through the…
With less than three months to go before the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) comes into force on 10 March 2021, this recorded webinar covers the practical steps that firms should be taking now to comply, with a focus on how UK and other non-EU firms can navigate scope issues and the expectations of EU-based clients, investors, and regulators. It focuses in particular on the governance, documentation and data collation steps that firms should be taking now, and the way in which we expect market approach to develop over the next 12-24 months. We also cover the direction of travel in the UK and Switzerland in relation to ESG, green taxonomies, and TCFD compliance. We are joined on this webinar by ECO:FACT, a data-driven ESG advisory firm that has been helping clients understand environmental and human rights risk since 1998
On 21 January 2021, the Electricity and Renewable Energy Authority of Vietnam (EREA) submitted Report No. 20/BC-DL to the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade in charge. The report requests the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)’s internal approval of the draft of the Prime Minister’s decision on the selection of investors for grid-connected solar power projects in Vietnam (“Draft Decision”).
This Draft Decision would apply the selection mechanism on a long-term basis. Bidding rounds will be conducted based on a so-called Renewable Energy Development Plan formulated by the MOIT for each five-year period. A more specific plan will be circulated on a biannual basis.
The Office of the National Superintendent of Securities (SUNAVAL) has authorized the Decentralized Stock Exchange of Venezuela, S.A. (BDVE) to act as a decentralized stock exchange as of 19 January 2021 (“Guidelines”),1 after the trial period of 90 days under Guidelines No. 146.
On 21 January 2021, the Office of the National Superintendent for Banking Sector Institutions (SUDEBAN) issued a notice that prohibits banking institutions from carrying out credit operations using foreign currency, without prior authorization from SUDEBAN and the Central Bank of Venezuela (“BCV”) (“Notice”).1
The new Bidding Bill of Law provides for integrity programs as well as greater control and transparency in public tenders.
The Brazilian Bidding Law (Law 8,666/93) and other laws related to public procurement (Law 10,520/2002 and articles 1 to 47 of Law 12,462/2011) are about to be replaced by Bill of Law No. 4,253/2020, which was recently approved by the Federal Senate and is pending presidential sanction.
The new legislation, which is 27 years in the making, provides relevant updates from a compliance perspective, such as: (i) the reinforcement of internal and external controls for public procurement; (ii) the strengthening of the relevance of a compliance program for companies willing to do business with the government; and (iii) increased sanctions for irregularities in public procurement.
Please join us for a new weekly video series, hosted by Baker McKenzie’s North America Government Enforcement partners Tom Firestone and Jerome Tomas.
This weekly briefing is available on demand and will cover hot topics and current enforcement actions related to white collar crime and criminal investigations in the US and abroad to arm you with the information you need to start your business week.
As one of the largest global law firms, we will call upon our exceptionally deep and broad bench of white collar experts throughout the world and particularly in the commercial hubs of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America to join our weekly discussion series.
Baker McKenzie has published its fully revised and expanded Global Guide to Legal Issues in Securitisation. This guide has been compiled by Baker McKenzie lawyers in 32 jurisdictions in EMEA, APAC and the Americas. It provides you with an overview of the general legal, tax, accounting and regulatory issues typically…