Executive Summary: The year 2015 was significant for proxy contests in Canada, with a total of 55 contests, exceeding the previous record high of 43 contests set in 2009. Although the spike in the number of contests in 2015 may have been exceptional, coinciding with a period of economic downturn in Canada and continued deterioration … Continued
Executive Summary: Sitting in France, reports of the decline of activism in Europe appear somewhat exaggerated, just as the predictions of a few years ago of an impending wave of U.S.-style activist activity in Europe were equally overstated. In contrast to the rapid rise of activism in the United States, the level of activism in France … Continued
Executive Summary: Nishimura & Asahi has prepared a Q&A guide to public mergers and acquisitions law in Japan in The International Comparative Legal Guide to: Mergers & Acquisitions 2016. The country-specific Q&A is an overview of current M&A legislation; the regulation of friendly and hostile bids; due diligence; stakebuilding; bidder and deal protection; defending hostile … Continued
Highlights: New legislation, the Companies Bill 2012 due to become law in early 2015 will consolidate Irish company law into one comprehensive piece of legislation. The new company law regime will offer practical benefits and greater flexibility for Irish companies ranging from allowing companies to be incorporated more efficiently to radical reforms such as the … Continued
Executive Summary: Québec’s Task Force on the Protection of Québec Businesses has proposed that companies adopt new measures against unsolicited take-overs, including aggressive measures such as: a variable voting right which would be determined by the length of time a shareholder holds shares of a corporation, enabling boards of target companies to fully exercise their … Continued
Executive Summary: The Panamanian government has engaged in an extensive period of consultations with local and foreign experts, practitioners, professionals and regulators, in a concerted effort to ensure that the jurisdiction continues to embody the highest international standards in terms of functionality and transparency (while preserving confidentiality). To that effect, the Panamanian legislature enacted Law … Continued
Highlights The newly-created Spanish “bad bank” (SAREB) has been transferred a EUR 50.8 billion pool of loans and real estate assets from Spanish credit entities that were totally or partially nationalized, as well as the legal mandate to liquidate the entire portfolio in 15 years. A legal framework has been enacted to facilitate the divestment … Continued
Highlights: On December 2, 2013, the People’s Bank of China (“PBOC”) released its Opinions on the Financial Support of the Development of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (the “FTZ”) (the “Opinions”). The Opinions committed to the promotion of reforms and pilots in the FTZ in the sectors of cross-border RMB usage, RMB capital … Continued
Executive Summary: Although Spain’s current microeconomic situation is still critical, the macroeconomic framework is more stable; it appears that Spain is once again becoming regarded as a safe jurisdiction for investors. This stability, together with a steep fall in valuations, is reinvigorating the market, and investors have begun looking at future investment opportunities. This article, … Continued
Highlights: The establishment of a free trade area between the EU and Singapore is expected to have significant benefits for Singapore and EU companies. Annual EU exports to Singapore could rise by EUR 1.4 billion over 10 years and annual exports by Singapore companies (including EU companies based in Singapore) could rise by EUR 3.5 … Continued
