Sky Blog
Shareholder activism has undergone a striking transformation over the past four decades. What began in the 1980s as a brash and often combative movement led by so-called corporate raiders has matured into a sophisticated, globally attuned, and strategically agile phenomenon. …
Over recent decades, the massive globalization of finance has led many observers to expect widespread harmonization of nations’ financial regulations. Yet, while there has been a remarkable degree of harmonization in some areas, at least at the regional level, considerable …
Policymakers around the world have typically outsourced the detection of financial crime to the private sector. This approach is often referred to as the “gatekeeper” model, with the basic idea being that private firms, like bodyguards at a nightclub, are …
Venture capital (VC) is a key driver of economic growth. A substantial body of legal and financial scholarship has examined the institutional factors that shape VC activity. In the first of two papers, we build on the idea that the …
In a recent study, we examine how political ideology affected SEC commissioners’ stances on whether to adopt the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Our findings reveal a partisan divide that stalled decision-making and left the U.S. as an outlier in …
In late November 2024, the Bank of England published the results of its first system-wide exploratory scenario (SWES) exercise – a year-long effort to model how various financial entities, including non-bank financial intermediaries (NBFIs) and banks, would respond to a …
China’s corporate law and securities regulation have undergone a series of legislative reforms over the past decade to enhance investor protection and foster market competition.
The comprehensive reform of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) Securities Law in 2019 marked …
In this article, we reflect on key trends in ESG over the second half of 2024 and look ahead at trends that may emerge in 2025.
We …
International Organization of Securities Commissions Publishes Report on Impact of Transition Plans Disclosures
The International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published a report on November 13 covering the key impacts of, and challenges associated with, transition planning. The …
The digital economy has put antitrust regulation in the spotlight, with increasingly dominant technology companies – such as Amazon, Google, Facebook (Meta), Apple, and Microsoft – reviving concerns about private monopolies reminiscent of Standard Oil and AT&T. Yet the enforcement …
Striking a balance between pursuing economic growth and addressing social and environmental challenges is not easy, yet it’s crucial for emerging markets. There’s no doubt that growth has lifted millions of people from poverty over the last half-century, but it …
Asia appears to be rapidly embracing Anglo-American corporate governance models – but looks can be deceiving. Our recent research reveals a striking paradox: While Asian jurisdictions widely adopt Anglo-American governance mechanisms in form, they often use these tools for remarkably …
The global debate surrounding CEO compensation remains important and contentious. While many countries have implemented advisory frameworks for say-on-pay votes, Israel has taken a pioneering approach with its binding dual-majority voting system. Introduced in 2012 through Amendment 20 to the …
In late October 2024, the U.S. Treasury Department (Treasury) issued its final rules (the Outbound Rules) implementing President Biden’s Executive Order (EO) 14105 on “outbound” U.S. investment. See our prior mailers here and here. The Outbound Rules will take …
In the United States, there is talk of a backlash against ESG, while in Europe, the number of laws requiring companies to comply with ESG standards is growing steadily. This difference in attitude and approach toward ESG may, in part, …
Special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) have swiftly emerged as an alternative vehicle for global corporations that seek a public listing. As their name suggests, SPACs gather funds from investors through an initial public offering (IPO), with the intention of acquiring …
Global efforts to enhance anti-money laundering (AML) measures to combat financial crime are increasing. In this extract from a recent Clifford Chance webinar, we look at the latest AML trends in the EU, US, UK and Singapore and what …
In BM Brazil & Ors v Sibanye BM Brazil & Anor [2024] EWHC 2566 (Comm), the English Commercial Court decided a buyer was not entitled to rely on a material adverse effect (“MAE”) condition to terminate an M&A transaction, extensively …
I remember that day in 2006 at my OECD office in Paris when a colleague told me he had received a call from the Saudi government. The gentleman on the other end of the line had been inquiring about circuit-breaker …
The venue for stock trading is important. Exchanges provide high immediacy and transparency, while dark markets are slower and more opaque.[1] Traders generally prefer exchanges when they want to capitalize on information before it becomes known but value dark markets …