Top Stories - Sector specific

By Yao Lu, Dezan Shira & Associates
20th May 2013 08:49Lanzhou, once known as the “Golden City,” has been an important regional commercial center and transportation hub since as early as the Han Dynasty. The city used to be a major link on the ancient Silk Road and has played a vital role in the cultural and economic exchange between China and countries to its west throughout Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Today, Lanzhou ... read more

By Yao Lu, Dezan Shira & Associates
16th May 2013 08:45China’s Consumer Protection Law, which was promulgated in 1993 came into effect in 1994, has contributed greatly to the protection of consumer rights in the past two decades. However, since the country’s consumption patterns and structures have undergone significant changes in the years since the law’s original release, some provisions of the current Consumer Protecti ... read more

3rd May 2013 09:39Introduction   Real estate acquisitions by foreigners had been a subject matter of some restrictions for a time in Turkey.  In conjunction with Articles 35 and 36 of Land Register Law dated 1935(1), it became possible for foreign real persons to gain the property right of an immovable property under the “principle o ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
1st May 2013 09:33The Indian government has clearly indicated that infrastructure development remains the nation’s top priority. Recognizing that a steady supply of power along with efficient transport infrastructure will help revive the Indian economy and boost productivity, the government has set up plans to increase gross capital in infrastructure over the next several years to over U ... read more

By Alan Starc
23rd April 2013 08:45Whether you got a serious head injury or you faced a car accident for which you were not responsible, there are many issues to deal with, which may not be possible for you to tackle on your own.  In a situation like this, you might be advised to hire a personal attorney.  There are many individuals who are not quite convinced about the necessity of hiring a personal lawyer and ma ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
22nd April 2013 08:59A free trade agreement (FTA) between China and Iceland was signed in Beijing on April 15, witnessed by the Premier of China Li Keqiang and the Prime Minister of Iceland Johanna Sigurdardottir. Iceland is the first European country to enter into an FTA with China.   The China-Iceland FTA covers trade in goods and services, investments, and various other areas. Spe ... read more

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Dezan Shira & Associates
11th April 2013 09:08China’s rapidly aging population is set to dramatically shrink its workforce and effectively pass the baton to India as the world’s manufacturing hub, according to analysis from Morgan Stanley and the Global Times. China’s famous one child policy, which has allowed China to manage its population over the past three decades, is now finally kicking into China’ ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
9th April 2013 08:50When operating their business in Vietnam, foreign companies must ensure that they understand the legal framework which provides for the rights and obligations of employers and employees with respect to social security. There are three types of mandatory social security in Vietnam: social insurance, health insurance and unemployment insurance.&l ... read more

By Eunice Ku and Rosario Di Maggio, Dezan Shira & Associates
5th April 2013 09:37When an international company has reached a certain level of success in selling to or trading with China, or simply wants an on-the-ground presence in the country, it is common that a trading company is established in the form of a foreign-invested commercial enterprise (FICE).   The FICE structure has become the most common type of legal entity that foreign inve ... read more

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Dezan Shira & Associates
3rd April 2013 09:13China is not the only solution for export-driven manufacturing, and Asia’s trade evolution is determining that business models move on for adventures elsewhere.   At the turn of the 21st Century, there were two main schools of commercial thought with regards to China. The most popular was that China represented a massive market to s ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
28th March 2013 09:16As China continues to grow and expand, this development is creating increased efficiencies and improved infrastructure benefiting the supply side, as well as higher wealth and disposable income levels for individuals across the country, representing a potential boon for those targeting the demand side. This is translating into exciting opportunities for international business both selling to, and ... read more

By Bridet Treacy
20th March 2013 09:19Information is often the most valuable asset that a business has.   Businesses that think strategically about how they create and develop their information assets are able to increase their value, frequently by substantial amounts.   For example, data analytics can help a business understand its clients, what they are likely to buy - when and how.  Clou ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
15th March 2013 10:12With the introduction of China’s “Go West” policy in 1999, the country’s western region entered into period of consistently elevated economic development.   The ‘Go West’ policy covers 12 provinces and cities in the western part of China, namely:   ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
13th March 2013 09:18In 2010 and 2011, the Vietnamese Government issued a number of policies to encourage supporting industries, especially those connected to the high-tech sectors (Prime Minister’s Decision No 12/2011/QD-TTg).   Supporting industries play a key role in promoting the development of Vietnam’s main industries. Furthermore, the potential to develop V ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
8th March 2013 09:41Dongguan, the city known as the “world’s factory” even within China, is home to more than 10,000 foreign-invested enterprises and one of the largest global manufacturing bases. However, 30 years ago the city was just a collection of villages and towns spread out over 2,500 square kilometers on the Pearl River Delta.   Thanks to the & ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
6th March 2013 09:09The invention of the internet created an accelerated growth route for countries and companies, transforming the world into a place in which digital connections are just as important as human connections. Despite the internet originating in North America, it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, rapidly expanding internationally. Thanks to the growing number of fiber-based broadband connections in ... read more

By Andrew N. Davis & Jason C. Hillman
5th March 2013 09:10Golfers dread hitting the links with a sandbagger.  That’s the fellow golfer who hides their real playing abilities to gain a competitive advantage.  As in the golfing world, sandbaggers exist in the corporate mergers and acquisitions (“M&A”) world, where “sandbagging” occurs when a buyer, who becomes aware pre-closing tha ... read more

Dezan Shira & Associates
28th February 2013 09:38A subtle shift has emerged in how China’s central government views gambling on the mainland, with the quiet opening of the Jesters casino bar, part of the Mangrove Tree Sanya Bay Resort World complex in Sanya, Hainan Island. In ... read more

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis, Dezan Shira & Associates
26th February 2013 08:53The massive rise of Chinese middle class wealth brings the “one billion consumers” myth far closer to reality   The issue with any new, emerging market lies within a study of its demographics. In the early 1990s, China had plenty of young, energetic men and women that had just reached the working age, in addition t ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
22nd February 2013 09:42Recent figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration have revealed that China consumes almost as much coal as the rest of the world combined. Perhaps even more shocking, it has been estimated that India, who currently faces domestic shortages, could be importing as much coal as China by 2017. As the Asian giants continue to consume resources at an extraordinary rate to fund their develop ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
19th February 2013 08:49To resolve income discrepancies in China, the State Council recently released opinions on deepening income distribution reform (Guofa [2013] No.6, hereinafter referred to as the “Opinions”). One of the goals laid out in the Opinions is strengthening tax collection on high incomes and improving the tax system, including cancellation of the preferent ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
13th February 2013 10:06China’s online sales market has become too big for international businesses to ignore. The country’s online shopping industry surpassed Japan’s in 2012 and is expected to overtake that of the United States to become the world’s largest online retail market in 2013.   In 2012, China’s online shoppers reached 247 mi ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
4th February 2013 08:44One of the great enigma’s concerning managers across Asia today is Vietnam’s trade relationship with China, its massive northern neighbor with which it shares an 840-mile border.   This is a timely question to examine, not least because Vietnam is one of Asia’s “Tiger Economies” and, although it has suffered over ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
31st January 2013 09:42China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) stated that the long awaited Myanmar-China oil and gas pipelines should be operational by May of this year. The 1,100 kilometer pipeline stretches from Kyaukpyu Port on Myanmar’s central west coast, crosses the country from west to east and terminates at Ruili, near Kunming, in Yunnan Province.   The pipeline ... read more

By Raposo Bernardo’s Energy Department
3rd January 2013 09:54The classical energies continue their normal growth rate, with a lot of regulatory work and some important transactions.  But it was the renewable sector, since about 2005, who gave rise to an irreversible boom in the energy market, leading to energy practice spin off as well as the creation of large specific departments in this area.  The renewable energy experienced a fantastic ... read more

By Simon Drake
14th December 2012 10:19All organisations at some time suffer a loss in management and leadership or quickly require new leadership talent to help them improve or change.  This is when the Boards or Leadership teams of these organisations turn to highly experienced Executives Interims who have ‘been there ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
12th December 2012 10:01China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) released the “Announcement on the Application Conditions and Procedures for Export Quotas of Rare Earth in 2013 (Announcement [2012] No.86)” on November 27, clarifying the application conditions and procedures of export quotas for rare earth production enterprises and circulation enterprises. Detailed in ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
10th December 2012 08:50With the view to promote equity contributions made through scientific results and scientific innovations, China’s Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) jointly released the “Guiding Opinion regarding Capital Contributions in the Form of Scientific Results and Determination of the Relevant Equity Rights (hereinafter referred to ... read more

By Haider Ali
20th November 2012 09:36The Royal Mail have helped add to the minute feeling of glee that the UK’s economy may be picking up after reporting a gargantuan increase in profits after six months.   Significant to this was the growth in the number of parcel deliveries being made around the country.  However the bread and butter of the company has not bucked the trend and continued to decli ... read more

By Haider Ali
16th November 2012 10:22The reliance on oil for small businesses to function and help facilitate growth in economically advanced countries like the United States and the United Kingdom cannot be underestimated in today’s turbulent climate.  What nobody wants right now is a hike in prices, which is sure to be the case should the oil taps of Iran turn off as a response to attacks on their nuclear install ... read more

Insurance Due Diligence – Ignore it at your Peril!
15th November 2012 10:06The very mention of insurance is generally enough to glaze the eyes of the listener!  As number 37 on a check-list of 25, it has a very low priority in most transactions.  However, as this article demonstrates, it has a vital part to play and is critical to the success of most commercial transactions – especially where a bank is involved. ... read more

By Tanuj Sud
2nd November 2012 09:56Introduction – Macro Economic Considerations/Initiatives for Project Finance:   With a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) averaging around 6-8% in the recent past, and growth prospects enhanced by progressive liberalisation and a relatively stable political and financial system, capital inflow and mobilisation in India continues t ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
31st October 2012 10:00Decree No. 73/2012/ND-CP regarding education management for foreign cooperation and investment was promulgated in September. Accordingly, the forms of foreign investment allowed in education include 100 percent foreign-capitalized educational institutions and associated educational institutions between domestic investors and foreign investors.   Foreign investors ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
29th October 2012 08:47Hainan Island, China’s smallest and southernmost province has lagged far behind others in the region in terms of economic development. In 2011, the region’s GDP reached RMB252.26 billion, making it the fourth smallest economy in the entire country. However, the province boasts enormous economic potential.   Labeled as the “Oriental H ... read more

By Andrew N. Davis & Aaron D. Levy
18th October 2012 10:58Banks and other institutional lenders, as well as private investors, review a myriad of risk factors when evaluating potential lending opportunities, including the offered interest rate and term of the loan, the borrower’s finances and credit history, and the loan-to-value ratio and market value of the underlying collateral.  Nonetheless, even when all other risks are negligible ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
17th October 2012 08:49The Government of India on October 4, 2012 approved moving the FDI cap in insurance to 49 percent while also approving the introduction of certain official amendments to the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Bill (2011). The decision has been taken by the Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister of India. Now, with the Cabinet approving the scheme, the Insura ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
16th October 2012 09:26The days of American dominance over the PC market seem to be coming to a close. According to the research firm Gartner, Lenovo captured a market share of 15.7 percent in the third quarter of 2012, topping HP’s 15.5 percent, ousting the PC giant from the leading position it held for the past six years. For years, the global computer industry was controlled by U. ... read more

By Sheryl Dobson-Wainwright
15th October 2012 09:10Turn Key Captive and Self-Funded Solutions. Creative, customised solutions to manage health care dollars while ensuring that your members get quality, timely and effective medical services.    Medical Management in the Self-Funded and Captive Market   Self-insurance has been an effective way ... read more

By Haider Ali
11th October 2012 09:55Since the recession has hit worldwide, states such as Russia have not featured so prominently in the media. With the United States bearing the brunt of a fiscal deficit that seems to be ever-widening and Europe in a perilous position facmg austerity measures, Russia has managed to navigate itself through a quagmire to safer economic shores.   They have provided t ... read more

By Haider Ali
5th October 2012 08:36Drilling beyond the frozen shores of the Arctic was unfathomable for a variety of reasons from yesteryear. Logistical problems compounded with a lack of infrastructure all made the dream of searching for riches in this region very unfeasible. Throw into the mix the torrid winters, entrepreneurs would feel that investing there would not garner the returns shareholders and speculators would want.< ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
24th September 2012 09:23Since the 16th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), China’s industrialization process has undergone in-depth development, its overall industrial strength has been improved significantly, and its industrial economic structure has been continuously optimized, according to an official report on achievements in social and economic development released by China& ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
21st September 2012 09:05With the aim to promote industrial upgradation and realize scientific development, China’s State Council released the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting Enterprise Technological Transformation (guofa [2012] No.44, hereinafter referred to as ‘Opinions’) on September 1, clarifying the development objectives, main tasks and safeguarding m ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
6th September 2012 09:11China’s State Council released the “Circular of the State Council on the Printing and Distribution of the 12th Five-Year Plan for Energy Saving and Emission Reduction (guofa [2012] No.40, hereinafter referred to as ‘Circular’)” on August 8, 2012, aiming to transform the mode of economic development, establish an energy ... read more

By James Drakeford
31st August 2012 09:37 August has picked up the baton to follow the same direction as months gone by with Barclays and the Eurozone continuing to dominate column inches around the world.  Throw in the mega-money court case between Apple and Samsung along with tension in the public sector in Brazil and you have got yourself an intriguing month of news.  Here is a brief round up of all the bi ... read more

Q&A with Mona Pearl
1st August 2012 09:32 1. What Are 3 Top Reasons Middle Market Companies Positioned For Growth In Global Markets?   Middle market companies are more flexible, innovative and able to change and adapt much faster than the large multinationals.  That is a combination of size, layers of management as ... read more

By Tahar Rajab
23rd July 2012 10:34 The National Health Service is a British emblem, and one of the great badges of our history.  A world leading pioneer in social welfare, the NHS was perhaps the most innovative political idea of the twentieth century.  However, it hasn’t come without its controversy of course and with the institution paying out a record total of £1.2 billion in med ... read more

By Justin Byrne
5th July 2012 09:51 Exposure draft legislation released in May 2012 will allow Australian geothermal explorers to access immediate tax write offs and deductions for exploration expenses in certain circumstances.  The new rules will apply to assets first used after 1 July 2012, and will give geothermal exploration entities the same ability to claim immediate tax deductions and depreciation on cert ... read more

By Yves Baratte & Iain Duncan
2nd July 2012 09:02 The mining and metals industry endured a raft of tax increases from 2003-2008 as governments of mineral rich countries sought a larger share of profits from the commodities price boom.  This ended abruptly after prices collapsed following the global financial crisis.  But, in spite of the current high volatility in commodity prices, it has again become a target for go ... read more

By Kamil Blazek & Michal Forytek
25th June 2012 09:20 The Czech renewable energy regulation went through a phase of intensive developments in the past two years.  This was both in the sphere of new legislation as well as in the area of litigation against possibly discriminatory behaviour of the Czech government. Czech Constitutional Court Backs State Over Photovoltaic Clampdown ... read more

By Edmond Grieger
21st June 2012 08:43 Business opportunities continue to arise in our country’s renewable energy market, primarily from wind and solar projects.  Geothermal, mini-hydro, biomass and biofuels projects are being developed as well by transnational and national companies and further opening in this market is expected following the worldwide trend.   The Me ... read more

By Javier Amantegui
15th June 2012 09:10 Background It is no news that development of renewable energy has been largely fuelled by the 1992 UN Convention on Climate Change that gave birth to the Kyoto Protocol, in force since 2005.  The objective of the Protocol was for 37 industrialised countries and the European community to reduce greenhouse gas emissions & ... read more

By Mónica Carneiro Pacheco
14th June 2012 09:28Among the large number of measures that the  Government is taking within the financial assistance plan  - some structural, some merely palliative – we are assisting to some important changes in the energy sector as part of the conditions imposed by the Troika (IMF, ECB, EC) of the Portuguese bailout package.    The first one w ... read more

By Edmond Grieger
12th June 2012 09:00 Business opportunities continue to arise in our country’s renewable energy market, primarily from wind and solar projects.  Geothermal, mini-hydro, biomass and biofuels projects are being developed as well by transnational and national companies and further opening in this market is expected following the worldwide trend.   The Me ... read more

By Chris Devonshire-Ellis
4th June 2012 08:58 India is beginning to look increasingly attractive as a destination for foreign investors as concerns over a lack of reform direction in China, coupled with increasing labor costs and a strengthening RMB position are placing some China based businesses under financial pressures. This was a point made earlier this week by Davide Cucino, president of the European Union Chamber of Commerc ... read more

By Stephen Netherway & Alaina Wadsworth
31st May 2012 09:25 As with all industries, the unstable financial climate, which has been prevalent over the last few years, has had a major impact on the insurance and reinsurance industry; on the one hand, tighter margins and tougher requirements to utilise capital efficiently and effectively have impacted on insurance companies’ willingness to write risks and the availability of insurance an ... read more

By Nicholas Clement
22nd May 2012 09:56 On Wednesday, China held negotiations with Japan regarding maritime issues in the East China Sea, with their territorial dispute over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands on the top of the agenda. Currently involved in a  ... read more

By Al Cooper
21st May 2012 08:50 There's a lot of money to be made in real estate, and since most don't like to see one percent returns on their bank CDs, many are starting to jump into the real estate investing game because of the nice returns. The problem with real estate investing is that if you make one wrong move, you could quickly be thousands of dollars in the hole. Like any industry, there are ... read more

By Yuichiro Nukada
20th March 2012 10:13Recent Japanese Real Estate Market To promote the real estate investment market in Japan, a statutory Special Purpose Vehicle scheme (tokutei mokuteki kaisha) for asset securitization was introduced in 1998 (TMK scheme).  This mainly addressed the li ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
12th March 2012 10:25 Vietnam’s food processing, software and environmental technology sectors have been labeled as new industries with great potential. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Highlands in particular have been identified as future centers for the food processing industry, ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
21st February 2012 10:11 The recent dispute between Apple and Proview over the rights to the “iPad” trademark in China has seen some potentially disruptive actions taken, including legal requests made to China Customs looking to prevent Apple from shipping its iPads from China to overseas markets. This is a potentially highly damaging situation giv ... read more

By Claire Keeney
15th February 2012 10:10Given European wide austerity measures and economic uncertainty, it is expected that 2012 will be a difficult year for the commercial and retail property fund sectors.  The sovereign debt and financial crisis continues to negatively impact financial markets, specifically within Euro dominated countries in the Eurozone.  Relative inaction by some European policymakers app ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
30th January 2012 11:32 In its newest “12th Five-year Plan on Greenhouse Emission Control (guofa [2011] No. 41),” China has set its new goals of reducing carbon emissions in the next five years and called for pilot programs that aim to promote a low-carbon economy. N ... read more

By Dezan Shira & Associates
19th December 2011 10:59As the Global Financial Crisis rumbles on, with certain reduced growth rates on the horizon for Europe and the United States, multinationals are looking elsewhere to achieve their business goals. Asia, a region riddled with wars and ineffective economic policies for much of the past century, has finally stepped into the front line of global trade and com ... read more

By François NOUVION
7th December 2011 09:56The Hydrocarbons legislations of countries that belong to the Monetary and Economic Community of Central Africa (CEMAC: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad) all provide, as a rule, that hydrocarbons contained in the soil and subsoil are the property of the State and therefore belong to the public domain(1). Agreements entered into ... read more

By Ravi Nath
6th December 2011 09:34As India celebrates 100 years of Civil Aviation, it has become the 9th largest Aviation market in the world, and in 9 years it will be the 3rd largest.  India’s geography and demographics, along with an increasing GDP has contributed to this growth.  There is increased pressure on airports and other infrastructure. ... read more

By Adam Livermore
18th November 2011 10:23On September 9, China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security finally clarified that foreigners are to be included in the Chinese social insurance system. The implementation date for this transition is to be October 15, 2011, however it remains to be seen whether social insurance bureaus across the country will be ready to accept the participation of foreigners at that ... read more

By Sohail Jaffer
21st October 2011 09:34While the financial sector is recovering slowly, Shari’ah compliant finance is rising as one of the fastest growing segments of global finance.  Estimated at USD1trillion currently, the alternative finance has been growing exponentially at double digit rates for over a decade and has spread across all financial components including insurance.  The nascent insur ... read more

By Irsida Gjino & Fatos Lazimi
7th October 2011 09:15The Civil Aviation legal regime in the Republic of Albania is primarily governed by the Air Code of Albania (under Law no. 10 040, approved on 22.12.2008).  The Air Code has been drafted with the assistance of EUROCONTROL under Aviation Safety & Air Traffic Control Programme (ASATC) and reviewed by European Commission (EC) under European Common Aviation Area Agreement (EC ... read more

By Edmond Grieger
4th October 2011 10:07Considered one of the largest economies in Latin America and located in a privileged geographical location to expand and support the exploitation of renewable energy, Mexico plays a big role in the sustainable development of the region, however, most energy is actually obtained from fossil fuels and therefore a big task is still ahead of the country in this sector. Bus ... read more

Jane Shi, Asia Briefing, and Christoph Michael, Dezan Shira & Associates
7th September 2011 10:25In the words of the 12th Five Year plan, “The construction industry will promote green architecture, green construction, concentrate efforts on optimizing structure and service mode by using advanced construction, materials and information technology.”(1) Green building in China is still in its nascent stages, but is receiving increasing government attention & ... read more

By Birgitta Van Itterbeek
26th August 2011 09:43Belgium is first and for all known for its maritime transport with Antwerp being the second largest port of Europe and the 6th largest of the world.  Apart from the harbour of Antwerp Belgium has also a major seaport with Zeebrugge which is the largest port of Europe for roll on roll off ships.  Both ports are connected with the rest of the Europea ... read more

By Patrick J. Bonner & Edward J. Carlson
25th August 2011 09:10Companies involved in shipping and energy now have an additional factor to consider when conducting international business: the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act (“CISADA”) signed into law by President Obama on July 1, 2010.  Unlike sanctions that prohibit U.S. persons from doing business with Iran, CISADA applies extraterritorial ... read more

By Juan Felipe Reyes
22nd August 2011 09:01Since 1947, Colombia acceded to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as “The Chicago Convention” which has been in force for more than 50 years. Since  that  time, Colombia started to build a body of rules that governed our local aviation issues taking in to account the p ... read more

By Francis Tyrrell
18th August 2011 10:17The UK currently has the world’s largest offshore wind farm at Thanet, Kent and a recent study by the Carbon Trust suggests that if the UK invests in more offshore farms, it could capture 22 per cent of the global market by 2050, generating around £76 billion for UK plc.  There have recently been two wholesale legislative changes that will either help or hinde ... read more

By Gary Halbert
17th August 2011 09:16The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regularly reminds those within the transportation community that it is not a regulator of the transportation sector or any individual transportation mode.  The NTSB investigates transportation accidents in the United States (U.S.), and indeed, NTSB investigations routinely probe into whether the framework of regulation ... read more

By Alejandro Berea
16th August 2011 09:08Undeniable fact: Mexico is a land of opportunity.  It is not an accident that a growing number of foreign companies from different industries are focusing their attention to starting business initiatives in our country.  Mexico in numbers: 1st Worldwide Color TV exporter. (Source: Ministry of E ... read more

By Donald G. Gray
11th August 2011 09:32Aviation Jurisdiction. Canada is a federal state, consisting of a central federal government, 10 provincial and three territorial governments.  Under Canada’s constitution, international and interprovincial transportation and bankruptcy mat ... read more

By Nancy E. Zimmer
10th August 2011 09:31For the United States to compete in the global market it is imperative that it have dependable, efficient, and current infrastructure for the transport of goods.  Infrastructure for that transport needs to be overhauled so that it is in keeping with a larger populace leading to heavier use, and with the sustainable principles of lesser dependence on fossil fuels.  Transp ... read more

By Andrew N. Davis, Austin P. Olney & Aaron D. Levy
5th August 2011 12:59Big oil spills make front page news.  The 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill, the 2007 San Francisco Bay spill, and 2004 Delaware River spill are recent examples of high visibility events in the United States.  The clean up phase tends to capture the public's attention.  Less visible (and even less understood), is the equally important assessment of natural resource ... read more

By: Aoife O’Sullivan and Dan Soffin
4th August 2011 12:03Introduction Demand for bespoke business transport is increasing. The high cost of executive and management time, combined with the need for worldwide access, flexibility, convenience, and costs savings over more rigid scheduled commercial flights, all contribute to continuing strong demand for ownership of business jets. ... read more

By Sharon Caffrey& Alyson Walker
2nd August 2011 11:28The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Williamson v. Mazda Motors of America, Inc., et al.,(1) that the plaintiffs’ state law-based ... read more

By Dr Jotham Scerri Diacono & Dr. Annalise Caruana
26th July 2011 11:13Introduction Over the last decade or so, and particularly post Malta’s EU membership, Maltese Environmental law has undergone a quantum leap from a largely unregulated area of law (1) to a substantially comprehensive and surely more sophisticated network of primary and subsidiary legislation. Sophisticated as it were, env ... read more

By Samantha Jones
22nd July 2011 13:28With the new Foreign Investment Catalogue pushing several additional “green” industries into the “encouraged” category and the 12th Five Year Plan declared the “greenest in history,” China is abuzz with talk about the “green” sector. It has become very clear in recent ... read more

By Andrew N. Davis & Aaron D. Levy
15th July 2011 11:02In the United States, continued concerns about global climate change (despite recent failures in Congress to pass comprehensive climate change legislation) and an over dependence on foreign oil have increased interest and demand for reliable sources of domestic energy.  While renewable energy sources continue to garner interest from the investment community, currently the most ec ... read more

By Stefano Sbordoni
12th July 2011 11:24In the last few years the gambling industry has developed considerably and despite the world economic crisis it’s still growing rapidly in Italy and in other countries as well. As to the Italian specific situation, the industry’s turnover accounts to more than sixty billion Euros thanks to the State policy aimed at enhancing gambling though keeping ... read more

By Nikita Lalla
11th July 2011 12:34The South African government has identified a need for infrastructure development and has allocated USD70 billion for the development of roads, bridges and dams, USD3 billion for road maintenance and a further USD13.8 billion for railway upgrade.  Eskom Holdings Limited (the state owned utilities company) build programme (about USD8.2 billion over the next 5 years) is described a ... read more

By Cynthia Borrelli
8th July 2011 18:27On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (the “PPACA” or “Health Care Reform.”)  The centerpieces of Health Care Reform are “individual responsibility” provisions generally requiring individuals to maintain health coverage or pay ... read more

By Ec. Juan Felipe Bustamante
7th July 2011 13:09II. Economical  Environment in Ecuador During the last decade, Ecuador has seen its economic environment strongly influenced by the financial and economic crisis of 1998-1999, and consequently by the process of currency convertibility through which t ... read more

By Kojo Bentsi-Enchill
5th July 2011 11:10Challenges from Oil Discovery The oil discovery poses enormous challenges to Ghana.  The maritime boundary with Ivory Coast has to be settled.  The Petroleum Exploration and Production Law provides for unitization but there is no mechanism for cross-border unitization. ... read more

By Kostadin Sirleshtov, Borislava Pokrass & Pavlin Stoyanoff
1st July 2011 11:39Introduction The energy sector has always been a main priority of the Bulgarian Government.  The Bulgarian Energy Strategy to 2020 (the “Energy Strategy”), a fundamental document of the national energy policy, was brought into force on 1 June 2011 and will, to a great extent, d ... read more

By Garrett Monaghan
30th June 2011 13:34The Global Green Interchange (the “Interchange”) is a multi-sector initiative aimed at developing and implementing a cohesive strategy to position Ireland as a world-class centre and supportive culture for green finance and enterprise. Arthur Cox has been a committed founding member of ... read more

By Kavita Patel
27th June 2011 13:38Corporate finance has a huge part to play in the success of the UK energy market not least because bank funding can be difficult to obtain for renewable projects – it is common knowledge that major UK banks have shown a reluctance to be involved in this market.  Combined with the fact that there are very exciting profits available, Martineau’s city-facing Corp ... read more

By Gordon Grieve
24th June 2011 15:43Despite increasing economic uncertainty across the globe, Australia remains a land of opportunity for offshore investment particularly in the energy and resources sector.  It's important that investors are aware that the sector currently faces the prospect of new taxes at the federal level and a likely increase of royalty imposts at the state level. ... read more

By Margaret Burke and WuBin Yan from Ella Cheong (Hong Kong & Beijing)
21st June 2011 11:14Whatever your motivation for entering the China market, as a technology-oriented company it is important to define your objectives up front, devise your corporate vehicle for doing business in China, and carefully police the use of your inbound intellectual property while ensuring that future IP developed in China is properly protected.  While China offers unparalleled opportunit ... read more

By Andrew J. Roman
17th June 2011 10:57In 2008, singer Kenny Chesney had a big hit with his recording of “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven” (but nobody wants to die).   We can all smile at the humorous contradiction in the title of the song, yet our attitudes in other areas of our lives may be equally irrational.   An excellent illustration of irrational hope is found in p ... read more

By Mónica Carneiro Pacheco
15th June 2011 13:00The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Portugal, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union and the European Central Bank (ECB) on 3 May as part of the bailout package, commits the Portuguese government to “assess in a report the possibility of agreeing a renegotiation of the contracts in view of a lower feed-in tariff”.  This applie ... read more

By Tomoki Debari, Magister Juris, and Daniel Tan
13th June 2011 11:01Japan is one of the world's largest insurance markets but foreign insurers' market share in Japan is relatively small.  For example, foreign insurers' share of Japan's non-life insurance market is estimated at only around 6%.  In contrast, foreign insurers' approximate share of: the UK insurance market (excluding Lloyd's) stands at 57%; and ... read more

By Sheila Slocum Hollis
10th June 2011 00:32The energy industry is one of the most sophisticated, heavily capitalized, and technologically advanced industries in human history.  Now, as an absolute essential component to our survival and progress, it continues to be confounded and challenged by natural disasters, man-made disasters, brutal partisan and regional politics, overall economic conditions and persistent internati ... read more

By John Geraghty
2nd June 2011 21:44Despite a number of headwinds (including Middle East unrest and an uncertain economic recovery) M&A activity in the oil and gas sector has been relatively robust.  Deal activity has been driven by strong demand from China, India and Korea in particular.  In a competitive M&A environment having a good understanding of market practice and new developments i ... read more

By Peter A. Draugelis
31st May 2011 20:18US and UK technology license agreements are fundamentally similar to each other.  UK licensors should take heed, though, because there are nuances that, if not addressed, can create problems - sometimes small and sometimes large - when you come across the pond to sell your wares.  The following is intended to provide you with a general guide to those nuances. &l ... read more

By Nasareo Lazzaro
5th May 2011 21:03Technology is a constantly developing industry that covers a broad range of areas.  Over our lifetimes we have seen the emergence of new technologies in the home entertainment sector, with it currently venturing into the realms of 3D.  We have witnessed great advancements in the mobile communications industry also, with super smart phones soon to be released, and of cour ... read more