Africa

Bribery and money laundering considerations for joint ventures

Introduction Whatever the legal form of a joint venture, the collaboration and joint participation in the JV’s business objectives can present an enhanced corruption risk. This is because in some circumstances, a company entering into a JV could be criminally liable for the corrupt actions of its JV partner, the JV itself, or third parties … Continue Reading

Doing business in the EU after the transition period

We have further updated our popular client briefing note ‘Doing business in the EU’ covering the temporary transitional relief measures EU27 Member States are implementing, if any, for the period after the transition period should the UK/EU not enter into a free trade agreement. For a copy of the updated briefing note please contact Simon … Continue Reading

Download now | Global operational resilience and COVID-19 survey report

Financial institutions have had to deal with two challenges in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first challenge is financial – how to address and mitigate the sharp drop in the value of financial assets or loss of liquidity. The second challenge is operational – how to address the risk of failure of resources … Continue Reading

FSB final report – Effective practices for cyber incident response and recovery

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 20, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 19 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a toolkit of effective practices for financial institutions’ cyber incident response and recovery (CIRR). The toolkit draws on the feedback from a public consultation process, including four virtual outreach meetings. The report was delivered to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors for their October … Continue Reading

FSB publishes global transition roadmap for LIBOR

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 19, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Benchmarks – IBOR transition, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 16 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a global transition roadmap for LIBOR. The roadmap sets out a timetable of actions for financial and non-financial sector firms to take in order to ensure a smooth LIBOR transition by end-2021. The roadmap provides that: By the end of 2020, at a minimum: Lenders … Continue Reading

Monthly Global FinTech regulatory updater

By Hannah Meakin (UK) on October 19, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

Every month we provide the Global Blockchain Business Council’s Post-Trade Distributed Ledger group with a global regulatory FinTech updater, the latest version of which can be found here. Post Trade Distributed Ledger (PTDL) Group is composed of over 40 prominent market infrastructure stakeholders whose shared vision of the use of distributed ledger technology has brought … Continue Reading

BIS speech – The Basel Committee’s initiatives on climate related financial risks

By Imogen Garner (UK) and Daniel Nevzat (UK) on October 16, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 14 October 2020, the Bank for International Settlements published a speech by Kevin Stiroh (Co-Chair of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Risks of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and Executive Vice President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) on the Basel Committee’s initiatives on climate-related financial risks. In his speech … Continue Reading

Market Fragmentation: updates on ongoing work

On 14 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a report providing an update on its ongoing work concerning market fragmentation. The report describes progress in the four areas identified in the June 2019 FSB Report on Market Fragmentation: (i) deference; (ii) pre-positioning of capital and liquidity; (iii) regulatory and supervisory coordination and information-sharing; … Continue Reading

FSB publishes high-level recommendations for regulation, supervision and oversight of “global stablecoin” arrangements

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 14, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 13 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published the final version of its high-level recommendations for the regulation, supervision and oversight of “global stablecoin” (GSC) arrangements following an earlier public consultation. The report states that GSC arrangements are expected to adhere to all applicable regulatory standards and to address risks to financial stability … Continue Reading

FSB report – enhancing cross-border payments

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 14, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Payment Services, Payment services, Payment services, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 13 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a report to enhance cross-border payments. The report was delivered to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors for their meeting on 14 October 2020. The G20 has made enhancing cross-border payments a priority during the Saudi Arabian Presidency, and asked the FSB to coordinate … Continue Reading

Central banks and BIS publish first central bank digital currency report laying out key requirements

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 13, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 9 October 2020, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a report, Central bank digital currencies: foundational principles and core features. The report was compiled by the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, Sveriges Riksbank, the Swiss National Bank and the BIS. … Continue Reading

FSB report highlights increased use of RegTech and SupTech

On 9 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) published a report on the use of supervisory (SupTech) and regulatory (RegTech) technology by FSB members and regulated institutions. The report notes that SupTech and RegTech tools could have important benefits for financial stability. For authorities, the use of SupTech could improve oversight, surveillance and analytical … Continue Reading

Regulation Tomorrow Podcast – Episode 1 now on Apple Podcasts

We are pleased to announce that the Regulation Tomorrow Podcast is now available on the Apple Podcasts app (and also on iTunes). Please click here to listen and subscribe to the podcast. Episode 1 focusses on Brexit, featuring interviews with Jonathan Herbst, Imogen Garner and Hannah Meakin.… Continue Reading

FSB and IMF publish 2020 Progress Report on G20 Data Gaps Initiative

On 7 October 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published their Fifth Progress Report – Countdown to 2021 in light of COVID-19 on the implementation of the second phase of the G20 Data Gaps Initiative (DGI-2). In October 2009, the FSB and IMF published ‘The Financial Crisis and Information … Continue Reading

Episode 1 of the Regulation Tomorrow podcast is now available

By Hannah Meakin (UK), Jonathan Herbst (UK), Imogen Garner (UK), Katie Stephen (UK), Arup Sen and Simon Lovegrove (UK) on October 8, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Seminars and webinars, Seminars, webinars and podcasts, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

If you want to stay up to date on the latest developments in the world of risk and regulation, the Regulation Tomorrow podcast is for you. Each month, our team of lawyers, risk consultants and government relations and public policy strategists will discuss recent news and emerging trends to help you keep track of the … Continue Reading

What is DeFi?

By Charlotte Rowlandson on October 7, 2020 Posted in Africa, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

In this series of blogposts, we explore some of the main types of decentralised finance applications and key areas of legal risk that may be of particular relevance for that type of application or product. In this first blogpost, we consider the nature of decentralised finance itself. What is DeFi? Decentralised finance (or DeFi) is … Continue Reading

Basel Committee approves annual G-SIBs assessment, updates workplan to evaluate post-crisis reforms

By Simon Lovegrove (UK) on September 29, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Banking, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 25 September 2020, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (Basel Committee) issued a press statement following its meeting on 14, 18 and 25 September 2020 to take stock of COVID-19 risks to the global banking system and related vulnerabilities. Key points in the press statement include: The Basel Committee reiterates its previous guidance that … Continue Reading

IOSCO issues measures to reduce conflict of interests in debt capital raising

On 21 September 2020, the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) published a final report containing guidance on potential conflicts of interest and associated conduct risks market intermediaries may face during the debt capital raising process. The guidance is in the form of nine measures. Each measure is designed to address one or more of … Continue Reading

FATF report – virtual assets red flag indicators of money laundering and terrorist financing

By Clarinda Grundy on September 15, 2020 Posted in Africa, Anti-money laundering, Anti-money laundering, Anti-Money Laundering, Asia, Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, Money laundering, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

On 14 September 2020, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) published a report, Virtual Assets – Red Flag Indicators of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. The report is based on more than 100 case studies and is designed to help national authorities and financial institutions identify potential money laundering and terrorist financing activity involving virtual … Continue Reading

ESG Compass for the Disclosure Regulation

By Caroline Herkströter on September 14, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

The new European Disclosure Regulation provides the central schedule of obligations for ESG-related disclosures in the EU financial services sector. Many of the disclosure requirements start to apply from 10 March 2021 and therefore all financial market participants and financial advisors need to start considering the content of the requirements in order to address the … Continue Reading

Regulatory framework for haircuts on non-centrally cleared securities financing transactions – FSB extends implementation deadlines

On 7 September 2020, the Financial Stability Board (FSB) issued a press release stating that it has decided to delay by one year the implementation dates for its policy recommendations relating to minimum haircut standards for non-centrally cleared securities financing transactions. In August 2013 the FSB developed policy recommendations to address financial stability risks that … Continue Reading

SWIFT publishes “Follow the Money” report to aid comprehension of money laundering risks underpinning large-scale cyber-heists

In September 2020, SWIFT (a global member-owned cooperative and provider of secure financial messaging services) published a report to support market participants in understanding the money laundering techniques which underpin large-scale cyber-attacks. The report sets out the end-to-end journey commonly used by criminals to launder funds obtained through illicit cyber-crime related activities, and focusses on … Continue Reading

NGFS publishes its 2020-2022 work program and announces changes in the governance

By Daniel Nevzat (UK) on September 4, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, ESG, ESG, ESG, ESG, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States

On 3 September 2020, the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) announced its 2020 – 2022 work program that will include continuing its work on climate scenario analysis and scaling up green finance. The NGFS will also create two new work streams focussing on addressing data gaps and research. The NGFS, launched at the … Continue Reading

BIS publishes speech on reg tech and sup tech

By Arup Sen and Albert Weatherill (UK) on August 24, 2020 Posted in Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, FinTech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, Fintech, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States

On 21 August 2020, the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) published a speech by Benoît Cœuré, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub, which focussed on the main challenges to the development of reg tech and sup tech in the financial services sector. Cœuré begins by describing the differences between reg and sup tech – namely … Continue Reading