Thought Pieces

Countering Risks in the De-SPAC Flood: Due Diligence Best Practices

Countering Risks in the De-SPAC Flood: Due Diligence Best Practices 1254 836 Blackpeak

Regulators have imposed new disclosure rules for ultimate beneficial ownership on companies in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI). Now, alternative offshore hubs, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have emerged to provide sought-after alternatives.

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Shifting Tides in the Offshore World

Shifting Tides in the Offshore World

Shifting Tides in the Offshore World 2121 1414 Blackpeak

Regulators have imposed new disclosure rules for ultimate beneficial ownership on companies in the Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI). Now, alternative offshore hubs, such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have emerged to provide sought-after alternatives.

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Private Equity and ESG

Private Equity and ESG 1200 675 Blackpeak

While the world’s largest pension funds and financial services providers have been allocating capital toward tackling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues, private equity (PE) firms have largely lagged behind.

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Grading on a Curve: How ESG Ratings Can Fall Short in Emerging Markets

Grading on a Curve: How ESG Ratings Can Fall Short in Emerging Markets 1200 675 Blackpeak

2019 was a banner year in the remarkable rise of ESG investing. Morningstar reported that nearly 500 actively traded funds in the United States added ESG language to their prospectuses, up from 50 in 2018.

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Navigating the “Green Recovery” From COVID-19

Navigating the “Green Recovery” From COVID-19 1200 675 Blackpeak

The global shift to green is likely to accelerate in the post-COVID-19 world, but this is only symptomatic of a broader trend where Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors are becoming more critical to businesses’ long-term viability and value.

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Oil Crash Threatens Security: Nigeria’s Risks Exacerbated by COVID-19 Pandemic

Oil Crash Threatens Security: Nigeria’s Risks Exacerbated by COVID-19 Pandemic 1200 675 Blackpeak

Oil market volatility caused by the global spread of COVID-19 is expected to push Nigeria into its worst recession in 30 years. As the country suffers from its overreliance on crude exports, a recent surge in tensions in the oil-rich Niger Delta region and its waters in the Gulf of Guinea risks further damaging an already fragile economy.

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Different Law, Same Challenges: New Japanese FDI Rules Unlikely to Deter Activist Investors

Different Law, Same Challenges: New Japanese FDI Rules Unlikely to Deter Activist Investors 1200 675 Blackpeak

In November 2019, Japanese legislators revised the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, requiring foreign investors to obtain government approval before purchasing 1% or more of a listed Japanese company in industries considered sensitive to national security.

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The Launderers’ Labyrinth: The Growing Complexity of Iranian Money Laundering

The Launderers’ Labyrinth: The Growing Complexity of Iranian Money Laundering 1200 675 Blackpeak

As Iran’s access to the international market narrows in the face of sanctions, money laundering in and out of Iran is evolving. Compliance regimes need to keep pace.

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The EU Implements New Regulatory Framework That May Hinder Chinese Investment

The EU Implements New Regulatory Framework That May Hinder Chinese Investment 1200 675 Blackpeak

The EU has been tightening regulatory scrutiny of Chinese inbound investment over the last three years. The implementation in April 2019 of a new EU-wide framework for reviewing acquisitions intensifies the trend of already-declining Chinese FDI in the EU and high-profile blockages of deals there since 2016.

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Security Risks in Southern Thailand: From Origins to Current Situation

Security Risks in Southern Thailand: From Origins to Current Situation 1200 675 Blackpeak

In order to extract even more concessions from the Thai government, rebel groups in the southernmost provinces of Thailand may continue instigating violence.

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