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Chinese corporates have their eyes fixed on foreign targets. But this new phase of M&A comes with risks and challenges

Claudia Bonelli Pedro G Seraphim In every analysis of Brazil's potential for growth and international competitiveness, a very common word is bottleneck. Indeed, Brazil has several of these, especially when the subject is transportation infrastructure. Crowded airports, poorly maintained federal roads, a scarce railroad system, insufficient public transportation in the big cities, and absolutely deficient ports. Indeed, these factors have affected the country's agricultural, industrial and exportation competitiveness, and have certainly played an important role in Brazil's weak GDP performance in recent years. There is a relative overall improvement in the country's macroeconomic condition, aided by maintaining the ninth largest internal market in the world. Brazil has been raised to 48th place on the World Economic Forum's Global Competiveness Index 2012-2013, but it drops to 79th position when it comes to the quality of transport infrastructure.

Financial institutions are at the centre of Europe’s incoming OTC reforms. But corporates must prepare too. Here’s how

Stamatiou Costas On February 21 2013, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) issued a circular addressed to Cyprus investment firms (CIFs) to draw their attention to the obligations attached to their freedom to provide services in other EU member states (host member states). The provision of services under the freedom to provide services means that a CIF provides services freely in the host member state without having a physical presence there, for example through its website. Different arrangements apply if the CIF has employees or representatives physically present in the host member state acting on its behalf. These are contained in article 76 of the Investment Services Law, which regulates the establishment of a branch or the appointment of a tied agent attached to a branch established in the host member state. A CIF providing investment services in a host member state under the freedom to provide services must notify CySEC of its intention to do so in accordance with article 79 of the Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law of 2007, as amended (the Investment Services Law). Article 79 stipulates that a CIF may not start to provide services or perform activities in the host member state until it receives notification from CySEC that the competent authority of the host member state has been informed of its intention to provide services there.

Daniel Futej Rudolf Sivak This article provides a brief overview of important legislative changes in Slovak tax legislation which have recently come into effect. Based on the amendment to the Income Tax Act, as of January 1 2013, Slovakia no longer has a flat rate tax for companies (legal persons) and individuals. The tax rate for companies increased from 19% to 23%. As regards individuals (natural persons), two tax rates exist, and these will be applied in the following way:

Forum shopping in sovereign insolvency proceedings, including NML v Argentina, reveals the need for an international insolvency regime

Banks and lawyers are at odds with the UK Association of Corporate Treasurers, private placement working group over the principal barrier to domestic market growth.

The third public offering of Mexican real estate investment trust Fibra Uno has been widely reported as a transactional breakthrough with the potential to help the real estate investment trust (REIT) asset class attract new investors from around the world.

South Africa is the continent’s guiding light on competition matters

The EU's proposed financial transaction tax (FTT) would be so disruptive to securities markets that it could render some FTT zone trading desks uneconomic.