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Following a review of its international practice, German firm Pünder, Volhard, Weber & Axster has decided to open a Hong Kong office before the July 1 handover to China. Peter Nägele, Frankfurt partner with the firm which heads the Pünder Group, says there will be several partners there concentrating on banking and finance work. "It will not just be a rep office: we will be serving German and European clients and aim to be profitable from day one," he says. Of Pünder's German rivals, only Brückhaus Westrick Stegemann has an Asian presence through its offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Pünder managing partner Thomas Gasteyer says the firm had planned the move for some time and hoped to open there before the end of June subject to completing the relevant paperwork. Gasteyer expects the new office will become a joint practice of the six-member Pünder Group. "I think this will be a joint office but we have not yet received replies from all the other firms on our proposal," says Gasteyer. "In all likelihood I expect it will."

The new Law of the Mexican Institute of Social Security is set to enter into force on July 1 1997, from which date employees will be entitled to have their pension funds managed by 'retirement fund administrators' (administradores de fondos para el retiro or 'afores'), which can be private bodies. Funds are at present managed by the Social Security Institute.

The Court of First Instance recently delivered its judgment in WWF UK v Commission (T-105/95) in which it considered the Commission's decision to refuse the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) access to documents relating to its investigation into the Irish Mullaghmore project to build a visitors' centre in the Burren National Park in Ireland.

Kathleen Moriarty, partner with the New York office of US firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, has joined the corporate group of Wall Street firm Carter, Ledyard & Milburn. Moriarty, who specializes in investment trusts and structured finance, earned the name 'Spider Woman' after advising the American Stock Exchange on the creation of an investment trust for the trading of SPDRs (Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts). These securities can be traded all day on the stock exchange as shares in a unit trust. Before the launch of the SPDR Trust in 1993, investors could only trade their shares in index funds once at the end of each trading day. Moriarty, who has also structured several high-profile municipal bond issues for New York landmarks, joined Carter, Ledyard as a partner on March 17. "Kathleen is an important addition to the corporate practice because of her substantial knowledge of investment companies," says chairman of the group, Robert McTamaney.

A three-tier mechanism now permits foreign issuers better access to the Brazilian markets. By Sergio Spinelli Silva Jr of Mattos Filho, Veiga Filho, Marrey Jr, Moherdaui e Quiroga, São Paulo

• UK firm Simmons & Simmons has appointed partner Huen Wong to the new role of China managing partner. This involves heading the Hong Kong and Shanghai offices and integrating them in preparation for the handover of Hong Kong to China at the end of June.

The European Commission has published its deliberations on antitrust and distribution in Europe, giving an opportunity for debate on the framework for a new policy for the next century. By Ivo Van Bael of Van Bael & Bellis, Brussels

Ken Mildwaters, group legal and trade marks director of Guinness PLC, talks to Diana Bentley

The recent law implementing EU financial services policy in France has introduced ‘regulated markets’, ‘market enterprises’ and other new concepts. By Antoine Maffei of De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Associés, Paris

The Alliance of European Lawyers has added a Polish member, Consultor Limited, which has signed a cooperation agreement and will be known as Alliance Consultor. The French member of the six-firm Alliance, Jeantet & Associés, already has a Warsaw office, but there has been disagreement over its merger with Consultor and it is operating as a separate office despite the cooperation agreement. A Jeantet lawyer in one of the Alliance joint offices says: "It is a bit ridiculous but we all hope the merger will take place some time in May or June." There are practical reasons for the delay, according to Gérard Mazet, partner in Jeantet's Paris office. "Basically we have got problems with premises and with a few conflicts of interest and so for the time being they will remain separate."