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For the second time, the Swedish Bar Association has forced Wahlin Adokatbyra to dismantle its links with big six firm KPMG. Wahlin, a firm created in 1997 as an associate law firm of the professional services giant, must abandon the cooperation agreements between the two firms or face being disbarred with immediate effect. Name partner Tryggve Wahlin says: "The Bar came to the conclusion that these agreements were not consistent with the independence of the professional lawyers in Sweden. I can accept that reason because I think that is important too, but I don't think our agreements were in conflict with it."

Philadelphia-based Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is set to face legal action in Indonesia related to its office there and the hiring of a new partner for the firm. A leading Jakarta firm, Makarim & Taira S, is preparing to sue the US firm because it claims the firm's Jakarta office, PT ML&B Indonesia, operates outside the regime for foreign legal firms. Makarim & Taira is also preparing to sue the laterally hired partner. The moves put at risk Morgan Lewis's estimated US$5 million in billings for Indonesian matters. In January 1998 Morgan Lewis offered a partnership in its international section to Michael Hooton, a New York-qualified Canadian national who was working as a foreign legal consultant at Makarim & Taira. Hooton is due to join the firm shortly.

The Netherlands has produced plans for a special court to rule on disputes over corporate control. This marks the first step to dismantling anti-takeover devices. By Christian Huiskes of Derks.Star Busmann.Hanotiau, Utrecht

US securities authorities are issuing guidance for broker-dealers on the use of new technology in their business. This article summarizes that guidance in five key areas. By Morris Simkin of Winston & Strawn, New York

Changes to financial regulation in the UK bring into focus the challange of boundaries in the legal framework. By Andrew Marsh of Sidley & Austin, London

US firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has poached structured finance specialist Christopher Lewis from the Hong Kong office of UK firm Simmons & Simmons.The appointment confirms the IFLRev report in the December 1997 issue, where the firm also stated its intention to build an English capability in London. Lewis will be based in Tokyo where Orrick opened an office in 1997. Lewis' loss will be a blow to Simmons & Simmons in a field where specialists are few and the pool of firms with the experience to document new investment banking products is limited. The techniques of structured finance and asset repackaging may be one of the few funding options open in the region. "Although the current financial problems in Japan and Asia are well documented, likely solutions include acceleration of the deregulation process and the development of new financing techniques," says Lewis.

As predicted in the December 1997 issue of IFLRev, New York's Debevoise & Plimpton is opening an office in Moscow. For further information see the country survey.

UK firm Freshfields and German firm Deringer Tessin Herrmann & Sedemund have formed an alliance which is expected to lead to a cross-border merger in around two year's time. The alliance was announced on January 26 1998 and the full merger is proposed for late 1999. The first phase of the alliance will begin in May, with the merger of the firms' operations in Germany. Freshfields' only office in Germany is Frankfurt. The Brussels and Moscow offices of each firm will also combine and operate as joint offices. These were the two cities outside Germany where Deringer had offices, in addition to its four German offices.

So far, branches have been the most popular way for banks and finance companies to enter the Chinese market. But joint ventures offer an attractive alternative. By Philip Gilligan and Steven Blayney of White & Case, Hong Kong

Recent delegation of powers from the CFTC to the NFA should lead to faster approval of non-US entities to engage in futures trades with US customers. By Michael S Sackheim of Brown & Wood LLP, New York