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Privatization of mining group

In the January 1997 briefing we noted that a parliamentary committee was expected to propose amendments to the Companies Act of1975, one of which would permit Swedish companies to repurchase their own shares. This proposal has now been published (SOU 1997: 22).

Treasury Ministry Decree No. 703 of November 21 1996 setting out the criteria to be followed by the management of pension funds with regard to investments and the limits on investments and derivatives transactions has been published in the Official Gazette and is now in force.

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

In response to the sluggishness of the Czech capital markets, the government has launched a series of legislative initiatives with the aim of creating a more stable and transparent environment for investors. Accordingly, the Czech capital markets have been undergoing major changes. However, whether the hoped-for results will materialize remains to be seen.

Foreign investments

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has proposed guidelines for the establishment of a government-owned Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation (HKMC) that will purchase residential mortgage loans from banks in Hong Kong. The objective of this new corporation will be to provide necessary mortgage funding for an anticipated shortfall of HK$788 billion (US$102 billion) by 2005. The HKMC will be structured as a limited liability company with a financial secretary as the chairman of the Board of Directors responsible for appointing other directors of the Board.

Bermuda-based, New York-quoted reinsurance company Partner Re is to take over French insurer Société Anonyme Française de Réassurance (SAFR). The acquisition was prompted by Swiss Re's Swfr1.1 billion (US$752 million) offer for the remaining shares of SAFR, of which it owns 21%. The outstanding shares belong to rival French insurers AGF and Athéna. Once Swiss Re has acquired these shares, it will sell SAFR to Partner Re.

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."

French firm Giroux Buhagiar & Associés is to merge with the Paris office of Stibbe Simont Monahan Duhot. On July 1, Giroux Buhagiar's 23 lawyers will move to Stibbe Simont's 70-lawyer office. The merged firm will be known as Stibbe Simont Monahan Duhot & Giroux. Stibbe Simont in Paris specializes in mergers and acquisitions as well as tax, competition and EU law. Giroux Buhagiar concentrates on banking and financial law.