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Petrobras, the Brazilian state-owned energy company, is selling gas pipeline networks in a landmark deal. Local lawyers who worked on the $5.2 billion transaction see it as a sea-change in the country's energy market.

John Baptist Chan There have been some interesting developments in the past month in some of the larger markets in Asia-Pacific. In Hong Kong, Wall Street firm CADWALADER WICKERSHAM & TAFT decided to end its operations in Beijing and Hong Kong, becoming the third major firm - following Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson and Chadbourne & Parke - to do so in the past 15 months in what is becoming an increasingly tough market for international outfits.

Iñigo de Luisa David Vidal As a result of the stable regulatory framework that now applies to the renewable energy sector and, in particular, the economic regime applicable to such projects, creditors and sponsors are able to successfully refinance them.

Elias Neocleous The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission has informed Cyprus Investment Firms it regulates of a change in the treatment of contributions to the Investors Compensation Fund (ICF) for the purposes of calculating capital adequacy. The Investment Services and Activities and Regulated Markets Law of 2007 to 2016 requires regulated investment firms to be members of the ICF and to contribute to it.

Daniel Lehmann Michael Abegg Interest paid on bonds as defined by the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (SFTA) for Swiss withholding tax (WHT) purposes, which may also include certain types of syndicated loans, issued by a Swiss tax resident debtor is generally subject to WHT at a rate of 35%. This may have an adverse impact on the competiveness of the Swiss capital market.

The EU needs to go back to the drawing board

China's ambition to follow in Japan's footsteps and build a global business empire has not shown any signs of abating, with well-known Chinese billionaires leading the country's global expansionist drive. But the modern version of an (economically-driven) manifest destiny, made inevitable by China's accumulating wealth, is increasingly being met with heavy resistance from governments and grassroots advocacy groups alike.

Avtoban is on its way to achieving financial close on the multi-billion MCRR project

The strategy of creating two classes of stock with different voting rights attached has been deemed by some as poor corporate governance. The reality is more nuanced

John Breslin Ireland's corporate rescue legislation (now contained in the Companies Act 2014) is analogous to the US chapter 11 process. It provides up to 100 days of breathing space for an insolvent company which has a viable enterprise to see whether it can put in place a restructuring plan. An independent officer (the examiner) is appointed to examine the company's affairs and, if possible, put in place a restructuring plan. During this period the company cannot be wound up, security granted by it cannot be enforced and it is immune from legal process. Except in exceptional circumstances, the examiner does not take over the management of the company. Therefore, (as in chapter 11) it is a debtor in possession process. If the examiner can put a restructuring plan in place, this is subject to a pro-restructuring voting regime, with the ability to cram down unsecured creditor claims.