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Contributors include to this year's special focus include Clifford Chance, RBS and Commerzbank

Despite continued debate over investor protections, Kevin Connell of RBS explains how market pragmatism is shaping deal terms

Michael Dakin of Clifford Chance explains why issuers and sponsors can’t afford to take a homogeneous approach to disclosure in an expanding market

Issuers may continue to face uncertainty, but Commerzbank’s Scott Boothby explains that the market’s ability to handle instability shows a maturing asset class

The HKMA's second consultation has clarified its bail-in regime, including a mechanism to determine the no creditor worse off than in liquidation principle. But more detail is needed

Akin Gump's Christopher Leonard, Ezra Zahabi and Chris Poon on how Esma’s long-awaited technical advice on the directive moves the EU one step closer to a single regulatory framework

The long-awaited changes promise to create a more evolved business environment for foreign participants

Vu Le Bang Under the Ordinance on Foreign Exchange Control of Vietnam, foreign investors participating in business cooperation contacts (FIs) and foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) must open a direct investment capital account (DICA) at an authorised credit institution. Such institution must be one used for investment capital contribution, principal investment capital remittance, profits, and other legitimate receivables. In this regard, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued Circular 19/2014/TT-NHNN (Circular 19), effective from Sept 25 2014, to provide further guidelines. Notably, under Circular 19, FIs and FIEs are permitted to open a DICA in Vietnamese dong, which was not permitted previously. A DICA should be used to perform FIE receipt and expenditure loan transactions, regardless of the type (whether a domestic or a foreign loan) and term of the loan (whether short-, medium- or long-term). DICAs were originally used to deal with foreign loan transactions prior to Circular 19, in relation to FIE loan transactions. Further, payments of capital and project transactions in relation to FIEs should be performed through a DICA. While welcoming Circular 19, many banks in Vietnam have so far raised concerns over its strict implementation, and over the increased obligations it imposes. Specifically, if domestic loans are strictly subject to a DICA, it will likely become more burdensome for all the relevant parties, including the borrower, lender, and bank controlling the DICA. More importantly, it has been argued that the wording regarding a DICA could be interpreted as either 'is allowed to use' (meaning optional), or 'has to be used for' (meaning compulsory), in relation to certain activities under Circular 19.

Hong Kong's Bingham McCutchen saga finally came to a close last month with Vincent Sum, the city's last partner standing at the now defunct firm, joining MAYER BROWN JSM. Late last year there had been a six-partner exodus from the US outfit with Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld the beneficiary.

Luis Gabriel Morcillo-Méndez Lyana De Luca A new collective investment scheme for real estate investments was recently created to manage and develop real estate projects in Colombia. Foreign real estate managers now have the opportunity of creating this type of vehicle in Colombia to be managed from their countries of domicile (without requiring local licensed presence but acting in cooperation with a local fiduciary entity or stock broker that remains liable before the superintendence of finance for the fund's investments). Decree 2142 of 2013 introduced the Real Estate Collective Investment Funds (RECIF), which are closed-end investment collective vehicles that hold at least 75% of their total value in real estate assets. This is a break-point in the local industry. Since 2007, real estate funds have been incorporated under the form of private equity funds (fondos de capital privado) managed by a local administrator and a general partner, which could be either a local or foreign unregistered entity. RECIFs are a separate investment vehicle with specific requirements in governance and managing structure.