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Luis Gabriel Morcillo Maria Camila Ordoñez To facilitate access of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to local capital markets, the Colombian Ministry of Finance enacted Decree 1019 of 2014 to alleviate registration burdens in the Colombian alternative equity and fixed income market (Alternative Market, or Segundo Mercado). This reform will allow smaller companies and not recurrent issuers to finance their operations through capital markets. This will offer attractive returns, as are usual from these type of issuers, to institutional investors (those authorised to invest in the Segundo Mercado). Through the reform, when the Superintendence of Finance has validated the registry requirements, its supervision powers are transferred to the issuer, its directors and to all its financial and legal advisors, in a such a way that all involved advisors will be liable for the entirety and completeness of the information disclosed in the offering documents. With this new procedure, registration periods are considerably reduced and it is in the best interest of SMEs to set up a diligent offering process and sufficient documentation to obtain an automatic registry before the National Registry of Securities and Issuers (RNVE) within a few days of filing to launch the offering.

Supasit Boonsanong Prisna Sungwanna There are at least 17 laws and policies in Thailand which prescribe ceilings on foreign ownership in various businesses. Two of broad importance are the Land Code regarding the ownership of land (ceiling of 49%), and the Foreign Business Operation Act (FBOA) regarding the ownership of 43 categories of businesses (ceiling less than 50%). There are exceptions under certain free trade agreements (US, Japan and Australia), the Investment Promotion Act, and discretionary business licences issued by the Department of Business Development under the FBOA.

The political crisis embroiling Russia and Ukraine has created new opportunities for foreign and local banks in the region. Mayer Brown's Mayank Gupta and Trevor Wood analyse the areas to watch

The last major regulatory reform under Basel III has been announced. But will the measures prevent another crisis?

Six months after becoming chief of the global OTC trade body, Scott O’Malia discusses his plans for the cross-border derivative market

Beneficial ownership issues have hampered Ucits’ ability to invest through the Stock Connect. But Asifma's Eugenie Shen explains that the real issue may be enforcement

France's stock market watchdog has confirmed that it will not implement regulations on high frequency trading (HFT) that would clash with Europe-wide rules.

The $1 billion deal signals the growing importance of Islamic finance for Muslim-majority countries

Rodrigo Taboada On March 26 2014, the President of Nicaragua approved Decree 17-2014, which was published in the Gazette, official newspaper of the Republic of Nicaragua on March 31 2014. The Decree establishes the application of measures for the freezing of funds or assets related to terrorism and the financing of it, in accordance with resolutions issued by the United Nations Security Council that specifically address and regulate such matters. The scope of the Decree covers all individuals and legal entities, both private and public, which might be suspected to be involved directly or indirectly in activities related to funds or assets used to finance terrorism. The Democratic Security National System (DSNS) receives a list formulated by the United Nations Security Council, which contains the names of persons, natural and legal, that are associated with terrorist activities and financing of terrorism. The DSNS also receives information from other international and local entities. After processing the information, the DSNS designates the persons whose funds or assets are considered to be susceptible to being frozen, then sends this list to all local entities so that they may: (i) detect in their own database funds or assets related to the persons that appear on the list; (ii) freeze all funds or assets detected; and (iii) inform in a strictly confidential manner to the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit the enforcement of such measures.

Countries across the Asia Pacific are trying to manage domestic companies' foreign currency exposure. It's prompted not only by rumours that the US is considering ending quantitative easing, but also the European Central Bank's plans to embark on a similar bond buying programme.