Independent European Firms Bounce Back in H1 League Tables

Independent law firms made a comeback in European M&A in the first half of 2022. Nine of the top 20 legal advisers on U.K. and Europe deals in the six months to the end of June were local Continental European firms, according data from Refinitiv. German firm Hengeler Mueller came second in the rankings, while Italian firms Legance Avvocati Associati,...

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Elite Capital & Co.’s Rider Lucas Blintford Wins 2nd Place in Whilton Mill Championship Final

Mr. Adrian Blantford, Principal Manager, Lucas Blantford Racing Team, announced today that Lucas Blantford Sponsored by Elite Capital & Co. won second place yesterday in Whilton Mill Championship final. “Unbelievable drive at the weekend with a lot of eyes on Lucas but again showed composure beyond his age, so proud and honored to be able to call...

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Supreme Court Narrows Availability of United States Discovery for International Arbitration

A unanimous Supreme Court on June 13 determined that 28 U.S.C. §1782 (“Section 1782”) does not permit United States courts to order discovery for foreign or international “private adjudicatory bodies”.  ZF Auto. US, Inc. v. Luxshare, Ltd., No. 21-401, 2022 WL 2111355, *3 (2022)(“ZF Automotive Decision”).  Rather, the Supreme...

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CRO vs. CMO: What's the Difference and Why Does it Matter?

CRO and CMO are commonly-used abbreviations for Contract Research Organisations and Contract Manufacturing Organisations. Both of these company types support the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors by providing outsourced services. So what’s the difference between a CRO and a CMO? The difference is that Contract Research Organisations...

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Home to Portugal's "mountain of stars".

Home to Portugal's "mountain of stars" and some of Europe's least light-polluted skies, the Alentejo region is best seen at night.A long twisting road leads up Portugal's highest mountain, and here, unlike many other European summits, visitors can drive right to the top. The peak rises 1,993m above sea level, and although its actual name is Torre (tower),...

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Asia Pacific

Headlines

Making access to climate finance a priority

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is calling for a sharper financial focus on putting climate actions at the centre of development and recovery for the region. Read More

TRENDSETTERS at-a-glance: Korean, Indian regulators sharpen ESG focus; and more

Korean watchdog cracks down on ESG compliance; India to enhance ESG reporting; Singapore fintechs to drive green finance; and StashAway expands to Hong Kong. Read More

PEOPLE MOVES at-a-glance: IMF adds new finance director; fund houses bulk up in Asia

IMF names new director of finance; Robeco strengthens Greater China team; Income Partners hires distribution head from Vanguard; PineBridge appoints global head of corporate responsibility; and AXA IM enhances Asian institutional business. Read More

When the SPACs come marching into Asia

The rapid pace at which special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) are raising money is putting regulators across the region in a quandary: either further accommodate an unproven investment structure or risk being left behind. Read More

TRENDSETTERS at-a-glance: Hong Kong IPOs reach record highs; and more

Hong Kong maintains impressive IPO momentum; China takes step forward in ESG reporting; and Broadridge bolsters capital markets franchise. Read More

Finance

India is recording more cases of covid-19 than any other country

ON APRIL 7TH India detected more than 125,000 new cases of covid-19—more than any other country in the world. The same day neighbouring Bangladesh registered far fewer—just over 7,600—but that was nonetheless a record for the country. Pakistan, too, is suffering a surge in infections, with the president, prime minister and minister of...

Pakistan’s generals are ever more involved in running the country

BEFORE HE BECAME prime minister, Imran Khan was happy to hold forth about the role of the armed forces in Pakistan. They were so influential in politics, he told The Economist, only because civilian governments had been so ineffectual. Once in office, he said, he would change all that. Yet in early March, when his government lost an important Senate...

China tries to nick another speck in the sea from the Philippines

THE CHINESE ships that appeared around Whitsun Reef in March were unusual for fishing vessels. They seemed to do little fishing, for a start. Satellite images revealed them to be pristine and lined up with military precision. China said the ships were simply sheltering from bad weather. But the Philippine government said they belonged to China’s “maritime...

Another species harmed by climate change: Japanese poets

“HOW MANY, many things/they call to mind/these cherry blossoms!” the poet Basho once wrote of Japan’s favourite flower. The blossoms have long provoked reflections on beauty, transience and the unceasing rhythms of the natural world. This year, their annual appearance has many thinking about how those rhythms are changing. The cherry trees in...

Thailand’s democracy protests are dwindling

LAST SUMMER, despite the tropical heat and humidity, more than 10,000 mostly young protesters paraded repeatedly through central Bangkok. The protests had a carnival atmosphere. Students dressed as Harry Potter, the better to vanquish He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named (King Maha Vajiralongkorn); held aloft giant yellow ducks (a symbol popular with democracy...

Legal

Deals

Lyreco Group announces the acquisition of DeskRight

Lyreco Group today announced the acquisition of DeskRight, a leading office supplies business on the Singapore market. The move puts Lyreco, European leader and number three worldwide in the distribution of workplace supplies solutions to businesses, in a leadership position on the Singapore market and represents the first step in its new development...

HSA Advocates advised a consortium of four ports in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India by Government of India

HSA Advocates represented a consortium of four ports Vishakapatnam Port Trust, Paradeep Port Trust, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Deendayal Port Trust in relation to strategic sale of Dredging Corporation of India concluded by Government of India (GoI). The four ports have acquired 100% of GoI's shares in Dredging Corporation of India (i.e. 73.47%...

Duff & Phelps enhances restructuring and dispute offering with acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia

Expands Footprint in Greater China Region Duff & Phelps, the global advisor that protects, restores and maximizes value for clients, today announced the acquisition of Zolfo Cooper Asia, a leading independent provider of restructuring, insolvency, litigation support and forensic accounting services. The combination of Duff & Phelps and Zolfo...

Acq Lite

Actor Park Si Hoo denies rape accusation

Hallyu star Park Si Hoo issued an official statement this morning, denying allegations by a 22-year-old woman that the actor had sexually assaulted her. He wrote: ‘There are misrepresentations in the reports regarding this incident. I hope to explain the truth to the media and to my fans.’ According to the alleged victim, she got [...]The...

Actor Park Si-hoo Accused of Rape

Actor Park Si-hoo has been charged with rape, Seoul police said Monday. The victim, a 22-year-old woman, met Park through a mutual acquaintance last Thursday night and drank with him in a bar in the trendy Gangnam district of southern Seoul. Police said the woman claims to have lost consciousness and realized she had been [...]The post Actor Park Si-hoo...

Grace Wong: “We slept in separate bedrooms!”

“Friendly Fire” actress Grace Wong recently denied claims of her supposedly ‘losing her virginity’ to her boyfriend during a vacation in Taiwan. According to Jayne Stars website, the actress, who attended a wedding exhibition on 17 February, explained that she and her boyfriend had stayed in separate rooms during their trip,...

Park Si-hoo Fails To Appear For Police Questioning

Actor Park Si-hoo, who has been charged with raping an aspiring starlet, has again failed to present himself for questioning by police. He had been summoned for 7 p.m. on Sunday. “At around 6 p.m., an hour before he was scheduled to appear, Park’s lawyer informed us that he wouldn’t show after all,” a police [...]The post Park...

CCTV Footage Backs Rape Charge Against Park Si Hoo

Surveillance camera footage casts doubt on actor Park Si-hoo’s denials that he raped a 22-year-old aspiring starlet. The CCTV footage shows his accuser being carried on the back of the acquaintance who introduced them as they arrive at Park’s home in Cheongdam-dong, Seoul on the night of the incident. According to police, the acquaintance...