In this article Hin Liu explains why it is uncertain whether commercial parties can transfer their equitable interests under certain digital asset arrangements. He suggests the need for statutory reform to maintain the necessary confidence that transactions in the digital asset world can take effect as intended.
25 March 2024This article summarises the position of landlords and their funders, and of tenants, under the Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022.
25 March 2024The author considers the origins, purpose and implications of a very particular machine – the European Commission’s proposed “consolidated tape” for bonds.
25 March 2024This article is based on the FMLC’s Report on UK bank ring-fencing legislation, published in November 2021, in which the FMLC recommended amendments to the legislative framework. It delves into four of the eight issues examined by the FMLC’s Report, providing the legislative context, the impact of the uncertainty and the proposed solution by which each issue may be mitigated.
25 March 2024In the March 2022 edition of Butterworths Journal of International Banking and Financial Law ((2022) 3 JIBFL 198), we briefly explored the analysis undertaken to determine whether a transaction in the European fund finance market constitutes a “securitisation” under the EU1 and UK2 regulatory frameworks. If a fund financing does constitute a securitisation, further work is required to establish how the applicable regulatory requirements will be met. In this follow-on article, we survey the application of the key regulatory requirements imposed on participants in securitisations in the EU and UK in the context of fund financing transactions, namely: risk retention, transparency (and reporting), due diligence and credit granting requirements. We also consider the direct applicability of the rules to fund parties and the related provisions participants in these transactions should expect in the financing documents.
25 March 2024Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have captured investor attention as an emerging asset class, with the value of the relevant market estimated at US$10.7bn (third quarter of 2021). Although there is nothing new about their underlying technology (blockchain), what is novel is its use by artists, athletes, and public figures to commercialise their creative work, and to monetise their brand name. We explore three of the plethora of legal issues that NFTs throw up: (i) the nature of NFT holders’ rights; (ii) whether NFTs can qualify as “securities”; and (iii) the extent to which they are covered by crypto-asset-specific regulation in select jurisdictions.
25 March 2024The application of green and sustainable lending principles to the aviation industry has long been a source of controversy and confusion. At the heart of the matter is whether lending to an airline can ever be considered truly “green” and if not, then whether aviation could be considered a transitioning industry with lending practices supporting the move towards lower emissions. The lack of definitive criteria as to what constitutes green or sustainable financing in the context of aviation has led to the inability of airlines and lessors to access this kind of financing. This article considers whether the inclusion of aviation in the EU’s Taxonomy Regulation1 will facilitate the availability of green and sustainable finance products for the finance and leasing of aircraft.
25 March 2024In this article, Georgia Quenby considers the documentary and structural changes that are becoming prevalent in secured lending and special situations documentation to mitigate the impacts of both the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 and the Crown Preference.
25 March 2024This article gives an overview of cryptocurrency fraud in the UK, highlights the risk that recovery actions may be time barred, considers the s 32 test in the light of recent authority, and then offers practical tips as to how cryptocurrency investors might increase their prospects of being able to rely on that provision.
25 March 2024The market share of ESG funds is rising rapidly and by some estimates is set to become a third of the total market as measured by assets under management. Many questions around ESG funds have yet to be resolved. There is active debate about the issues between, amongst others, asset managers, investors, regulators, lawmakers, scientists and pressure groups. However, some questions can be answered immediately. An ESG fund which shorts a stock which it would deem to be environmentally sound, or, more likely, lends it to another fund to short is acting against the principles of the ESG ethos which attracted its investors in the first place. This is because there is a tension between portfolio returns and environmental concerns. There is a risk of accusation of mis-selling resulting in litigation and censure by the regulator unless the fund’s modus operandi and their rationale are explicit.
25 March 2024