The law of foreign investment is at a crossroads. In the wake of an unprecedented global financial crisis and a sharp surge of investment arbitration cases, states around the world are reflecting on the pros and cons of the current liberal investment regime and exploring new ways ahead. This book brings together leading investment lawyers from more than 20 main jurisdictions of the world to tackle the challenge of producing a first comparative study of foreign investment law. Based on the General and National Reports presented at the 'Protection of Foreign Investment' Session at the 18th International Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law (Washington DC, July 2010), the book is a unique resource for investment lawyers. Part I of the book presents a comparative overview of key aspects of foreign investment protection in the world today, including admission, investment contracts, treatment standards, tax regime and incentives, performance requirement, property and expropriation, monetary transfer and dispute settlement. Part II presents in-depth and detailed accounts of the investment laws of more than 20 jurisdictions, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Peru, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Turkey, the UK and the USA. The book will be an invaluable guide to legal and business communities with an interest in the law and practice of foreign investment in the world in general and in these jurisdictions in particular.

This monograph explores the historical position of pensions law in the UK and the recent influences which have led to the introduction of Auto-Enrolment and subsequent reforms. Alternative models, such as the US and Australia, are also considered as well as the function of law in bringing about political changes. The question of saving for retirement is of national and international importance and many governments are wrestling with the issue of how to deal with the pension funding crisis. Consequently political policy has, in many cases, combined with behavioural science to inform new laws which have acted to shift the burden from the state into the private sector. Around the world responsibility is being moved onto individuals and employers as the state retreats from provision of state support in retirement; this book offers a sophisticated analysis of the role of legal intervention to facilitate this shift. The book explores the work of behavioural economics, its global influence on understanding financial decision-making and its application to legislation which seeks to influence consumer outcomes. Drawing on qualitative empirical research to explore the experience of implementation of Auto-Enrolment, this timely work considers the interaction with the work of behavioural science to highlight the social costs of the new regulatory regime.

find out what works - and what doesn't - in one of the most important and hotly debated aspects of the future of the financial system A new and unique insider view of what actually works, what ought to work, what prevents it from working, and what needs to be done about it - industry experts who have to implement and work within regulatory systems give the real best practice picture The recent financial crisis has unleashed a flood of views on what happened, why it happened, and what new regulatory measures and structures might prevent or mitigate such crises in the future. Effective Bank Regulation and Supervision: Lessons from the Financial Crisis takes a different approach. Based on in-depth interviews with more than 30 senior, experienced bankers, regulators, consultants and others deeply involved in the regulatory process, it seeks to answer two key questions: Which bank regulators around the world have demonstrated relatively superior results in terms of regulatory outcomes? and What lessons for the future can be drawn from their experience? The result is a ground-breaking insight into the likely future success of bank regulation and the key factors which will determine such outcomes. Praise for Effective Bank Regulation and Supervision: Lessons from the Financial Crisis ..". Required reading for anyone with a stake in strengthening the financial system - which is pretty much all of us." Robert P. Kelly, Chairman and CEO, BNY Mellon "Steve Davis has always been innovative in looking at the banking industry, and in writing about its challenges and opportunities. Highlighting the various regulators' roles, both in their benefits and shortcomings, will usefully inform the debate on the future shape of the industry." Sir Win Bischoff, Chairman, Lloyds Banking Group plc "This is a tour de force of bank regulation. Steve Davis provides an excellent insight into bank regulatory systems, investigating the mechanics of who got it right and who failed in providing appropriate oversight of their banking systems over the crisis. A series of lucid and insightful bank regulator case studies reports the experiences of key players and highlights major areas for reform. A must-read for anyone interested in bank regulation pre- and post-crisis." Professor Philip Molyneux, Bangor University

This comprehensive Research Handbook provides an in-depth analysis of the different financial law approaches, legal systems and trends throughout Asia. Considering how reforms following the crises have been critical for the development and growth of the region, this insightful book explores a broad range of post-crisis financial regulatory issues. It also examines how inconsistent and divergent approaches to financial market regulation are curtailing the region's potential. By focusing on the legal frameworks and regulatory models at a national level, this innovative Research Handbook addresses opportunities and challenges for financial markets and convergence in the region. Key topics include the different legal and regulatory approaches to common issues, such as banking regulation and resolution, FinTech, insolvency frameworks and ASEAN financial market integration. Specific regulatory approaches are discussed in relation to areas such as Renminbi internationalization, Islamic banking and finance, shadow banking, crowdfunding, venture capital, derivatives, bond and securities markets. The book concludes with an analysis of the impact of FinTech on regulatory convergence in Asia. The Research Handbook on Asian Financial Law will be of great value to law students, academics and policymakers working across a diverse range of fields including financial regulation, Asian studies, banking resolution and insolvency. Contributors include: D. Arner, J. Barberis, L. Bromberg, S. Butt, A. Chan, C. Chen, V. Chen, H. Dervan, D. Donald, D. Elms, S. Gao, E. Gibson, A. Godwin, S.i Han, L.C. Hang, C. Hofmann, I.R. Ibrahim, S. Jensen, S. Kourabas, T. Lindsey, T. Morishita, D. Neo, M.H. Nguyen, I. Ramsay, W. Shen, T. Srinopnikom, S. Steele, N.N. Thani, C.-h. Tsai, W.Y. Wan, C. Watters, C. Xi

Covering the most important areas of the subject, such as financial crises, the nature of the banking firm and issues in bank regulation, Economics of Financial Law is a comprehensive collection of the papers that have shaped the field of financial law. This original research review by editor Professor Geoffrey Miller provides a thorough and authoritative examination of the material and will prove to be an invaluable resource for academics and practitioners alike.

The spate of mis-selling episodes that have plagued the financial services industries in recent years has caused widespread detriment to investors. Notwithstanding numerous regulatory interventions, curtailing the incidence of poor investment advice remains a challenge for regulators, particularly because these measures are taken in a 'fire-fighting' fashion without adequate consideration being given to the root causes of mis-selling. Against this backdrop, this book focuses on the sale of complex investment products to corporate retail investors by drawing upon the widespread mis-selling of interest rate hedging products (IRHP) in the UK and beyond. It brings to the fore the relatively understudied field concerning the different degrees of investor protection mechanisms applicable to individual retail investors - as opposed to corporate retail investors - by taking stock of past regulatory reforms and forthcoming regulatory initiatives as well as, more importantly, the conclusions reached by the judiciary in IRHP mis-selling claims. The conclusions are particularly interesting: corporate retail investors are in a vulnerable position when compared to individual retail investors. The former are exposed to a heightened risk of mis-selling, meaning that regulatory intervention should be targeted accordingly. The recommendations made as a result of these findings are further supported by insights emerging from behavioural law and economic theories. This book is aimed at researchers, lawyers and students with an interest in the financial regulation field who are keen to explore potential regulatory reforms to the investment services regime that address the root causes of mis-selling, and restore a level playing field amongst all retail investors.

Sustainable development remains a high priority in international politics and commerce. This timely book explores how the contours and facets of economic, environmental and social sustainability are reflected in the legal norms that govern trade, investment and finance. Examining a range of issues arising from private initiatives, national conduct and international organisations, the chapters interrogate the role of powerful global actors in the pursuit of sustainable development: China, the United States and the EU are all recognised as significant actors in a wider context of global partnership. The authors identify and investigate challenges to the realisation of a coherent sustainable development policy, engaging with the complex interactions of international, regional and national mechanisms that pose significant problems for the future of the planet, its people and their prosperity. Offering interdisciplinary insights on legal frameworks through the lens of sustainability, this discerning book will appeal to a range of academics interested in sustainability, trade, investment and finance, while also offering crucial insights for policy-makers into specific areas of regulation.

EU investment in China has increased dramatically since the early 1990s and is poised to increase further in light of Chinas recent accession to the World Trade Organisation. This book explores and critically appraises the existing legal framework governing EU-China investment relations,particularly EU investment in China. The current legal framework is composed of Chinese law, EU law and applicable international law, but the Chinese law is unsystematic and hard to discover and the EU has acquired only shared external investment competence which is vaguely defined. The applicable international treaties are incomplete, incoherent, or either too general or too specialised. Besides this, the international fora to settle investment disputes are still not readily available. Furthermore while law has played a very important role in decision-making by EU investors, the Chinese legal system is generally perceived as ineffective and lacking in effective enforcement of court and arbitration decisions. What the book demonstrates is that the time is ripe for a new international legal framework for foreign investment in China, and that as EU-China economic and political relations continue to improve, construction of such a framework is not only necessary, but also possible.

As the proverbial workhorse of international economic law, investment arbitration is heavily relied upon around the globe. It has to cope with the demands of increasingly complex proceedings. At the same time, investment arbitration has come under close public scrutiny in the midst of heated political debate. Both of these factors have led to the field of investment protection being subject to continuous changes. Therefore, it presents an abundance of challenges in its interpretation and application. While these challenges are often deeply rooted in the doctrinal foundations of international law, they similarly surface during live arbitral proceedings. International Challenges in Investment Arbitration serves not only as a collection of recently debated issues in investment law; it also deals with the underlying fundamental questions at the intersection of investment arbitration and international law. The book is the product of the 1st Bucerius Law Journal Conference on International Investment Law & Arbitration. It combines the current state of knowledge, new perspectives on the topic as well as practical issues and will be of interest to researchers, academics and practitioners in the fields of international investment law, international economic law, regulation and comparative law.

Perhaps the greatest long-term challenge facing modern economies is how to pay for the living expenses and care costs of the elderly. Following policy decisions made in Australia in the 1990s, a substantial part of the pension requirements of the next cohort of retirees will be met from savings accumulated during working years. The effective management of these savings is crucial. If they are invested wisely, the assets available to fund pensions and care will grow; if not, available funds may turn out to be insufficient. Unfortunately, there is considerable evidence worldwide that the management of funds attracts rent-seeking behaviour by the financial services industry which erodes much of the potential return. Australia introduced compulsory superannuation contributions for its working population in 1991, leading to a proliferation of funded schemes that are largely run by the private sector. Complexity, and many degrees of separation between fund members and those who manage their funds, have emerged as serious problems. Combined with weak competitive pressures and governance systems, and insufficient legal and regulatory constraints, the result is a system that does not serve its members well. This book provides a detailed evaluation of the Australian experience, highlights the extent to which the financial services industry has extracted rents from Australian pensioners, and how and why this occurred. Based on original empirical research, and examination of industry reviews and relevant literature, the book demonstrates the numerous principal-agent, conflict of interest and rent extraction problems that have emerged in Australia. The book makes suggestions for how these problems can be addressed in Australia, and also provides lessons for other countries wishing to enact pension reform.

This stimulating and original Handbook offers an updated and systematic discussion of the relationship between central banks, financial regulation and supervision after the global financial crisis. The crisis has raised new questions about the compatibility of monetary and financial stability, which are changing the face of central banking and its relationships with the architecture of financial regulation and supervision. The Handbook explores on both the economics and political economy of the topic, in order to understand how and why reforms of the role of the central banks can be designed and implemented. The general suggestion is that future effectiveness of the central banking architecture will depend on its ability to ensure the consistency between the monetary actions in normal and extraordinary times. Consequently the possible paths in the central bank strategies and tactics, as well as in the classic concepts of independence, accountability and transparency, are analyzed and discussed. With chapters written by outstanding scholars in economics, this lucid Handbook will appeal to academics, policy makers and practitioners, ranging from central bankers and supervisory authorities to financial operators. Among the academics it would be of particular interest to financial and monetary economists (including postgraduate students), but the institutional slant and the central theme of relations between economics, institutional settings and politics will also be invaluable for political scientists. Contributors: F. Amtenbrink, J. Baxa, B. Born, P.C. Boyer, G. Caprio, M. Cihak, A. Cukierman, L. Dalla Pellegrina, J. De Haan, M. Ehrmann, B. Eichengreen, S. Eijffinger, Y. Fang, M. Fratzscher, F. Giavazzi, A. Giovannini, C.A.E. Goodhart, I. Hasan, R. Horvath, D. Masciandaro, L.J. Mester, M.J. Nieto, R. Nijskens, A. Orphanides, J. Ponce, M. Quintyn, M. Rezende, P.L. Siklos, A. Tieman, B. Vasicek, R. Vega Pansini

International Natural Resources Law, Investment and Sustainability provides a clear and concise insight into the relationship between the institutions that govern foreign investment, sustainable development and the rules and regulations that administer natural resources. In this book, several leading experts explore different perspectives in how investment and natural resources come together to achieve sustainable development in developing countries with examples from water, oil and gas, renewable energy, mineral, agriculture, and carbon trading. Despite varying perspectives, it is clear that several themes are central in considering the linkages between natural resources, investment and sustainability. Specifically, transparency, good governance and citizen empowerment are vital conditions which encourage positive social, economic and environmental outcomes for developing countries. In addition, this book provides new insights into key concepts which underpin international law, including sovereign rights and state responsibility principles. It is clear from this book that in the attempt to reconcile these concepts and principles from separate legal regimes, complex policy questions emerge whereby it is difficult to attain mutually beneficial or succinct outcomes. This book explores how countries prioritise their policy objectives to achieve their notion of sustainable natural resource use, which is strongly influenced by power imbalances that inform North-South cooperation, as well as South-South cooperation in the international investment regime. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and researchers of international environmental law, international human rights law, international investment law and international economic law. This book may also be of relevance to environmentalists, policy-makers, NGOs, and investors working in the natural resources field.

The book deals with contemporary issues in financial regulation, given the post-crisis regulatory landscape. The major idea put forward is that rampant corruption and fraud in the financial sector provide the main justification for financial regulation. Specific issues that are dealt with include the proposition that the Efficient Market Hypothesis was both a cause and a casualty of the global financial crisis. The book also examines the regulation of remuneration in the financial sector, credit rating agencies and shadow banking. Also considered is financial reform in Iceland and the proposal to move away from fractional reserve banking to a system of sovereign money. A macroeconomic/regulatory issue that is also considered is quantitative easing and the resulting environment of ultra-low interest rates.

The climate surrounding foreign investment law is one of controversy and change, and with implications for human rights and environmental protection, foreign investment law has gained widespread public attention and visibility. This fully updated edition of Sornarajah's classic text offers thought-provoking analysis of the law in historical, political and economic contexts, capturing leading trends and charting the possible course of future developments. It takes into account the newer types of treaties that establish a regulatory space for states and moves away from inflexible investment protection, exploring the newly created defences relating to environment, human rights, indigenous rights and other areas ending the fragmentation of the law. It looks at the current debates on legitimacy of the system and current efforts at reform. Suitable for postgraduate and undergraduate students, The International Law on Foreign Investment is essential reading for anyone specialising in the law of foreign investments.

In light of on-going global financial crises, the institutional structure of financial regulation is currently a subject of significant academic and practical interest. The financial crisis has called into question the adequacy of financial regulation at the national and supranational levels, and has instigated financial regulatory reforms in major markets overseas. This has included the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act in the US, and the programme to split the Financial Services Authority in the UK. This book examines the institutional structure reform of financial regulation from a comparative perspective, exploring both fundamental theories and international experiences. The book explores the three main institutional structures of financial regulation in the world; the sectors-based model, adopted in the US, Mainland China and Hong Kong; the twin-peaks model with Australia and the Netherlands as its pioneers; and the single-regulator model as represented by the former Financial Services Authority in the UK and the Financial Services Agency in Japan. The book contains contributions from renowned experts in the field of financial regulation including Douglas Arner, Jeffrey Carmichael, Robin Hui Huang, Dirk Schoenmaker, and Michael Taylor, and will be of interest to students and researchers of banking and finance law, and comparative economics.

'This is a very timely book that addresses an important subject, namely, attempts to harmonise the law governing secured transactions. The focus is on UNCITRAL and its Legislative Guide on Secured Transactions. Professor McCormack has written a provocative book that challenges existing orthodoxy. It is a stimulus for critical thinking and is essential reading for those interested in the subject. It also provides an informed account of the workings of UNCITRAL, contains much valuable material on harmonisation and uniformity, and displays a thorough grounding in the theoretical literature.' -Michael Bridge, London School of Economics, UK'Professor McCormack has taken the challenge to write a truly original book about secured transactions, which is rather good news when so many publications seem to rehash the same ideas. He is not afraid to tackle questions usually ignored by lawyers, such as the political aspects of harmonisation of law. This should challenge all involved to seriously re-examine the premises on the basis of which they work.' - Frederique Dahan, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development This is a discerning analysis of international harmonization efforts for secured credit law and examines the role of globalization and finance capital in shaping such efforts. Gerard McCormack reveals how an 'efficient' law is often seen to increase the availability, and lower the cost, of credit, thereby contributing to international development. He considers whether the most comprehensive international standard the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Legislative Guide (2008) is actually suitable for adoption at the national level. In particular, he examines the hypothesis that American law and lawyers have shaped the content of the guide to the extent that it is not suitable for translation into other laws. This book will be of great interest to practitioners, policy makers and academics, as well as students, particularly postgraduate students, of law and business throughout the world. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. The Case for Harmonising and Modernising the Law of International Trade 3. Harmonising and Modernising Secured Transactions Law 4. National Models and Replication Across International Frontiers Article 9 of the American Uniform Commercial Law and the English Common Law 5. International Harmonisation Efforts Before the UNCITRAL Legislative Guide 6. The UNCITRAL Secured Transactions Guide 7. The Insolvency Legislative Guide 8. Conclusion Index

Many commentators, regulatory agencies and politicians have blamed the risky behaviour of both financial institutions and their actors for the collapse of the United States sub-prime mortgage market which in turn precipitated the global 'Credit Crunch'. This edited volume explores how financial crime played a significant role in the global economic crisis. The volume features contributions from internationally renowned academic and practitioner experts in the field who pinpoint some of the most important facets of financial crime which have emerged over recent years. Key subjects include: the possibility of criminalising reckless risk-taking on the financial markets; the duty of banks to prevent money-laundering and corruption; the growth of the Shadow Banking System; and the manipulation of LIBOR by banks. The book illustrates the global nature of financial crime, and highlights the complex relationships between regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies and private actors in the attempt to limit the harmful effect of white collar crime on the stability of the financial sector. This book will be of great use and interest to scholars, practitioners and students within the field of financial crime, banking and finance law, and international political economy.

Secured transactions law has been subjected to a close scrutiny over the last two decades. One of the main reasons for this is the importance of availability of credit and the consequent need to reform collateral laws in order to improve access to finance. The ability to give security effectively influences not only the cost of credit but also, in some cases, whether credit will be available at all. This requires rules that are transparent and readily accessible to non-lawyers as well as rules that recognise the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. This book critically engages with the challenges posed by inefficient secured credit laws. It offers a comparative analysis of the reasons and the needs for a secured transactions law reform, as well as discussion of the steps taken in many common law, civil law and mixed law jurisdictions. The book, written under the auspices of the Secured Transactions Law Reform Project, informs the debate about reform and advances novel arguments written by world renowned experts that will build upon the existing literature, and as such will be of interest to academics, legal practitioners and the judiciary involved in secured transactions law around the world. The text considers reform initiatives that have taken place up to the end of April 2016. It has not been possible to incorporate events since then into the discussion. However, notable developments include the banks decree passed by the Italian Government on 29th June 2016, and the adoption of the Model Law on Secured Transactions by UNCITRAL on 1st July 2016.

Financial regulation can fail when it is needed the most. The dynamics of asset price bubbles weaken financial regulation just as financial markets begin to overheat and the risk of crisis spikes. At the same time, the failure of financial regulations adds further fuel to a bubble. This book examines the interaction of bubbles and financial regulation. It explores the ways in which bubbles lead to the failure of financial regulation by outlining five dynamics, which it collectively labels the "Regulatory Instability Hypothesis." . The book concludes by outlining approaches to make financial regulation more resilient to these dynamics that undermine law.

International investment law and arbitration is a rapidly evolving field, and can be difficult for students to acquire a firm understanding of, given the considerable number of published awards and legal writings. The first edition of this text, cited by courts in Singapore and Colombia, overcame this challenge by interweaving extracts from these arbitral decisions, treaties and scholarly works with concise, up-to-date and reliable commentary. Now fully updated and with a new chapter on arbitrators, the second edition retains this practical structure along with the carefully curated end-of-chapter questions and readings. The authors consider the new chapter an essential revision to the text, and a discussion which is indispensable to understanding the present calls for reform of investment arbitration. The coverage of the book has also been expanded, with the inclusion of over sixty new awards and judicial decisions, comprising both recent and well-established jurisprudence. This textbook will appeal to graduates studying international investment law and international arbitration, as well as being of interest to practitioners in this area.

This two-volume set brings together a selection of key articles which examine the shadow economy and its relationship with underground activities. The set contains important work on surveys and conceptual considerations, theoretical approaches and policy implications. It further focuses on the empirical results of studies into the shadow economy, and considers tax evasion, tax compliance, tax morale and government institutions. This authoritative publication will be of interest to anyone seeking a comprehensive investigation into the shadow economy.

Accountants play an increasingly important and diverse role in society today. Traditionally, in the UK, accountants are the first port of call for businessmen seeking any form of professional advice or assistance. They undertake a wide range of functions which stretch far beyond their traditional roles of preparing accounts, financial reporting, auditing, and tax planning. Today, accountants also offer management consultancy, give corporate finance advice, provide company secretarial services, undertake financial management, give personal finance advice, advise on computer software, and act as trustees in bankruptcy, liquidators, administrative receivers, and administrators. This major work provides UK legal practitioners and accountants with clear and practical guidance from non-contentious but vital governance issues, to the complex issues pertaining to professional negligence. The book's 6 checklists and 32 precedents guide the reader through the key topics: partnership creation, cl

Many commentators, regulatory agencies and politicians have blamed the risky behaviour of both financial institutions and their actors for the collapse of the United States sub-prime mortgage market which in turn precipitated the global 'Credit Crunch'. This edited volume explores how financial crime played a significant role in the global economic crisis. The volume features contributions from internationally renowned academic and practitioner experts in the field who pinpoint some of the most important facets of financial crime which have emerged over recent years. Key subjects include: the possibility of criminalising reckless risk-taking on the financial markets; the duty of banks to prevent money-laundering and corruption; the growth of the Shadow Banking System; and the manipulation of LIBOR by banks. The book illustrates the global nature of financial crime, and highlights the complex relationships between regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies and private actors in the attempt to limit the harmful effect of white collar crime on the stability of the financial sector. This book will be of great use and interest to scholars, practitioners and students within the field of financial crime, banking and finance law, and international political economy.

In this innovative and exhaustive study, Steven A. Ramirez posits that the subprime mortgage crisis, as well as the global macroeconomic catastrophe it spawned, is traceable to a gross failure of law. The rule of law must appropriately channel and constrain the exercise of economic and political power. Used effectively, it ensures that economic opportunity isn't limited to a small group of elites that enjoy growth at the expense of many, particularly those in vulnerable economic situations. In Lawless Capitalism, Ramirez calls for the rule of law to displace crony capitalism. Only through the rule of law, he argues, can capitalism be reconstructed.