Conflicts of interest arise naturally in all walks of life, particularly in business life. As general and indeed inevitable phenomena, conflicts of interest should not be prohibited but properly managed. This book presents indepth analysis of such management in three areas of corporate governance where the conflict-of-interest problems are particularly acute: executive compensation, financial analysis, and asset management. "Conflicts of Interest" presents the results of a two-year-long research project bringing together academics and practitioners in both law and finance from Europe and the US under the auspices of the Centre for Banking and Financial Law of the University of Geneva. This book discusses the following issues: the duty of loyalty; remedies, such as disclosure, incentives, organizational measures; regulation and enforcement; and market considerations. With its intense focus on the material effects of actual conflicts of interest at the core of modern corporate governance and financial markets, this incomparable book will inform not only business people, practitioners, and academics, but also legislators, regulators, and all concerned with the far-reaching ramifications of conflict-of-interest management.

This authoritative guide to the Geneva Securities Convention is the first and only UNIDROIT backed analysis of the content of the international treaty. It streamlines the otherwise complicated and numerous transactions of intermediated securities providing easy access for practitioners and scholars in the field. The Commentary is written by participants to the negotiations and discussions which resulted in the final version of the treaty.
The Geneva Securities Convention was developed as a result of the change in the way that securities are held and highlights the position of intermediated securities at the core of the international financial system. The Convention includes key provisions for governing intermediated securities designed to harmonise domestic law and clarify points of difficulty. The general introduction to the commentary sets out the reasons for developing the Convention and the principal concepts underlying its development. The main part of the commentary follows the structure of the Convention and is arranged on an article-by-article basis. The treatment of each article is subdivided into three main parts: An introduction explaining the main goal of that article; a section setting out the genesis of the provision during intergovernmental negotiation; and a part discussing in depth the application of the provision with reference to practical examples.
The Convention is a highly complex instrument and the commentary provides much-needed guidance to the application and interpretation of its provisions. This is a must-have reference for lawyers and scholars interested in financial law, as well as securities intermediaries, clearing houses, banks and government officials.

In today's financial markets, investors no longer hold securities physically. Instead, securities such as shares or bonds are mostly held through intermediaries and transferred by way of book-entries on securities accounts. However, there are remarkable conceptual differences between the various jurisdictions with regard to the legal treatment of intermediated securities. It is widely agreed that this patchwork creates considerable legal risks, especially in cross-border situations. Two initiatives are in place to reduce these risks. In 2009, the UNIDROIT Convention on Substantive Rules for Intermediated Securities (the 'Geneva Securities Convention') was adopted, aimed at harmonisation on the international level. The EU Commission is also running a legislative project, to achieve harmonisation at the regional level. This book compares both initiatives and analyses their impact on the securities laws of selected European jurisdictions.