Banking and Finance Law Commons^™

Private Equity And Venture Capital In Germany: How Europe’S Heartland Is Poised To Become The Next Bay Area, Jake Besanceney

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Abstract

This note examines the current state of private equity and venture capital activity and investment in Germany, and specifically in Berlin, in relation to the state of such activity and investment that existed in the San Francisco Bay Area prior to and following its tech explosion in the late twentieth century. Numerous factors such as political and ethnic diversity, a comparatively lower cost of living, and proximity to higher education institutes are propelling Berlin’s startup and tech scenes, and are eerily reminiscent of similar factors that fueled the Bay Area’s growth and attracted private equity and venture capital activity …

Comparative Analysis Of U.S. And Saudi Arabia Investment Funds Regulations, Gabriella Tang

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The investment funds sector has always been a major player in the financial industry globally. As such, many countries with mature financial markets have enacted regulations to govern the activity and management of investment funds. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enacted the Investment Company Act of 1940(the Act) as an effort to restore investor confidence in investment funds and safeguard investors from future abuses after the market crash in 1929. On the other hand, emerging financial markets started to take part in regulations in the hope to attract more investors and outside resources. The Capital Market Authority of …

Ec Reforms Of Corporate Governance And Capital Markets Law: Do They Tackle Insiders' Opportunism?, Luca Enriques, Matteo Gatti

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Company and capital markets laws are rapidly evolving everywhere: there are few countries around the world where they have not been the subject of reform or where at least a reform agenda has not been devised. There are various reasons for this, both global and local. Among the global (or common) reasons for reform, two at least deserve to be singled out: large-scale market crises or prominent economic scandals, and financial development.

Recent Initiatives In International Financial Regulation And Goals Of Competitiveness, Effectiveness, Consistency And Cooperation, Joel P. Trachtman

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The purpose of this examination is first, to review the basis for and method of applying U.S. regulation in these functional areas to offshore activities of U.S. persons and to both U.S. and offshore activities of foreign persons, and to understand the differences in approach taken by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Board) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) in interpreting the reach of prescriptive jurisdiction under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the BHC Act), the Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act) and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the …

A New Era Of Financial Futures Trading In Germany: Sweeping Changes In The Legal And Business Environment, Friedrich E.F. Hey

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Trading in futures has increased dramatically in recent years. This is especially true for financial futures. The two main reasons for this phenomenon are: (1) there is a greater need for hedging against price fluctuations; and (2) financial futures trading provides speculators with the opportunity to transform favorable price developments into quick and large profits. This Article examines the recently enacted legislation governing futures trading in the Federal Republic of Germany, distinguishes the new law from the old, and analyzes the impact the new legislation will have on the functioning of the new German futures exchange.

Performance Bonds, Bankers' Guarantees, And The Mareva Injunction, Peter S. O'Driscoll

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Performance bonds and bankers' guarantees are common features of international sales and construction contracts. They figure prominently in contracts with buyers and employers in the Middle East. In recent years, the amounts represented by these instruments have grown so large that banks have begun to syndicate them in order to limit the exposure of any one bank. With so much at stake, it is imperative that traders, bankers, and lawyers understand the legal implications of performance bonds and bankers' guarantee agreements and the treatment of such agreements by the courts. This Comment will address some of the problems associated with …