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 …

Esg Ratings: A Blind Spot For U.S. Securities Regulation, Alexander Coley

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Providers of “Environmental, Social, and Governance” (ESG) ratings have emerged as prominent informational intermediaries in the sustainable finance ecosystem. The key players are familiar names such as Moody’s, Morningstar, MSCI and S&P. In recent years, investors, financial markets observers and academics have raised serious doubts about the value and integrity of ESG ratings, pointing to lack of reliability and comparability and risks of conflicts of interest and abuse, including the potential for “greenwashing.”

ESG ratings are now in the crosshairs of financial regulators, particularly, in Europe. However, the regulatory discourse has failed to contend with risks arising from the use …

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 …

Chasing The Fruits Of Misery: Confronting The Historical Relationships Between Opioid Revenues, Offshore Financial Centers, And International Regulatory Networks, Stephen C. Wilks

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

As the opioid crisis continues to claim lives throughout the U.S., tort litigants have faced challenges pursuing Purdue Pharma – one of the drug makers responsible for aggressively promoting OxyContin while downplaying the drug’s addictive effects. Much of this litigation posture sought to recover billions in public health costs incurred responding to the crisis at federal, state and local levels. As the plaintiff class grew, Purdue Pharma petitioned for bankruptcy protection, at which point auditors discovered the entity’s beneficial owners had caused it to wire billions in opioid profits into offshore accounts – placing them beyond the reach of litigants. …

The Next Global Disruptive Innovation: Can Mobile Money Make The Journey Upmarket To Disrupt The Financial Services Industry?, David Myerson

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

No abstract provided.

I Got 99 Problems And They’Re All Fatca, Nirav (Jonathan) Dhanawade

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Offshore personal income tax evasion accounts for approximately $50 billion in annual lost revenue for the United States. These large sums of money are squirrelled away in tax havens—jurisdictions, such as Aruba, the Cayman Islands, and Dubai, whose laws allow some U.S. citizens to evade paying their U.S. income taxes. Before the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted, U.S. citizens could avoid taxes on passive income by not reporting this income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). To detect tax evasion, the IRS pursued U.S. citizens with undeclared assets in foreign banks. But the IRS’s quest was largely …

Contingent Capital In European Union Bank Restructuring, Christoph K. Henkel, Wulf A. Kaal

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The uncoordinated reorganization and resolution of Systemically Important Financial Institutions in different countries pose many challenges. Contingent capital provides a viable alternative for the efficient restructuring and resolution of failing financial institutions. Contingent Capital provides a mechanism for internalizing banks’ failure costs and helps return distressed financial institutions to solvency. This article offers a comparative perspective on bank resolution and restructuring in the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Germany and shows that Contingent Capital could play a substantial role in bank restructuring.

Chuaigh Ár Lá – Debt Of A Gaelsman: Ireland’S Sovereign Debt Crisis, National And International Responses, James Croke

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

How did a small island nation on the periphery of Europe go from the pauper of the European Union, to a paragon of a market economy, and back to fiscal ruin within the space of twenty years? Ireland was the poorest nation in the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1988. In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s it undertook structural reforms to fundamentally reshape its economy, the result was a booming economy throughout the mid-to-late 1990’s and early 2000’s, primarily fueled by exports and foreign direct investment. Rather than continue on a sustained, but slower, growth path in the 2000’s, …

The International Anti-Money Laundering And Combating The Financing Of Terrorism Regulatory Strategy: A Critical Analysis Of Compliance Determinants In International Law, Navin Beekarry

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Concerns about the risks money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) present to the stability of the international financial system have resurfaced in the context of the liquidity problems faced by financial institutions as a result of the recent credit crisis (2008). Because ML and TF evolve with new criminal activities and methodologies, ML and TF present systemic threats to the stability of the financial system. Addressing new developments in ML/TF and their associated risks requires a sufficiently flexible and adaptable international regulatory strategy. In this paper, I examine the international anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) …

The Revolving Door Of Emigration: The Economic Influences Of Remittances In Developing Countries, Laura L. Norris

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Economic incentives play an integral role in many individuals' choices to leave their country of origin. While a person may independently make the decision to migrate, some governments have developed extensive programs to promote the export of workers. Developing nations often initiate such programs for the purpose of acquiring additional sources of foreign exchange and external financing, as emigrants in transnational families can play a critical role in development through remittances. Remittances to developing countries totaled $325 billion in 2010, and they will likely continue to increase along with emigration. The following Comment considers the palpable contribution remittances have on …

Solving Global Financial Imbalances: A Plan For A World Financial Authority, Carlos Mauricio S. Mirandola

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This paper will propose a plan to reform international finance—the World Financial Authority (WFA) Plan. Under such a plan, the IMF and other existing international financial institutions would be reformed and coordinated around a newly created WFA. The WFA would have two core functions. The first function would be to manage international liquidity, thus reducing externalities arising from domestic monetary policies adopted by its members, and addressing global liquidity problems involving financial activities of transnational private banks. The second function would be to help countries make their domestic monetary policies more effective, thus regaining traction and preventing contagion. A central …

Rethinking The Foreign Direct Investment Process And Incentives In Post-Conflict Transition Countries, Kojo Yelpaala

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Burdened by the remnants of conflict, continuing threats of security lapses, significant market failures and weak institutions, post-conflict transition countries can hardly be described as normal economies. The task of transforming them into vibrant, productive, and self-sustaining economies is no simple assignment. Constructing the blueprint for reconstruction and economic development requires creativity of the first order. Conventional theories or pure neo-liberal market driven policy levers preached by the Washington Consensus Group are not likely to be productive. The design of the investment regime for development should therefore focus on non-conventional policy constructs. Contrary to the received theories, the history and …

Don't Tread On Me: Has The United States Government's Quest For Customer Records From Ubs Sounded The Death Knell For Swiss Bank Secrecy Laws, Bradley J. Bondi

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Privacy protection is a defining characteristic of Swiss culture and a pillar of the Swiss economy. For centuries, the Swiss people have coveted the principles of individual privacy, regularly reaffirming those principles in response to referendums designed to limit them. Swiss banking secrecy, one aspect of privacy, is protected by Swiss criminal and civil laws and professional duties. Swiss banks pride themselves on protecting customer identity and have leveraged their legal and cultural commitment to secrecy to gain a competitive advantage in the global banking market. This brief Article discusses the Swiss banking laws that prohibit a Swiss bank from …

Transparency In Lending In The United States And The United Kingdom: Which Business Model Does It Best, Mara Hart

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The recent downturn of the global economy, spurred in large part by an unparalleled housing crisis and credit crunch in the United States and abroad, cannot be practicably understood or explained by an examination of isolated factors. Although the impact of the economic downturn has been felt globally, many blame the meltdown of the U.S. subprime mortgage market for their individual country's woes. Therefore, the mortgage regulatory scheme in the United States, in terms of lending practices and housing policies, is an important place to begin an inquiry into the origins of the global crisis. In order to better understand …

Ruined In A Conventional Way: Responses To Credit Ratings' Role In Credit Crises, David J. Matthews

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

In 2007, abuses in the U.S. mortgage industry precipitated a financial crisis that led regulators in the United States and in the European Union to reexamine credit rating agencies. Asset-backed securities bearing agency ratings helped spread the effects of the crisis to diverse institutional investors, including European banks. This article traces debt securities and ratings from the rise of the mortgage securitization industry to the European and U.S. responses following the 2007 meltdown and concludes that ratings-focused regulatory changes are only a first step in avoiding similar financial crises. The market incentives, risk misperception, and risk spreading that attend complex …

Changing The Paradigm Of Stock Ownership From Concentrated Towards Dispersed Ownership: Evidence From Brazil And Consequences For Emerging Countries, Erica Gorga

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This paper analyzes micro-level dynamics of changes in ownership structures. It investigates a unique event: changes in ownership patterns currently taking place in Brazil. It builds upon empiricalevidence to advance the theoretical understanding of how and why concentrated ownership structurescanchangetowardsdispersedownership. Commentators argue that the Brazilian capital markets are finally taking off.

A Comparative Analysis Of Hedge Fund Regulation In The United States And Europe, George Sami

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This comment will explore in depth the evolution of hedge fund regulation in the United States, and compare the current state of hedge fund regulation in the United States with that in Europe, specifically the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Germany. The comment is comprised of six sections. Section 11 provides an overview of hedge funds. Section III explores the evolution and current state of hedge fund regulation in the United States. Section IV provides an overview of the current regulatory framework of hedge funds in Europe, more specifically in the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Germany. Section …

South Africa's National Credit Act: A Possible Model For The Proper Role Of Interest Rate Ceilings For Microfinance, Megan Whittaker

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This comment will discuss the current debate regarding the proper role of interest rate ceilings in microfinance and how the South African National Credit Act should serve as a model for future studies of microcredit systems in developing countries. Part II will discuss the controversy over interest rate ceilings in microfinance, setting concerns regarding the effect of ceilings on the viability of microfinance institutions against the need to protect marginalized consumers from predatory lending. Part III will analyze various alternatives to usury laws that microfinance experts have proposed, with an emphasis on supervisory and regulatory systems as the most promising …

Western Unionizing The Hawala: The Privatization Of Hawalas And Lender Liability, Smriti S. Nakhasi

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Hawala, an ancient banking system used predominantly in South Asia and the Middle East, has recently posed a regulatory quandary for law enforcement and capital markets.1 This comment addresses the pitfalls of a prominently proposed, well-intentioned solution to bring the hawala system into the modern banking structure and under the regulatory eye of law enforcement. As will be seen, the inherent nature of the hawala system and the lender risks associated with privatizing create enormous obstacles to realizing these privatization efforts. The problem with many proposed solutions is that they try to impose guidelines upon a system based on cultural, …

Hedge Fund Regulation: What The Fsa Is Doing Right And Why The Sec Should Follow The Fsa's Lead, Lartease Tiffith

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Recent news about hedge funds' successes and failures, and in some cases outright fraud, has increased the public's interest in a field that often prefers to cloak itself in a hidden veil. One can analogize hedge fund managers and the hedge fund industry to the nostalgic era of cowboys and the wild frontier. Hedge fund managers, like cowboys of the old days, do not want to be regulated. Just as the cowboys entering the frontier appreciated the lack of law or authority over their actions, today's hedge fund managers appreciate the lack of law or authority over their actions. And …

From North-South Divide To Private-Public Debate: Revival Of The Calvo Doctrine And The Changing Landscape In International Investment Law, Wenhua Shan

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

After dominating Latin American states for over a century, the Calvo Doctrine has been widely described as "dead," particularly in the wake of the global tide of economic liberalization that began in the 1990s. However, some recent moves within and beyond Latin America suggest that this principle is not dead, but on the resurgence. The "Revival of Calvo" phenomenon signals a change of direction in international investment law: neo-liberalism no longer dominates international investment law-making, and a more balanced, and perhaps also a more conservative and nationalistic approach, is gaining ground. This Article explores these recent events and analyzes to …

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.

Strengthening Available Evidence-Gathering Tools In The Fight Against Internatoinal Money Laundering, W. Clifton Holmes

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

Congress responded rapidly to the terror attacks, passing the U.S.A. Patriot Act ("Patriot Act") in October 2001. In addition to providing the death penalty for the "attempted wrecking of a mass transportation vehicle," the Patriot Act contains several anti-money laundering provisions. This article will argue that the Patriot Act's anti-money laundering scope was excessively narrow in that the Act did not address existing inadequacies under federal law in the area of grand jury investigations of transnational money laundering offenses. In order to enhance the efficacy of such investigations, Congress should take three steps: first, Congress should confer to federal courts …

Crackdown On Money Laundering: A Comparative Analysis Of The Feasibility And Effectiveness Of Domestic And Multilateral Policy Reforms, Kathleen A. Lacey, Barbara Crutchfield George

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This is a uniquely opportune time for anti-money laundering initiatives and policy reform to occur. Since the terrorist attacks in the United States in September, 2001, security agencies throughout the world have rushed to follow leads that may prove that Osama bin Laden financed the attack with massive amounts of laundered money. Greater awareness of the harmful effects of money laundering, and public and governmental concerns regarding reverse-money laundering by terrorists, has resulted in a surge of attention directed toward anti-money laundering efforts. Consequently, financial institutions are under increasing pressure to comply with existing anti-money laundering regulations by implementing internal …

Infrastructure For Commerce, Michael B. Likosky

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

While the government presents the MSC as the embodiment of the future, structurally it bears remarkable resemblance to the colonial legal orders. The enclave nature of the MSC is reminiscent of the colonial dual legal orders. At the same time, the international legal and economic orders have undergone profound changes. The international legal order is now premised on sovereign absolutism and equality among nation-states. The reigning economic paradigm is high technology rather than manufacturing or the spice trade. Discussion of the continuities and discontinuities between colonial and present day transnational legal orders must thus attend to a number of variables. …

Spoiling The Surprise: Constraints Facing Random Regulatory Inspections In Japan And The United States, Andrew Chin

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This Article is organized as follows. Part I presents a rational actor model of legal compliance under an enforcement regime based on random inspections and identifies two classes of reforms that can be applied in combination to improve aggregate compliance. Part II introduces the problem of corrupt tip-offs into the model and argues that exogenous reforms are necessary to combat corruption. Part III surveys the use of random administrative inspections in the United States, reviews the approaches taken by four such programs to improve compliance and fight corruption, and describes the various constraints under which they must operate. Part IV …

Mexico's Banks After The December 1994 Devaluation--A Chronology Of The Government's Response, Roy A. Karaoglan, Mike Lubrano

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

The immediate effects of the December 1994 peso devaluation and the period of high interest rates and economic recession that followed had important repercussions for the Mexican banking and financial system. Since the onset of the crisis, the Mexican government has undertaken a number of important actions designed to assure adequate capitalization of financial institutions and continued public confidence in the banking system. The goal throughout has been to avoid a banking crisis that would exacerbate the contraction in the real economy and to set the stage for a recovery of the financial system based on sound institutions and efficient …

Latin American Debt Obligations In The 1990s: Risk Strategies: Remedies And Judicial Enforcement, Lee C. Buchheit, Emilio Cardenas, Antonio Mendes, Thomas Heather

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This is a discussion of debt obligations in Latin America and how the symposium panelists would have advised there clients.

Preface: Latin American Debt In The 1990s: A New Scenario For Creditors And Debtors, Lee C. Buchheit, Ralph Reisner

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This short preface introduces the purpose of the symposium and introduces each of the articles tat will follow.

Cross-Border Lending: What's Different This Time, Lee C. Buchheit

Northwestern Journal of International Law & Business

This article is based upon the author's lecture entitled "The Next Wave of Cross-Border Lending" delivered in connection with the Meredith Lectures at McGill University in April 1994.* The subject of that lecture, and of this article, is how cross-border lending to less developed countries (LDCs) in the 1990s differs from the last major period of such lending in the late 1970s. It is surely a testament to the accelerated obsolescence of modem financial commentary that the author's April 1994 lecture - delivered in the middle of a boom in cross-border lending - has already been followed by a bust …