Law Commons^™

Globalize Me: Regulating Distributed Ledger Technology, Roee Sarel, Hadar Y. Jabotinsky, Israel Klein

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT)—the technology underlying cryptocurrencies—has been identified by many as a game-changer for data storage. Although DLT can solve acute problems of trust and coor- dination whenever entities (e.g., firms, traders, or even countries) rely on a shared database, it has mostly failed to reach mass adoption out- side the context of cryptocurrencies.

A prime reason for this failure is the extreme state of regulation, which was largely absent for many years but is now pouring down via uncoordinated regulatory initiatives by different countries. Both of these extremes—under-regulation and over-regulation—are consistent with traditional concepts from law and economics. …

Protecting What Matters: Reflections On A Central Bank's Role At Times Of War, Iris H-Y Chiu, Alan H. Brener

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article explores the important and multifaceted roles of a central bank in extraordinary times of crisis such as war, focusing on the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) and its responses in the face of the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began on February 24, 2022. During a time of martial law, institutional preservation and legitimacy can be threatened, but preserving these very institutional tenets is important in defending the nation under siege and in securing future restoration and rebuilding. In this light, we examine the NBU's difficult and conflicting choices in three respects: providing war finance, preserving banking and …

Gravity And Grace: Foreign Investments And Cultural Heritage In International Investment Law, Valentina Vadi

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Globalization and international economic governance have promoted dialogue and interaction among nations, potentially increasing cultural diversity and providing the funds to recover and preserve cultural heritage. However, these phenomena can also jeopardize cultural diversity. Foreign direct investments in the extraction of natural resources have the potential to change cultural landscapes, destroy monuments, and erase memories. In parallel, international investment law constitutes a legally binding and highly effective regime that demands that states promote and facilitate foreign direct investment. Does the existing legal framework adequately protect cultural heritage vis-a-vis the economic interests of foreign investors? To address this question, this Article …

Money Finds A Way: Increasing Aml Regulation Garners Diminishing Returns And Increases Demand For Dark Financing, Jacquelyn B. Lewis

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The cost of anti-money laundering regulations has grown to many billions of dollars, and countries worldwide are increasingly complying with international standards for financial regulation. Yet, the interception rate for criminal proceeds remains under 1 percent. Banks in the United States, United Kingdom, and France continue to engage in unsafe practices, undeterred by legal penalties. Recent US legislation will narrow, but not eliminate, regulatory gaps. The cost of regulation has become so great that banks accept litigation as a cost of doing business or reduce legal exposure by ending relationships in areas of perceived high risk for money laundering; this …

Ico Vs. Ipo: Empirical Findings, Information Asymmetry, And The Appropriate Regulatory Framework, Moran Ofir, Ido Sadeh

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Initial coin offerings (ICOs) are a new form of fundraising whereby blockchain-related ventures raise public capital in exchange for newly issued digital tokens. In recent years, ICOs have been a prominent focus of legal and economic studies, which analyze their characteristics and determinants of their success. In this Article, we systematically review these studies and identify key ICO success factors. We then offer theoretical explanations for our findings, and in certain cases, connect the empirical results with the IPO and crowdfunding literatures. The results of our analysis are important for two reasons. First, there is no single formal data source, …

Fintech And International Financial Regulation, Yesha Yadav

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article shows that Fintech exacerbates the difficulties of standard setting in international financial regulation. Earlier work introduced the "Innovation Trilemma" (the Trilemma). When seeking to balance the goals of achieving market integrity and innovation through clear and simple rulemaking, regulators can--at best--achieve only two out of these three objectives. Fintech's unique characteristics--a reliance on automation and artificial intelligence, novel types of big data, as well as the use of disintermediating financial supply chains comprising a mix of traditional firms as well as technology specialists and newcomers--complicates the application of the Trilemma. Rulemaking struggles to achieve needed clarity where innovative …

International Investment And National Security Review, Ji Ma

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

National security is a pillar of international law. As long as sovereign states exert power within the international legal regime, national security will be an exception to international law. These security concerns also come to light in the international investment legal regime. The international investment legal regime provides for essential security exceptions, aiming at protecting host states' interests. This practice has been honored by international investment treaties and international investment tribunals. Although such exemption provisions can balance the interests between international investors and host states, they might be abused by host states in virtue of rising protectionism.

Today, with respect …

Sustaining The Growth Of Mobile Money Services In Developing Nations: Lessons From Overregulation In The United States, Amanda B. Kernan

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Billions of people around the world are excluded from the formal financial system and forced to store, transfer, and borrow money by using inefficient and unsafe methods. The recent introduction of mobile money programs in developing countries is revolutionizing financial inclusion by allowing users to store and transfer money on their mobile phones, thereby eliminating the need to access a bank or an internet connection. Unfortunately, fears that these programs will be used to launder money and finance terrorism have led the international community to develop and implement restrictive anti-money laundering policies that will likely impede the growth and accessibility …

"Development" Versus" Sustainable Development"?: (Re-) Constructing The International Bank For Sustainable Development, Johanna A.P. Lorenzo

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article scrutinizes the potential contribution of the World Bank, as an international economic organization, to the sustainable development agenda. Analyzing the reforms in policies, procedures, and organizational structure that accompanied the Bank's involvement in ostensibly political,non-economic matters such as human rights, environmental protection, and good governance--all of which are critical components of sustainable development--this Article contends that, contrary to the so-called mission creep argument, the evolution of the Bank's mandate is legally defensible and normatively desirable. Instead of amending its constituent instrument, the Bank has optimized the teleological-evolutionary approach to treaty interpretation to expand and reconstruct its mandate in …

Why China Established The Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, Daniel C.K. Chow

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On January 16, 2016, China officially opened the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for business, representing what might be a seismic shift in economic power from the United States to China. The AIIB creates a challenge to the U.S.-dominated World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), two venerable international financial institutions created at the end of World War II. The World Bank lends money to developing countries to promote economic development, but these loans come with conditions called the Washington Consensus--a set of policies designed to promote the use of private markets, protect the environment, protect human and workers' rights, …

The Monetary Fifth Column: The Eurodollar Threat To Financial Stability And Economic Sovereignty, Stephen A. Fowler

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Eurodollars are dollar-denominated deposit liabilities of banks outside the United States. Even though estimates of the size of the Eurodollar market exceed $5 trillion, these instruments are virtually unregulated. Legal scholarship has very little to say about Eurodollars, and the economic literature on the subject is geared toward economists and banking professionals rather than policy makers and attorneys. Furthermore, the economic scholarship is focused on describing the way Eurodollar markets function rather than critical examination of their nature and attendant risks. This Note is an attempt to get to the bottom of this ubiquitous yet mysterious financial instrument. It describes …

Recovering "Protection And Security", George K. Foster

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Among the most persistent controversies in international investment law is the nature of the "'protection and security" standard found in most investment treaties. Some tribunals contend that the standard requires nothing more than physical protection of covered investments, while others maintain that it requires legal security as well. Some insist that it is entirely distinct from the fair and equitable treatment standard that is often expressed in the same sentence or paragraph, while others effectively conflate the two standards. These conflicting decisions are undermining the legitimacy of investment treaty arbitration, but this Article seeks to resolve the controversies underlying them …

Recapturing Public Power: Is Investment Arbitration's Engagement Of The Public Interest Contributing To The Democratic Deficit?, Barnali Choudhury

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Globalization has changed the way sovereign states regulate their societies. The effect of globalization has been the creation of several international agreements that transfer decision-making from the national to the international level. An important subset of these agreements is international investment treaties; an estimated 2,500 of these treaties have been entered into worldwide by a number of states, especially in the last ten to twelve years. As these agreements almost always contain arbitration clauses, the number and scope of arbitrations handling disputes under these investment agreements have grown exponentially. Arbitrators governing these disputes are now regularly reviewing domestic public interest …

Dubai Or Not Dubai?: A Review Of Foreign Investment And Acquisition Laws In The U.S. And Canada, Chris Lalonde

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The proposed purchase of a British company that controlled several ports in the United States by Dubai Ports World could accurately be described as one of the most politically contentious acquisitions in U.S. history. The transaction raised questions not only about U.S. foreign investment laws but provoked national security concerns, as well. Similar issues were raised more recently during the acquisition of a share in Nasdaq by the Dubai stock exchange. In the same vein, Canada has seen similar issues arise during recent transactions involving domestic companies--most notably the acquisition of PrimeWest Energy by TAQA, the national energy company of …

The Hidden Life Of Consumer Bankruptcy Reform, Jason J. Kilborn

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article offers a unique perspective on the heavily revised U.S. consumer bankruptcy law, which went effect on October 17, 2005, in light of a surprising discovery: It turns out that the U.S. consumer bankruptcy system as "reformed" resembles in many critical respects the consumer bankruptcy system in place for the past six years in the Netherlands. As a result of this serendipitous U.S.-Dutch convergence, years of experience under the Dutch consumer debt relief system can provide a rare glimpse into the future of the new U.S. system. The Dutch law in practice has diverged in significant ways from legislative …

Roundtable Discussion, David Aronofsky, Barry S. Engel, Eric Henzy, Gideon Rothschild, Jeffrey A. Schoenblum

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Welcome to the Roundtable panel discussion. Each of the speakers is going to open with a few minutes statement. And then we're going to pose some questions to open discussion, so it will take people through the whole asset protection route from beginning to end, hopefully. And then, any questions you may have we believe we'll have sufficient time to ask those questions and have them answered. You may get very different views. And then we've just decided that the jury will decide whether asset protection trusts are a good thing or a bad thing. Okay. So pay attention.

Montana's Foreign Capital Depository Act, David Aronofsky

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In 1997, Montana attracted national and world financial attention when Montana Governor Mark Racicot signed into law Senate Bill 83, the Foreign Capital Depository Act (Act), creating the first U.S. state-chartered financial entity designed solely for attracting non-U.S. capital. Depicted by skeptics as an unworkable "Panama without the Canal," "Switzerland of the Rockies" and "Rocky Mountain High," Montana is nonetheless pursuing a creative approach to increased state revenues that capitalizes on the state's unique privacy laws as well as innovative statutory drafting. The Act warrants attention from offshore assets owners and managers who seek U.S. stability in a state committed …

Secrets And Lies? Swiss Banks And International Human Rights, Anita Ramasastry

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Article explores the relationship of Swiss banks and their tradition of bank secrecy to the activities of a particular group of depositors: war criminals and other human rights violators. The Article focuses on litigation brought in U.S. courts by plaintiffs seeking access to Swiss bank deposits made by the Nazis and Ferdinand Marcos. The Article examines the possibility of holding banks accountable under international law for assisting a customer who has committed a serious breach of international law. Part I introduces the role of bank secrecy in the current litigation. Part II describes the Swiss tradition of bank secrecy. …

Daiwa Bank Scandal In New York: Its Causes, Significance, And Lessons In The International Society, Mitsuru Misawa

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The New York Daiwa Bank scandal, which involved Daiwa Bank's concealment of $1.1 billion in losses from the illegal funding of U.S. Treasury bonds and the diversion of another $100 million in losses incurred by Daiwa Bank Trust Company, resulted in the most severe economic penalties ever imposed by the United States against Japan. These penalties included the termination of Daiwa Bank's U.S. operations and the reinforcement of the increased rates at which Japanese banks can borrow U.S. currency--the "Japanese premium." In addition, the Daiwa Bank case substantiated an international distrust of Japanese financial institutions, which are closely aligned with …

Privatization In Eastern Germany: A Comprehensive Study, Rainer Frank

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

One of the greater problems arising from the reunification of Germany has been the privatization of land in eastern Germany. Initially, the principle that shaped the privatization policies was restitution, the idea that land unlawfully taken by the former East German government should be returned to its rightful owner. A second goal of the privatization program was to stimulate investment in the economy of eastern Germany. These two goals, however, have conflicted. The result has been a policy that has created confusion with regard to the ownership of property and clear title. This Article examines two series of amendments, in …

International Monetary Law: The Next Twenty-Five Years, Richard W. Edwards, Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Edwards considers possible developments in international monetary law over the next twenty-five years. The author begins by discussing some formative events for international monetary law throughout the last twenty-five years, and he notes that unforeseen political developments can have a dramatic effect on monetary policy, and, therefore; make predicting future policy risky. The author does suggest, however, some policy changes that respond to current issues such as the trend toward currency consolidation, the need to improve public confidence in monetary processes, the need to stabilize the currencies of the states of the former Soviet Union, and …

The Eagle Or The Ostrich: A United States Perspective On The Future Of Transnational Banking, Marilyn B. Cane

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

In this Article, Professor Cane discusses the problems of United States banking regulations in the new global financial system. These problems include antiquated legislation, the deposit insurance system, the dual federal-state banking system, and restrictive branching laws. Part II discusses the current deposit insurance system and options for reform. Part III poses the question of whether the United States should have "national" treatment or "reciprocal national" treatment for financial institutions. Part IV discusses the limitations the United States has put on its financial institutions and the disadvantage these limitations have caused globally. Finally, in Part V, Professor Cane discusses a …

Privatization And Foreign Investment In Czechoslovakia: The Legal Dimension, Vratislav Pechota

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

This Essay is intended to outline the legal developments in Czechoslovakia since the November 1989 revolution, which ended forty-one years of Communist domination. The new era, inaugurated by the revolution, began with a painstaking search for a political and constitutional model and for a strategy of socio-economic development that would make the country's transition to democracy and prosperity as smooth and painless as possible.

International Banking Secrecy: Developments In Europe Prompt New Approaches, Richard J. Gagnon Jr.

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The frequent connection between banking secrecy and various corrupt political and business practices has drawn considerable attention from non-secrecy states. In Europe, the issue presently is ripe because of the European Community's plans for a unified economy in 1992. This Note begins with a moral and historical examination of banking secrecy. Then, the author reveals the banking practices and legal structures through which banking secrecy is exploited. The author next sets forth the substantive banking secrecy laws of four European states and attempts to surmise the direction of their policies regarding banking secrecy. Next, the author describes past attempts, both …

The European Community's Second Banking Directive: Can Antiquated United States Legislation Keep Pace?, Christopher T. Toll

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The European Community recently adopted the Second Banking Directive, which will lead to liberalized banking regulation throughout the Member States. Community banks will engage in a broad range of activities including commercial lending, selling securities, and issuing insurance. This broad range of activities will allow Community banks to compete more efficiently in global markets. In contrast, the strict regulatory structure of the United States includes the Glass-Steagall Act, which separates investment banking and commercial banking. This separation creates inefficiencies that reduce the competitiveness of United States banks in both international and United States markets. These inefficiencies are highlighted by the …

Was The Sigh Of Relief Premature? The Investment Canada Act, Susan D. Romer

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

On June 30, 1985 the Canadian Government enacted the Investment Canada Act (ICA), evoking a sigh of relief from the United States in vestment community. ICA replaced the Foreign Investment Review Act (FIRA). Burdensome Canadian regulations have impeded foreign investment in Canada throughout the last two decades. FIRA, in particular, blocked the free flow of foreign investment into Canada. In contrast, ICA's primary goal is "to encourage an inflow of capital and technology into Canada." As a result, United States investors have openly embraced ICA's arrival.

Once the initial euphoria wanes, however, and the United States investment community encounters ICA …

Fraud In The International Transaction: Enjoining Payment Of Letters Of Credit In International Transactions, Stephen J. Leacock

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The Sztejn principles present to issuing banks a perplexing dilemma in international letter of credit transactions. Issuing banks that have received notice of fraud in the underlying transaction may yet be presented with documents that apparently conform to the letter of credit requirements by a seller who is not a holder in due course. If the bank refuses payment and a court determines that the fraud was not sufficiently egregious, the bank will be liable for breach of contract between the bank and the seller. But if the bank relies on the doctrine of separation and pays the draft, and …

Recent Development: New Limits On Banks Lending To Foreign Nations, Charles S. Sanger

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Although not directly tied to the foreign debt problem, the recent loss of congressional confidence in United States bank regulatory agencies caused by the failure of the Continental Illinois Bank may also compel reevaluation of the Act. The purported failure of the regulators to discover the extent of Continental Illinois' imprudent loans has led several legislators and regulators to call for greater supervision of lending institutions.

This Recent Development will briefly examine the International Lending Supervision Act of 1983, including the regulatory scheme that predated the Act and the restrictions the Act places on the private banking industry in the …

Recent Decisions, Lucy C. Gratz, Laurel C. Williams

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Arbitration--Transnational Antitrust Claims are Nonarbitrable under the Federal Arbitration Act and Article II (1) of the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards--Mitsubishi Motors Corp. v. Soler Chrysler-Plymouth, Inc., 723 F.2d 155 (1st Cir.1983), cert. granted, 105 S. Ct. 291 (1984).

Comment

The instant decision marks the first time a court has considered whether to apply the United States domestic policy of preserving antitrust issues for judicial determination to an international contract containing a mandatory arbitration clause. The First Circuit's decision to apply domestic policy undermines the preeminent goal of the Convention, which is to encourage arbitration …

Book Review, Robert C. Effros

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

Mr. Crossick and Ms. Lindsay have collaborated to produce an analytical work entitled European Banking Law. The analysis is composed of four main sections: banking, credit, capital movement, and securities. Each section contains a description of the applicable major laws and regulations in the countries of the European Economic Community (EEC) as well as Portugal and Spain, and includes a summary of the relevant EEC directives and their supporting studies. On the whole, the authors' product is successful and useful, particularly in describing the EEC's attempts to accomplish the difficult task of harmonizing and coordinating banking and financial laws within …