HSF alliance firm Prolegis launches Singapore disputes practice with Morgan Lewis team

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HSF alliance firm Prolegis launches Singapore disputes practice with Morgan Lewis team

Prolegis, the boutique which struck a formal law alliance (FLA) with Herbert Smith Freehills in 2015, has launched a disputes practice in its Singapore heartland with the hire of a team led by Daniel Chia (pictured) from Morgan Lewis.

Chia, who led the Asia disputes practice at Morgan Lewis, will take on the role of director and head of litigation and will bring with him three other lawyers. Jonathan Tang and Yanguang Ker will join Prolegis as directors, along with associate Charlene Wee. Continue reading “HSF alliance firm Prolegis launches Singapore disputes practice with Morgan Lewis team”

‘A lot of grey areas’: India legal market liberalisation met with optimism though questions remain

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‘A lot of grey areas’: India legal market liberalisation met with optimism though questions remain

While the international legal community has largely been sanguine at the Bar Council of India (BCI) opening the door for foreign lawyers and law firms to establish offices and practice in India, uncertainties remain.

The BCI announced the decision on 15 March in its ‘Rules for Registration and Regulation of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2022’. The BCI said in a statement that ‘time has come to take a call on the issue.’ Continue reading “‘A lot of grey areas’: India legal market liberalisation met with optimism though questions remain”

Sponsored briefing: A guide to NFT and metaverse-related trade marks

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Sponsored briefing: A guide to NFT and metaverse-related trade marks

Over the past year, each of us started to become more familiar with the terms such as non-fungible tokens (NFT), blockchain, digital assets or metaverse and it is obvious that we will be using these terms even more. Despite the growing popularity of the matter, there are either no or limited regulations available on the same while the virtual world will be a host of numerous legal issues.

Although it is interpreted as possible to obtain legal protections in other legal remedies, considering the advantages of trade mark registration, it is advisable to file a trade mark application which will also be able to provide protection in the metaverse based on Article 7 of the Turkish Industrial Property Code (IPC), which prescribes as follows: ‘Trade mark protection provided by this Code shall be acquired by registration.’ Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: A guide to NFT and metaverse-related trade marks”

International round-up: Morgan Lewis opens second German office as Taylor Wessing welcomes new Ireland partners

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International round-up: Morgan Lewis opens second German office as Taylor Wessing welcomes new Ireland partners

Morgan Lewis is to open a Munich office with a team of 20 lawyers from Shearman & Sterling, in what are the latest departures from Shearman as its merger talks with Hogan Lovells collapsed. Morgan Lewis’s new transactional and regulatory team will focus on M&A, private equity, finance and tax.

Partners Florian Harder, Florian Zielger and Jann Jetter will lead the Munich office. Harder, head of  Shearman’s German office, will be Morgan Lewis’ Munich managing partner. He has represented international corporates, strategic investors and private equity firms on M&A transactions for German and cross-border deals.  Ziegler is a leveraged finance partner, concentrating on both German and cross-border leveraged finance transactions, while Jetter leads the tax advisory practice, which has a focus on post-deal reorganisations and integrations, as well as tax-orientated structuring of private equity funds and private equity transactions. Continue reading “International round-up: Morgan Lewis opens second German office as Taylor Wessing welcomes new Ireland partners”

Sponsored briefing: Guidance on Dutch corporate income tax treatment of payments of premiums and pay-outs under W&I insurances

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Sponsored briefing: Guidance on Dutch corporate income tax treatment of payments of premiums and pay-outs under W&I insurances

On 18 October 2022, the Dutch Secretary of State of Finance published a formal decree in relation to the Dutch corporate income tax treatment of payments of premiums and pay-outs under Warranty and Indemnity insurances (the W&I insurances). This decree includes the view of the Participation Exemption Knowledge Group of the Dutch tax authorities (the Knowledge Group) in relation to the Dutch corporate income tax treatment of W&I insurances. As W&I insurances are frequently used in M&A transactions, this tax development is relevant for the deal practice.

W&I insurances

Both warranties and tax indemnities play an important role in M&A transactions. By including warranties in the sale and purchase agreement, the buyer aims to get a clear view on the key characteristics and (potential) issues of the target by way of disclosure of information. Next to the warranties, the tax indemnity caters for a proper coverage of any tax liability in respect of any event occurring on or before the transaction date. In order to cover losses arising from a breach of a warranty and claims under a tax indemnity parties can enter into W&I insurances. These W&I insurances have gained popularity in recent years. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Guidance on Dutch corporate income tax treatment of payments of premiums and pay-outs under W&I insurances”

Sponsored briefing: Looking ahead: What does 2023 hold for Portugal?

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Sponsored briefing: Looking ahead: What does 2023 hold for Portugal?

In past years, Portugal was on the radar for all the wrong reasons, primarily due to the accrued debt problem, but also due to the consequences of the lack of structural projects or investment. Now things seem to have changed and 2023 looks like a promising year.

Not only is Portugal the furthest European country from the war in Ukraine, but it is also one of the countries least impacted by that war, as it does not depend materially on Russian gas and has other sources of supply. As a consequence, energy prices have not climbed as much as in the rest of Europe and Portugal seems to be one place where energy prices will be more attractive in the future. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Looking ahead: What does 2023 hold for Portugal?”

Sponsored briefing: Q&A with Nuno Galvão Teles, managing partner of Morais Leitão

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What do you see as the main points that identify Morais Leitão as a leading firm in the Portuguese legal market?

One of our key points of recognition has always been the innovation in legal advisory and the significance of being a full-service firm. We regularly advise across many areas and sectors and take on multidisciplinary projects, thus establishing future trends and models while covering all grounds. The main challenge in our very competitive market, with new entrants and a geographical disadvantage, is to continue providing in-depth legal advice while remaining economically sustainable. In order for this kind of approach to be effective, we privilege internal innovation. From project and knowledge management to legal tech, from legal design to AI, we pioneer an innovative approach to procedures and content that produces real benefits for the client, both in terms of the output and of the process that leads to it. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Q&A with Nuno Galvão Teles, managing partner of Morais Leitão”

Sponsored Spotlight: Insurance, reinsurance and insurance regulatory – Unrivalled expertise

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Sponsored Spotlight: Insurance, reinsurance and insurance regulatory – Unrivalled expertise

The ever-changing legal and economic environment for insurers calls for experts with a solid background and comprehensive expertise in the field of insurance law, as well as a solution-oriented approach to the client’s needs.

The insurance practice of Prager Dreifuss can look back on a longstanding tradition and unrivalled expertise in advising and representing insurers and reinsurers in all aspects of insurance law, and fields one of the largest insurance teams in Switzerland. The team is led by Christoph K. Graber who has repeatedly been named as a ‘Thought Leader’ and as Switzerland’s ‘most highly regarded practitioner’ in leading insurance law rankings. Continue reading “Sponsored Spotlight: Insurance, reinsurance and insurance regulatory – Unrivalled expertise”

Sponsored briefing: Enforcement law in Türkiye: Discovering the elusive world of debt collection

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Sponsored briefing: Enforcement law in Türkiye: Discovering the elusive world of debt collection

Though often perceived as neither a glamorous nor exciting field, enforcement law has been and will continue to be the somber reality all legists eventually face. Whether you’re an independent attorney successfully negotiating a favourable deal in mediation proceedings or filing a claim for compensation as an international firm representing a multinational conglomerate, sooner or later, all paths lead to enforcement, because: What happens when they refuse to pay?

Developing a firm grasp on enforcement proceedings and debt collection allows for the uncertainty of financial gain to dissipate, ensuring tangible results for both attorneys and clients. Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Enforcement law in Türkiye: Discovering the elusive world of debt collection”