Category: General

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW

Introduction and Finder Fee Agreements: safeguarding your interests

Intermediaries, such as introducers and finders, play a crucial role in connecting businesses with potential investors, customers, or other opportunities. However, these arrangements can lead to disputes if not properly structured. This article highlights key takeaways from recent cases to help intermediaries safeguard their interests. The Importance of written agreements A common pitfall for intermediaries…
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AFSA FinTech Lab

FinTech Lab is a tailored live environment, where firms can offer innovative financial and RegTech services without being immediately subject to the full set of regulatory requirements. FinTech Lab allows: AFSA FinTech Lab announced that the pre-application form changes within the SSP Portal that are designed to streamline and enhance the authorisation processes.Here’s what you can…
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7 things no one tells you about Starting a Business

Here are seven valuable tips for starting a business with confidence. “You’re crazy!” “Are you sure?” “That’s going to be hard.” These are all things entrepreneurs hear when they talk about starting a business. The critics aren’t wrong; it is going to be hard, but that doesn’t have to stop you from being successful in your business. As…
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Private placement regulations in Switzerland

Introduction Switzerland is not a Member State of the EU and is thus not subject to the AIFMD and the respective rules. Switzerland has its own rules: (1) the Financial Services Act (“FinSA”, Finanzdienstleistungsgesetz); (2) the corresponding ordinance (“FinSO”, Finanzdienstleistungsverordnung); (3) the Collective Investment Scheme Act (“CISA”, Kollektivanlagegesetz); (4) the corresponding ordinance (“CISO”, Kollektivanlageverordnung); and…
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Wanneer is er sprake van vergunningplichtig beleggingsadvies?

Volgens de AFM is er sprake van beleggingsadvies als er aan alle volgende voorwaarden is voldaan:

Vallen beleggings(studie)clubs onder de AIFM-richtlijn?

Of een (beheerder van een) beleggingsclub kwalificeert als (beheerder van een) alternatieve beleggingsinstelling (abi) en dus valt onder de AIFM-richtlijn dient per individueel geval te worden beoordeeld. Gezichtspunten die een rol kunnen spelen bij de aanname dat dit in een concreet geval niet het geval is zijn (bron AFM):

Pas op met freelance-overeenkomsten

De Hoge Raad heeft geoordeeld dat de bedoelingen van partijen niet van belang zijn bij de beoordeling van hun arbeidsrelatie. Of er sprake is van een arbeidsrelatie moet volgens de Hoge Raad worden beoordeeld aan de hand van de rechten en verplichtingen die partijen overeen zijn gekomen. De rechten en plichten die zijn vastgelegd in…
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Transferring personal data from Europe to the United States

EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (DPA) In the EU and in Switzerland, processing personal data is generally prohibited, unless it is expressly allowed by law, or the data subject has consented to the processing. While being one of the more well-known legal bases for processing personal data, consent…
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Lamborghini Latin America vs. Volkswagen Germany and Lamborghini Italy

Automóviles Lamborghini Latinoamérica S.A. de C.V. (Lamborghini Automobiles of Latin America Public Limited Company) is an authorized distributor and manufacturer of Lamborghini-branded vehicles and merchandise in Latin America and South America.

Memoranda of Understanding signed between the AIFC Court, International Arbitration Centre and the Law Society of England and Wales

On 4 March the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre (“IAC”) signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Law Society of England and Wales. The Law Society is a strategic partner of the AIFC Court and IAC in providing and developing the rule of law in their respective jurisdictions and internationally. 

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH, Chief Justice of the AIFC Court, officially presented his book “A Vision of the AIFC Court”

On 9 September 2019, the Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH, Chief Justice of the AIFC Court, officially presented his book “A Vision of the AIFC Court” at a special launch at the AIFC Court to the legal and business communities in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The book was edited by Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt, Registrar and Chief…
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Nederlandse rechter erkent uitspraak Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC)

Gerechtshof Amsterdam, 05-03-2019 / 200.219.215/01 en 200.219.267/01 Link naar origineel Inhoudsindicatie Verzoek tot erkenning en verlof tot tenuitvoerlegging van buitenlandse arbitrale vonnissen. Art. 6 EVRM. Verdrag van New York. Art. 1075 Rv. Instantie: Gerechtshof Amsterdam Uitspraakdatum: 2019-03-05 Publicatiedatum: 2019-03-11 Zaaknummer: 200.219.215/01 en 200.219.267/0 Vindplaatsen Rechtspraak.nl TvA 2019/39 NTHR 2019, afl. 4, p. 192

Model Clauses of the International Arbitration Centre

About the IAC The IAC provides an independent and expeditious alternative to court litigation and operates to the highest international standards to resolve civil and commercial disputes in the AIFC. It has its own panel of world leading arbitrators and mediators comprising global reputations for absolute independence, impartiality, integrity, unconditional application of the rule of…
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Vrijstelling van toezicht op een beleggingsaanbod

Soms gelden er vrijstellingen en valt een beleggingsaanbod niet onder het toezicht van de AFM. Met deze informatie weet u binnen een minuut of er sprake is van een vrijstelling. Beleggen buiten toezicht (YouTube) Effecten, zoals aandelen en obligaties Als u op een van de onderstaande vragen met een ‘ja’ kunt antwoorden, geldt er een…
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The future of investment dispute settlement

The original article was published in Family Office Magazine and can be found here. Entrepreneurs engaging in international investments face several issues when they are accused of a breach of contract. When the investment agreement does not provide solid provisions for dispute settlement, endless legal discussions and expensive court cases in unfamiliar jurisdictions can be…
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DIFC Courts corporate video

The DIFC Courts are an independent English language common law judiciary, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). This video briefly explains the work of the Courts, why leading international law firms in the region use their services and how their role encourages investment in Dubai.…
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Intermediary commission percentages to raise money from investors

Investment banks and other consultants can plan and execute a fundraising campaign for startups and for companies in the growth phase. A reputable fundraising intermediary will likely speed up the process, reduce the legal risks, and negotiate a better deals. Most brokers will take a monthly retainer plus 5 percent to 15 percent of the…
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How Chambers of Commerce Help Family Offices and Wealth Management Firms

A Chamber of Commerce has traditionally furthered the interests of businesses in a particular geography or market sector by way of representation, business services, and networking opportunities. Multilateral Chambers of Commerce can link the business environments of two or more countries, such as the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in The Netherlands. International Chambers of Commerce, such as…
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Functions of the AIFC Court

The AIFC is underpinned by an ambitious objective to become the financial hub for Central Asia, the Caucasus, Eurasian Economic Union, the Middle East, and Europe. The new financial centre is positioning itself to attract US$ 40 billion of investments by 2025 and ensure about 1 per cent growth in the carbonless GDP of Kazakhstan.…
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Official opening of the Court of Astana International Financial Center (AIFC)

The official opening of the Court of Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) took place in Nur-Sultan. Since January last year, civil and commercial disputes have been solved in accordance with the best international practices and based on English law. The first case went to AIFC court in February of this year. The case is now…
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International Dispute Resolution – the advantages the Court of Arbitration of the European Chamber of Digital Commerce

The Court of Arbitration of the European Chamber of Digital Commerce plays a crucial role in today’s digital world. The appeal and quality of this independent arbitration institution are as valued today as ever. Fairness, even when there is a dispute, has always been this business tradition which continues to be observed in Europe, making…
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The legal status of Security Tokens in Europe

This article describes the legal context in seven European countries regarding Security Token Offerings. Such offerings differ from Initial Coin Offerings (ICO’s). An Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is the cryptocurrency equivalent to an Initial Public Offering (offering shares of a private cooperation to the public for the first time, also known as IPO) in the…
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Getting Haiti back in the saddle

Goal of the article In 2017, Professor Michael E. Porter of Harvard Business School gave an important presentation about a strategy for restoring Haiti’s prosperity. A crucial part of his advice is to “make attracting foreign investment a core strategy“. In this article I will provide a suggestion to implement such a strategy.

The myth of the financialization of the housing market

Background In February 2017, mrs Leilani Farha, the United Nations’ special rapporteur for housing, presented a paper on housing commoditisation to the UN human rights council in Geneva. The paper explains how an unregulated financial market has boosted housing prices to a level that excludes low-income households from certain attractive urban locations and created social…
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De factuur fiscaal bezien

Het komt voor dat de belastingdienst de aftrek van BTW in facturen weigert. Met name als het om grotere bedragen gaat. Het verwijt dat de ondernemer dan wordt gemaakt is dat de omvang en aard van de werkzaamheden niet is vast te stellen. Wat zegt het internationale recht over de inhoud van de factuur?