Clifford Chance Perspectives – Legal Developments Series

Add event to calendar

The theme of 2021 International Women’s Day is #ChooseToChallenge. In association with Clifford Chance’s gender parity group Accelerate >>>, Chinwe Odimba-Chapman will lead a conversation with Lauren Livingston, General Counsel of CVC Capital Partners, covering her personal perspective on challenging perceptions in work models and leadership, bringing your whole self to work, and building back better post Covid-19. 

Add event to calendar

In the wake of the social media fuelled trading interest in GameStop and other assets, the focus of regulators is turning to whether this might have involved any breach of securities or commodities laws and whether increased regulation may be required around payments for order flow. In this session we will discuss these issues in the context of UK and US regulation of market behaviour, looking at key differences and what future regulation might involve. 

Add event to calendar

Stablecoins – privately issued cryptocurrencies designed to have limited price volatility – have received growing attention since Facebook’s announcement of its proposed global stablecoin Diem (formerly Libra) in 2019 and the resulting regulatory backlash. Advocates hail them as an unmatched tool for financial inclusion and limiting financial crime, by linking payments to identity, while critics have concerns around regulatory standards and financial stability. Our panel will consider how the international regulatory response is evolving, how stablecoins can be successfully issued across key global financial centres and the risks and regulatory challenges to be aware of.

Add event to calendar

A discussion of key themes underlying the development of financial regulatory policy in the Biden Administration, including the influence of Democratic majorities in Congress and the ways that financial regulation intersects with climate, socially responsible investing, racial justice, and other social and environmental policy priorities. 

Add event to calendar

Many governments around the world have turned their attention to the perceived threat of hostile investors owning or controlling critical businesses or infrastructure which have national security implications. The UK Government is following this trend and its National Security and Investment Bill is currently making its way through the legislative process. It will provide the UK Government with wide powers to scrutinise and intervene in investments to protect the UK’s national security. Our panel will review the UK Government’s proposed new powers and assess their potential to impact a wide variety of investments and financing transactions.

Add event to calendar

The development of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) – a digital representation of fiat money issued by a central bank – has been accelerated by Covid-19 and the resulting shift to digital payments, as well as the ongoing regulatory concern around proposed private global stablecoins such as Facebook’s Diem. In this session, our international panel will consider the different approaches being taken by central banks globally, including the digital euro, renminbi and dollar, what practical adoption of CBDCs may look like and the legal structures that might be employed, and the consequences for businesses.

Add event to calendar

We are delighted to welcome Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London and well-known political commentator and broadcaster, to share with us his views on what to look for in the pandemic world post-Brexit.

Add event to calendar

With the deadlines for IBOR retirement looming, this session will assess the current status of IBOR transition and hone in on some of the most challenging areas remaining for market participants in the loan, bond, derivatives and structured products markets.

Add event to calendar

The latest session in our Brexit series will look at what is next for financial services. Featuring Sarah Hall, Professor of Economic Geography at the University of Nottingham and Senior Fellow with The UK in a Changing Europe, we will explore the implications of the Memorandum of Understanding on financial services, the status of equivalence decisions and the future of financial services regulatory cooperation between the UK and EU.

Add event to calendar

Add event to calendar

Businesses are increasingly seeking opportunities to reduce the emissions intensity of their supply chains in order to achieve net zero targets. At the same time, governments are exploring a range of domestic and international policy options for accelerating the transition to a more sustainable economy – particularly in the lead up to COP26 in Glasgow. This panel will explore some of the barriers faced by businesses seeking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and the role that international trade and regulatory policy can play in alleviating these barriers.

Add event to calendar

Our panel will look at what the next 12 months holds for international fintech regulation, including key reforms and areas of focus for regulators in Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, the UK and the US. We will discuss the impact of recent political developments, and the effect they are expected to have on regulation in the short and longer term for key fintech products including cryptoassets, artificial intelligence and payments.

Add event to calendar

China’s 14th five-year plan suggests that the country will remain committed to sustainable development over the next five years. In this session we will discuss China’s Green agenda, what China’s Green commitments mean for business and how the increasing foreign ownership of Chinese assets will help introduce the international standards on ESG.