By Evan Abrams

Myanmar is working with the International Finance Corporation to unveil a new law governing foreign and domestic investment in the country. This is the latest in a series of reforms aimed at improving democratic governance and enhancing economic freedom. According to Shanghai Daily, the Directorate of Investment and Company Administration is inviting comments and feedback on the draft law over the course of the next month. The government is hopeful the new law will encourage foreign investment, which had been severely limited over the past decades due to restrictive economic policies and western sanctions.

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March 05, 2015

By Evan Abrams

The newly appointed King Salman of Saudi Arabia replaced the head of the Capital Market Authority as part of a cabinet reshuffle. The new head, Riyadh attorney Mohammed Al-Jadaan, has strongly emphasized his commitment to opening the Kingdom’s $500 billion dollar stock market to direct foreign investment in the near future. According to GulfBusiness.com, Mr. Al-Jadaan said the move was “very important” and could have “huge benefits” for the Saudi economy. He also emphasized the need to increase the number of listed companies to keep pace with economic growth.

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February 13, 2015

By Sam Willie

In a recent ruling from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) Courts, Switzerland's Bank Sarasin was found to have mis-sold $200 million of investment products to a prominent Kuwaiti family. An interesting article from Reuters posits that the ruling is representative of the DIFC Courts’ increasing presence within the international business sphere. The independent judicial system, established in 2006, handles disputes within Dubai and offers an alternative to courts outside the Middle East, like courts in London and New York. Reuters notes that the courts are entrepreneurial in nature and have cherry picked what they consider to be best business practices from a variety of legal systems in an attempt to create an attractive jurisdiction.

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October 13, 2014

By Evan Abrams

Recent political pressure has led the Obama Administration to begin a crackdown on so-called “inversions,” where American companies move their headquarters abroad for tax reasons. However, as the Financial Times reports, several European companies are now worried about the implications for their American subsidiaries. Many of these companies have launched aggressive lobbying campaigns in Washington, seeking to mitigate any harm from the new rules. They warn that new rules and legislation could deter future European investment in the United States.

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October 01, 2014

By Sam Willie

Is China subjectively targeting foreign companies in its enforcement of antitrust laws?  Bloomberg News has a great summary of a recent survey by the American Chamber of Commerce in China, which revealed a growing perception amongst respondents that foreign companies are being singled out in pricing and anti-trust crackdowns in the world’s second-largest economy.  Such treatment is expected to lead to a decline in foreign investment in China. 

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September 17, 2014