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This article examines current thinking on geopolitics and its implications for businesses. It will also explore response options for businesses, including accountability implications for board members. Geopolitics, businesses, business strategy, risk management

This article reviews the challenges and the path forward for sustainable banking in the digital era. In particular, it evaluates the progress of the self-regulatory voluntary use of the Equator Principles (EPs), especially by multinational banks, and the main challenges faced. Corporate Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, Directors’ Duties, Equator Principles, ESG, Greenwashing, Risk Management, SDG, Sustainable Banking, Sustainability Reporting

Regardless of the controversy over the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues on the fates or fortunes of business corporations, calls whether from policymakers (I. Mirza, ‘Congress a step closer to making corporate ESG disclosure mandatory’ (2021), JD Supra, 28 June 2021, https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/congress-a-step-closer-tomaking- 9721287/ (accessed 8 Aug. 2021), social advocates (J. Jaeger, ‘Activist investor win at ExxonMobil should be wake-up call for companies’ (2021), Compliance Week, 15 June 2021, https://www.complianceweek.com/boards-andshareholders/ activist-investor-win-at-exxonmobil-should-bewake- up-call-for-companies/30475.article (accessed 8 Aug. 2021), and from businesses itself (A. Murray & K. Dunn, ‘CEOs are calling for more regulation-of ESG standards’, Fortune, 12 August 2021, https://fortune. com/2021/08/12/ceos-are-calling-for-more-regulationof-esgstandards/ (accessed 12 Aug. 2021), are increasingly made throughout the course of the present COVID-19 pandemic cycle for regulatory actions (C.A. Adams & S. Abhayawansa, ‘Connecting the COVID-19 pandemic, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing and calls for “harmonisation” of sustainability reporting’, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa. 2021.10230908/08/21 (accessed 9 Aug. 2021). Various facets of the COVID-19 pandemic have been blamed for their impacts on the lives and livelihoods of people across the world (OECD, ‘Coronavirus: The world economy at risk’ (2020), OECD Interim Economic Assessment (2 Mar. 2020), https://www.oecd.org/berlin/publikationen/Interim- Economic-Assessment-2-March-2020.pdf (accessed 8 Aug. 2021), including those in the US and the UK, but equally business corporations (E. Reicin, ‘Businesses should be held accountable for their ESG claims’ (2021), Forbes (23 Mar. 2021), https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesnonprofitcouncil/ 2021/03/23/businesses-should-be-held-accountable-for-theiresg- claims/?sh=67265fd25679 (accessed 8 Aug. 2021) and governments (K.P. Pucker, ‘Overselling sustainability reporting’ (2020), Harvard Business Review, May–June 2020, https://hbr.org/2021/05/overselling-sustainability-reporting (accessed 8 Aug. 2021) have also been blamed for their respective failures to do their parts in addressing ESG challenges that have become more prominent. Trust law, commercial trust, evolution of the role of a trustee, rule of law, whether a commercial trust is in the essence of a trust

This article examines the broad implications of the fast-tracked approval of the EU (Future Relationship) Bill, otherwise known as the EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (EUTCA). It raises questions and the new potentials for the UK’s trade and services relationships with the EU, and further asks how and to what extent businesses could prepare for this potentially new normal. EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (EUTCA), Brexit, EU, Free Trade Agreement, Governance

This article reviews regulatory approaches for digital or virtual banks in Anglo-Saxon economies and selected fast-growth Asian Fintech hubs. Digital banks, Anglo-Saxon economies, fast-growth Asian Fintech hubs, regulatory approaches, electronic online banking, Fintech start-ups

This article discusses the legal-economic implications of COVID-19, with focus on the situations in the US and the UK. COVID-19, Pandemic, Legal and economic implications, Force Majeure, Doctrine of frustration, Adverse Material Change

This article traces the evolution of private currencies as they evolve as complementary currencies into global digital currencies, the latest of which being Facebook Libra. The focus is on the legal and regulatory perspective surrounding these private currencies.

SUMMARY This article examines the theoretical underpinning for regulatory capture including analysing practical examples from three high-profile industries. Importantly, it traces the main sources of regulatory capture, and suggests why and how these could be curbed through various ways including the use of enlightened regulatory capture.

This article looks at how modern corporate governance codes evolved in the UK to the present UK Corporate Governance Code 2018. Major issues and controversies surrounding the most recent reforms are discussed. Particular attention is given to their implications for corporate directors, and whether policymakers, regulators, and market participants are over-relying on them.

SUMMARY This article reviews the origin and use of unexplained wealth orders for combating economic crimes in the UK and elsewhere.

SUMMARY The BIS claims that the Basel III reforms otherwise known as Basel IV released in December 2017 completes the global reform of the regulatory framework as directed by the G20. This article traces the Basel I to IV journey and assesses its potential implications with focus on the fundamental issue of bank capital requirements.

The Markets in Financial Instruments Directive Version I (MiFID I) was adopted primarily to promote competition in financial services in the EU as a core component of the single market agenda. But its implementation, in the midst of the 2007 global financial crisis, uncovered several flaws negatively impacting investor protection and market efficiency. This inspired a review of its impact that subsequently led to MiFID II. MiFID II that came into effect on 3 January 2018 combined the revamped MiFID I and the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR). Financial services market participants under its purview, while envisaging the opportunities unfolding, would also need to contend with several key challenges.

This article evaluates economics and legal risks in global supply change management (GSCM) from UK and US perspectives. It follows through with a critical analysis of the implications of these with regards to board oversight risk responsibilities. The article relies on examination of related legislations, common law, applicable industry standards, and governance codes.

This article focuses on the Internet of Things (IoT) and its impact on privacy and data security for users. It examines the economic value of the IoT, its rapid growth, the technological challenges it faces, and why regulators are watching its development closely especially in relation to privacy and data security issues. The article argues for a less precautionary regulatory approach to enable the IoT to achieve its full potential for the benefit of economies across the world.

Innovations in the financial services sector have been going on for a very long time. They gained tremendous momentum subsequent to the 2007 global financial crisis (GFC) because of accessibility difficulties, general distrust of the formal banking system, and phenomenal advances in digital and related technologies. Enhanced applications of technology in the sector with minimum regulatory constraints are now attracting regulatory attention because of perceived risks and the need to balance the interests of different market players who are subjected to different compliance costs and different business model freedoms. This article examines critically the regulatory implications of these developments with focus on the situations in the United Kingdom and the United States.

The United Kingdom is now in preliminary discussions with the European Union (EU) on the terms of its exit from the EU. It has yet to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty. Nevertheless, this article will identify and assess the possible impact of the UK’s departure from the EU on the financial services sector. The analysis relies on primary data from relevant statutes and secondary data from the public domain including commentaries from various interested parties and experts.

Tax planning for global businesses will now need to take into account multilateral guidance and proposed rules for the overhauling of international taxation around the world, and specifically the recent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) action plans launched by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). This article examines critically the rationale and justifications for BEPS and in particular the implications for US and UK businesses.

Executive remuneration is now very much a regulatory matter in Anglo-American economies. This article examines the reasons for this together with a review of current regulatory initiatives in the UK and the US.

Social ventures/enterprises, the product of social entrepreneurship, may exist in different legal forms and are different from conventional commercial ventures in terms of purpose. However, where governance practices are concerned they are just as important to these social ventures as they are for pure commercial ventures and in advanced and emerging economies, especially when suitably adapted. This article, using mainly secondary data and complemented by relevant case studies, explains how and why governance matters in social enterprises and will additionally critically examine current practices in the UK.

This article highlights the power and influence of directors in the UK while also alerting attention to the expanding responsibilities that come with them. It argues that while the legal risks associated with directorships are substantially increasing, directors may not fall foul of the law with care, diligence, and common sense, together with sound commercially-based legal advice.

This article examines the key implications of the UK's new approach to financial regulation and includes commentaries on the April 2011 Interim Report of the Independent Commission on Banking.

This articles examines current reform initiatives pursued in the US and the UK to address the risks and consequences posed by too-big-to-fail global financial conglomerates in the US and the UK.

Derivatives once hailed as effective tools for hedging is now cast as a villain of sorts in the recent global financial crisis. This article would analyse current legal reforms in the US and the EU to address various failings associated with its applications in the capital and financial markets.

Financial regulators and governments generally attribute the current global financial crisis to general flaws in corporate governance including incentives-based compensation which induced extreme risk-taking at the expense of long-term corporate financial health. This article analyses the response measures taken through regulatory and self-regulatory reforms and initiatives undertaken in the US and the UK.

Despite then fact that the new UK Coalition Government has announced its intention to dismantle the Financial Services Authority (FSA) the Financial Services Act 2010 is important in that it expands the current four objectives of the FSA; makes amendments to the Banking Act 2009; creates an extension of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme; and makes an enhancement to the Treasury and FSA powers. The significance and implications of these various new provisions are addressed in this paper.

The Bribery Act (BA) became law in the UK on 8 April 2010 after decades of work to update the anti-bribery laws in the state which are perceived to be archaic, ineffective and not in line with the demands of the modern global economy. The BA covers bribery globally, redefines the substantive criminal facets of bribery and creates a new bribery offence with liability for institutions when its representatives or employees partake in bribery domestically or overseas. As lack of knowledge of the new Act is not a defence to a bribery offence, it would be beneficial for corporations to update their understanding of this issue to facilitate an effective update of their compliance procedures.

As advanced and other economies across the world start to recover from the 2007/08 global economic recession, fears are now emerging in the capital and financial markets that sovereign risk may seed the next global scale financial meltdown. This article assesses its nature, significance and potential effects on global financial stability as well as various connected legal issues. It draws on current insights on events occurring in Dubai and the EU to study the issue.

As tough economic balancing decisions are being formulated in the current fragile economic recovery process, extra-large global banks, which benefited from taxpayers’ bailout support money, turned around with huge profits again, mainly through high risk proprietary trading. Once again, these banks announced on the back of such profits, huge compensation and bonuses for their senior staff. This paper evaluates the implications of regulatory measures in the US and the UK in response to the remuneration and incentive packages of senior bank and finance executives.

In this article, the author argues that further changes to the Undertakings for Collective Investment Fund in Transferable Securities Industry are warranted to achieve transparency and fund comparability and above all to sustain its competitive position as a global brand.

This article investigates the theoretical and practical considerations for the integration of a regional stock market for the Member States of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE).The analysis appears to support the case for the integration of the existing individual markets in the CEE into a regional market and that it can be implemented through the guidance of an existing model in the EU. The paper also offers a practical suggestion for the formation of a regional stock market in the CEE for the overall economic benefit of the Member States in the region.