This book analyses elements of international finance, comparing the regulation of hedge funds in United States, Europe, the UK, and off-shore jurisdictions in the aftermath of the financial crisis. It critically compares the Dodd- Frank Act in US with the Alternative Investment Funds Managers Directive in Europe. Moreover, it goes further by analyzing the implementation of the AIFM Directive in seven jurisdictions in Europe famous for the incorporation of hedge funds: the United Kingdom, Italy, France, Ireland, Malta, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. The book also analyses the effect of Brexit on the legislation in the UK regarding the application of the directive and the distribution of financial products in Continental Europe, and will be of particular interest to researchers, academics, and students of international finance and financial regulation.
Apart from MiFID, the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD) may be the most important European asset management regulation of the early twenty-first century. In this in-depth analytical and critical discussion of the content and system of the directive, thirty-eight contributing authors – academics, lawyers, consultants, fund supervisors, and fund industry experts – examine the AIFMD from every angle. They cover structure, regulatory history, scope, appointment and authorization of the manager, the requirements for depositaries and prime brokers, rules on delegation, reporting requirements, transitional provisions, and the objectives stipulated in the recitals and other official documents. The challenging implications and contexts they examine include the following: – connection with systemic risk and the financial crisis; - nexus with insurance for negligent conduct; - connection with corporate governance doctrine; - risk management; - transparency; - the cross-border dimension; - liability for lost assets; - impact on alternative investment strategies, and - the nexus with the European Regulation on Long-Term Investment Funds (ELTIFR). Nine country reports, representing most of Europe’s financial centres and fund markets add a national perspective to the discussion of the European regulation. These chapters deal with the potential interactions among the AIFMD and the relevant laws and regulations of Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, The Netherlands, Malta and the United Kingdom. The second edition of the book continues to deliver not only the much-needed discussion of the inconsistencies and difficulties when applying the directive, but also provides guidance and potential solutions to the problems it raises. The second edition considers all new developments in the field of alternative investment funds, their managers, depositaries, and prime brokers, including, but not limited to, statements by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and national competent authorities on the interpretation of the AIFMD, as well as new European regulation, in particular the PRIIPS Regulation, the ELTIF Regulation, the Regulation on European Venture Capital Funds (EuVeCaR), the Regulation on European Social Entrepreneurship Funds (EUSEFR), MiFID II, and UCITS V. The book will be warmly welcomed by investors and their counsel, fund managers, depositaries, asset managers, administrators, as well as regulators and academics in the field.
Hedge funds remain the most controversial vehicles of the alternative investment funds universe. Their opaque nature, alleged role in major crises around the world and perceived lack of investor protection have repeatedly led to calls for greater regulation. Yet despite its tremendous growth, the hedge fund industry is still shrouded in a veil of mystery largely due to the highly complex and dynamic trading strategies employed by hedge funds and the scarcity of information about them. For the first time in one comprehensive volume, this concise but thorough guide explains how hedge funds work, analyses risk, compares the European Union (EU) and United States (US) systems and proposes reforms to the European framework in order to improve its resilience. Focusing on the contribution of the hedge fund industry to systemic risk, the author elucidates the complex world of hedge funds and the legal issues linked to it. The analysis proceeds as follows: introduction to the world of hedge funds – definition, main characteristics, organizational structure, investment strategies, and benefits; deeply informed exploration of the dangers posed by hedge funds; documentation and examination of the major incidents connecting hedge funds and financial crises; rationales for regulation of hedge funds; comparison of relevant legislative developments in the US and EU; and proposals for strengthening the current EU supervisory and regulatory framework. Guiding legislation, such as the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive and the US Dodd-Frank Act, is analysed, along with topical issues such as hedge fund activism. Because the direction that hedge fund regulation takes in the future has implications for the Eurozone and systemic risk in the wider financial system, this book will be of immeasurable value to professionals in both the legal and business communities. It will be welcomed by corporate lawyers, regulatory authorities, policymakers and academics in both business-related and finance-related disciplines.
The second edition of this acclaimed book continues to provide a discussion of key theoretical and policy issues in corporate finance law. Fully updated, it reflects developments in the law and the markets in the continuing aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis. One of its distinctive features is that it gives equal coverage to both the equity and debt sides of corporate finance law, and seeks, where possible, to compare the two. This book covers a broad range of topics regarding the debt and equity-raising choices of companies of all sizes, from SMEs to the largest publicly traded enterprises, and the mechanisms by which those providing capital are protected. Each chapter analyses the present law critically so as to enable the reader to understand the difficulties, risks and tensions in this area of law, and the attempts made by the legislature and the courts, as well as the parties involved, to deal with them. This book will be of interest to practitioners, academics and students engaged in the practice and study of corporate finance law.
This open access volume of the AIDA Europe Research Series on Insurance Law and Regulation offers the first comprehensive legal and regulatory analysis of the Insurance Distribution Directive (IDD). The IDD came into force on 1 October 2018 and regulates the distribution of insurance products in the EU. The book examines the main changes accompanying the IDD and analyses its impact on insurance distributors, i.e., insurance intermediaries and insurance undertakings, as well as the market. Drawing on interrelations between the rules of the Directive and other fields that are relevant to the distribution of insurance products, it explores various topics related to the interpretation of the IDD - e.g. the harmonization achieved under it; its role as a benchmark for national legislators; and its interplay with other regulations and sciences - while also providing an empirical analysis of the standardised pre-contractual information document. Accordingly, the book offers a wealth of valuable insights for academics, regulators, practitioners and students who are interested in issues concerning insurance distribution.--
Over the decade or so since the global financial crisis rocked EU financial markets and led to wide-ranging reforms, EU securities and financial markets regulation has continued to evolve. The legislative framework has been refined and administrative rulemaking has expanded. Alongside, the Capital Markets Union agenda has developed, the UK has left the EU, and ESMA has emerged as a decisive influence on EU financial markets governance. All these developments, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic, have shaped the regulatory landscape and how supervision is organized. EU Securities and Financial Markets Regulation provides a comprehensive, critical, and contextual account of the intricate rulebook that governs EU financial markets and its supporting institutional arrangements. It is framed by an assessment of how the regime has evolved over the decade or so since the global financial crisis and considers, among other matters, the post-crisis reforms to key legislative measures, the massive expansion of administrative rulemaking and of soft law, the Capital Markets Union agenda, the development of supervisory convergence as the means for organizing pan-EU supervision, and ESMA's role in EU financial markets governance. Its coverage extends from capital-raising and the Prospectus Regulation to financial market intermediation and the MiFID II/MiFIR and IFD/IFR regimes, to the new regulatory regimes adopted since the global financial crisis (including for benchmarks and their administrators), to retail market regulation and the PRIIPs Regulation, and on to the EU's third country regime and the implications of the UK's departure from the EU. This is the fourth edition of the highly successful and authoritative monograph first published as EC Securities Regulation. Heavily revised from the third edition to reflect developments since the global financial crisis, it adopts the in-depth contextual and analytical approach of earlier editions and so considers the market, political, institutional, and international context of the regulatory and supervisory regime.
The new edition of The Law of Private Investment Funds offers a practical analysis of the legal and regulatory issues that arise in connection with the structuring, formation, and operation of private investment funds, including hedge funds, private equity funds, real estate funds, and other non-retail collective investment vehicles. The book provides a unique analysis of these funds on a pan-asset class basis, as well as from a US, UK, and European perspective. The themes of investor protection and fiduciary challenge are considered in the context of the various sources available for investor protection including the substantive rights and obligations under general law, and voluntary and statutory rights of regulation. The author considers the various aspects of running private investment funds against the backdrop of regulation and investor protection. Issues such as structuring and launching, and marketing private investment funds are considered in full. The author also looks at the governance challenge where limited partnerships and offshore companies are concerned. The book identifies governance as a key issue for private investment fund participants and discusses in depth several ways in which managers and fund participants can improve the governance of their funds. In addition it analyses the consequences and impact of the recent global financial crisis on private funds, and the response of the US, UK, and European regulators. The new edition includes increased coverage of best practice and industry guidelines, including the ILPA Guidelines for private equity funds, and the MFA's Best Practices for hedge funds. It also provides discussion of new regulatory regimes in the US and EU, including the Dodd Frank Act and AIFMD.
Quality. We all make judgments about it every day. Yet articulating a clear definition of quality in an investing context is challenging. This book addresses the challenge, and distills years of practical investing experience into a definitive account of this under-explored investment philosophy. Finance theory has it that abnormal outcomes do not persist, that exceptional performance will soon enough become average performance. Quality investing involves seeking companies with the right attributes to overcome these forces of mean reversion and, crucially, owning these outstanding companies for the long term. This book pinpoints and explains the characteristics that increase the probability of a company prospering over time - as well as those that hinder such chances. Throughout, a series of fascinating real-life case studies illustrate the traits that signify quality, as well as some that flatter to deceive. The authors' firm, AKO Capital, has a strong track record of finding and investing in quality companies - helping it deliver a compound annual growth rate more than double that of the market since inception. Quality Investing sheds light on the investment philosophy, processes and tough lessons that have contributed to this consistent outperformance.