Commercial Law International

Bankruptcy/Insolvency/Restructuring, debt, Economy, Government Policy, Regulation
UK Office Of Fair Trading Reviewing The High Cost Of Business Insolvency

By Ainsley Brown on December 28, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown The Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the agency charged with policing trade practices – read unfair trade practices – has launched a study into the high cost associated with business insolvency. The study will focus on the way insolvency practitioners, namely accountants and lawyers are appointed and how they set their fees. The importance of the study… Continue reading "UK Office Of Fair Trading Reviewing The High Cost Of Business Insolvency"
Consumer Goods, EU, Trade, WTO
EU Votes To Continue Chinese Shoe Tariff

By Ainsley Brown on December 24, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown The European Union (EU) voted this week to continue the anti-dumping duties it put on certain Chinese and Vietnamese footwear imported in the EU. In a previous post, I speculated that the EU would vote to discontinue the tariffs – boy was I ever wrong. And the EU’s decision has not gone unnoticed in the EU and… Continue reading "EU Votes To Continue Chinese Shoe Tariff"
Banking, Investment, Regulation, Securities
TD Fined £7 Million In the UK

By Ainsley Brown on December 17, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown The Toronto Dominion Bank (TD), one of Canada’s leading financial instructions has been fined £7 million by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The FSA, charged with policing financial institutions in the UK, has imposed the fourth highest fine in its history on TD for repeatedly failing “to follow established procedures in ensuring the trader’s books were independently… Continue reading "TD Fined £7 Million In the UK"
Agriculture, Commercial Awareness, commodity, Corporate Social Responsibility, Fair Trade, Food & Beverage, Indigenous Peoples, Investment, Sustainable Development
Kit Kat Goes Fair Trade In the UK

By Ainsley Brown on December 16, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown “Gimme a break, gimme a break, break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar,” has taken on a new meaning in the UK as Kit Kat ‘breaks off’ some cash cocoa to farmers. Nestlé, the Swiss makers of Kit Kat, has announced that the very tasty chocolate snack as of mid-January will become a Fair… Continue reading "Kit Kat Goes Fair Trade In the UK"
Government Policy, Trade, WTO
China Puts Duties On Imported Steel From US And Russia

By Ainsley Brown on December 15, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown In what is clearly a sign of the continuing rise of tensions in global trade relations, China last week imposed duties US and Russian steel. The target of the duties is flat rolled steel used in the electric power sector. According to the Chinese the steel products were being dumped – that is being sold at below… Continue reading "China Puts Duties On Imported Steel From US And Russia"
Brand Management, Litigation, Telecom
What Happened To “Canada’s Most Reliable Network?”

By Ainsley Brown on December 14, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown Under a British Columbian Court of Appeal ruling Canada’s Most Reliable Network has gotten the boot – well the ad at least. Rogers Communications Inc., the Canadian telephone, internet and cable company, that advertised as Canada’s Most Reliable Network has been told by the B.C. Court of Appeal that it has to drop the Most in its… Continue reading "What Happened To “Canada’s Most Reliable Network?”"
Brand Management, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Regulation
Research In Motion Faces Potential US International Trade Commission Investigation

By Ainsley Brown on December 8, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown Imagine being told that you could no long buy a BlackBerry or being told that the services of the one you already own will be restricted, just imagine. Think it can’t happen; well think again for this has now entered the range of possibility in the United States. The Canadian company, Research In Motion Ltd (RIM), the… Continue reading "Research In Motion Faces Potential US International Trade Commission Investigation"
Asset Management, Banking, Commercial Awareness, Government Policy, Tax
The UK Extents Tax Amnesty

By Ainsley Brown on December 7, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown In a very surprising move HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has extended it tax amnesty program – the New Disclosure Opportunity (NDO). The NDO was set to expire on November 30 of this year but has been extended to January 4 of next. Under the program tax payers with undisclosed offshore accounts nestled away in any number… Continue reading "The UK Extents Tax Amnesty"
Consumer Goods, EU, Government Policy, Trade
EU Says No To Shoe Tariff Extension

By Ainsley Brown on December 3, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown The European Union (EU) last week rejected a plan that called for the extension of duties placed on Chinese and Vietnamese footwear. While a bit of a setback for Trade Commissioner, Baroness Ashton, the vote was far from a clear rebuke of her wishes to see the duties extended for a further 15 months. The Anti-dumping Committee… Continue reading "EU Says No To Shoe Tariff Extension"
Brand Management, Commercial Awareness, Consumer Goods, Contracts, E-Commerce, Intellectual Property, Litigation
LVMH Wins Latest Battle Against Ebay

By Ainsley Brown on December 1, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown EBay was fined yesterday €1.7 million by the Paris Commercial for violating an injunction prohibiting the sale of LVMH products on the online auction site. The injunction was imposed on eBay last year after it was taking to court by LVMH for allowing the sale of its products on its site. LVMH, the world’s largest luxury good… Continue reading "LVMH Wins Latest Battle Against Ebay"