Commercial Law International

Banking, Ethics, Legal Career, Litigation, Regulation
The Cozy Bank-Law Firm Relationship May Not Be So Cozy After All…These days Anyway, Part II.

By Ainsley Brown on June 17, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown McKenna v. Gammon Gold Inc. This is case that has the potential to redefine the very cozy relationship law firms have with their banker clients. No longer will bankers be given blanket coverage under conflict of interest rules to prevent law firms from being representatives in claims brought against them. The operative word here being potential, as… Continue reading "The Cozy Bank-Law Firm Relationship May Not Be So Cozy After All…These days Anyway, Part II."
Banking, Bankruptcy/Insolvency/Restructuring, Economy, Government Policy, Human Rights, Investment, Litigation, Regulation
Northern Rock: The Latest Chapter

By Ainsley Brown on June 16, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown This is an update to Shareholders Fail in Human Rights Cases Against UK Government. The Northern Rock shareholder group, lead by the Hedge Funds SRM Global and RAB Capital, last week launched their appeal of the decision reach in the High Court about the UK government’s nationalization compensations scheme. The appeal comes in the form of judicial… Continue reading "Northern Rock: The Latest Chapter"
Environment, Indigenous Peoples, Natural Resources, Sustainable Development
New Brazilian Plan To Combat Deforestation Shows Promise.

By Ainsley Brown on June 15, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown The new plan by the Brazilian government, rolled out early this year, to combat deforestation shows great promise. However, it does also face great obstacles. It is easy to dismiss this latest scheme as at best fool hardy and at worst as going to have the opposite effect by encouraging deforestation. These are legitimate concerns given the… Continue reading "New Brazilian Plan To Combat Deforestation Shows Promise."
ADR, Brand Management, Commercial Awareness, Corporate, Corporate Social Responsibility, Corruption, Indigenous Peoples, Litigation, Natural Resources
Shell & The elephant in the room

By Ainsley Brown on June 9, 2009

By Charles Wanguhu A report by the Economist Intelligence Unit indicates that protecting a firm’s reputation is the most important and difficult task facing corporations. With the development of global media and communication channels, managing reputational damage is seen as crucial with events undertaken in even the remotest areas affecting the international brand of a corporation. For Shell the stark… Continue reading "Shell & The elephant in the room"
Banking, Law Firms, Litigation, Securities
The Cozy Bank-Law Firm Relationship May Not Be So Cozy After All…These days Anyway, Part I

By Ainsley Brown on June 5, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown In Canada an Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling (McKenna v. Gammon Gold Inc.) has the potential to go viral like the latest YouTube sensation and challenge what can only be called one of the most incestuous relationships in the commercial world. What am I talking about? Well I am referring to the relationship, the very close… Continue reading "The Cozy Bank-Law Firm Relationship May Not Be So Cozy After All…These days Anyway, Part I"
Commercial Awareness, Corporate Social Responsibility, Environment, Ethics, Green Tech, Sustainable Development
THE GROWING NEED FOR EXPANDED CORPORATE REPORTING

By Ainsley Brown on June 2, 2009

This article is reproduces with the permission of the author and can be found on AccountancySA (South Africa´s leading Accountancy Journal). There is no doubt that the world we knew before the global economic meltdown will not return. The causes of the meltdown will not disappear, and lurking behind them is another set of even more fundamental issues facing humanity.… Continue reading "THE GROWING NEED FOR EXPANDED CORPORATE REPORTING"
Commercial, Commercial Awareness, E-Commerce, Intellectual Property, International, Litigation
The Victories Just Keep Rolling In For eBay

By Ainsley Brown on May 29, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown First France, now the UK. The L´Oreal v eBay counterfeiting war goes on with yet another victory for eBay, this time in the English High Court. In L´Oreal Takes eBay To Court I mused: While I will admit that I do not have the full particulars of the case, I just have a feeling that L’Orèal is… Continue reading "The Victories Just Keep Rolling In For eBay"
Asset Management, commodity, Public Policy, Regulation
The Booz Will Get You Every Time: London Trader Banned.

By Ainsley Brown on May 28, 2009

By: Ainsley Brown As the popular Jamie Fox song goes: Blame It On The Alcohol. Well no says the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the UK financial sector watchdog, as it handed down a ban on a trader for “a lack of honesty and integrity.” Apparently the FSA frowns on making $10 million dollar trades and concealing it from superiors and… Continue reading "The Booz Will Get You Every Time: London Trader Banned."
Humour
A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted

By Ainsley Brown on May 28, 2009

A lawyer and a Jamaican are sitting next to each other on a long flight. The lawyer is thinking that Jamaicans are so dumb that he can fool them easy… So the lawyer asks if the Jamaican would like to play a fun game. The Jamaican is tired and just wants to take a nap, so he politely declines… Continue reading "A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted"
Banking, Corporate, Diversity, Finance
The Lure of Emerging Markets

By Ainsley Brown on May 25, 2009

By Charles Wanguhu In original multinational thinking the lack of a significant middle class meant that investment in some emerging markets was considered not viable. The financial crisis has sprung up some few suprises. While AIG parent company has been largely reliant on US government funds their subsidiaries in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda have been financially strong and have… Continue reading "The Lure of Emerging Markets"