Regulation
EUROPE - Commission holds hearing on PE regulation
The EU Commission is today in Brussels holding its hearing into private equity regulation and conduct in Europe, in what should be a significant step towards a conclusion of the long running political debate. Prior to the conference, an industry "task...
EUROPE - McCreevy remains vague about PE regulation
According to reports, EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy still has reservations about regulating private equity firms, despite heavy pressure from MEPs and earlier promises made by European Commission President JosУЉ Manuel Barroso.
The value of 'fair value'
Private equity firms are facing a difficult and potentially painful year-end accounting process as they adapt to the increasing requirements of fair value reporting, but there could be rewards in store for those that meet the challenge. By Ashley Wassall...
Nordics score below par in study on tax and legal environment
In the fourth benchmarking study of European tax and legal environments, Sweden, Finland and Norway all score below the European average. Of the Nordic countries, only Denmark scored above the average
Private equity and the new conflicts duty in the UK
David Bresnick of CMS Cameron McKenna examines the new conflict of interest regime under the updated UK Companies Act and its potential impact on private equity-backed companies
EUROPE - European Commission to discuss transparency proposals
The European Parliament today voted to send the Lehne and Ramussen reports on the transparency of institutional investors to the European Commission for discussion.
Politicking
Following the conflict between UK trade unions and private equity firms last year, and the subsequent negative media attention, came the recognition by the private equity community that it needed to engage with a wider stakeholder base. This should begin...
Doing deals
A number of high-profile litigation cases in the US have brought the spotlight firmly onto private equity deal structures, but how are transactions on this side of the Atlantic fairing? Ashley Wassall investigates
MiFID changes the rules in France
Francois Rowell talks to George Pinkham of SJ Berwin about the technicalities of the MiFID's transposition into French law and what this means for French private equity
SOUTH AFRICA - SA private equity has backing of regulators; should continue growth
"Private equity and especially venture capital should be underpinning the investment drive into South Africa," according to the director general of South Africa's National Treasury, Lesetja Kganyago, speaking at the unquote" South Africa Private Equity...
Relaxing taxes
In January 2006, Finnish tax law was relaxed in order to attract foreign investors to Finland. But the Finnish track record still is not good enough to attract capital, with few international investors investing in Finnish funds. It is hoped that Further...
US - Democrats introduce bill to end capital gains treatment of carried interest
As the private equity community was trying to recover from the UK Treasury Select Committee meeting last Wednesday, news of a bill in the US that proposes to end the carried interest tax advantage emerged. A group of Democratic Congressmen led by Rep....
Quote '' - Alan Duncan, UK Shadow Secretary of State for Trade, Industry & Energy
Speaking exclusively in the next issue of Private Equity Europe , Alan Duncan affirmed Conservative support for private equity but also sounded a note of caution: 'I don’t believe that we need to see more regulation, but I do believe that we...
FOIA and disclosure: media hype or genuine concern?
On 1 January 2005, the UK’s Freedom of Information Act that was originally passed in 2000 came into full effect. Immediately it has opened up the disclosure debate amongst practitioners in the private equity industry. Arguments abound as to the implications...