Managers of Wealth Asia Pacific

Corporate Crime update - Herbert Smith Freehills

Our update now covers a number of jurisdictions.

Asian banks brace for bad loans spike as virus batters region's economies

There will be revenue impact, which will become progressively more acute, if the coronavirus was to continue beyond the next month to six weeks

Big Techs Beat Banks In Crisis Response Amid Coronavirus

The response time of the fastest bank in Hong Kong is noteworthy of praise, but in an era where digital banks and 'same-day' payments are becoming common, this may soon become an unacceptable standard.

SG amnesty bill finally passes

The amnesty will expire six months after the day the bill receives Royal Assent

IOOF faces new class action

The class action is "largely unrelated" to the claim brought against IOOF by APRA, instead focussing on alleged misconduct within IOOF from 2009 to 2015.

Goldman Sachs pleads not guilty in Malaysia over 1MDB bond sales: state media

Goldman Sachs has consistently denied wrongdoing, saying that certain members of the former Malaysian government and 1MDB lied to it about how proceeds from the bond sales would be used.

Australian regulator bans adviser for misuse of client SMSFs

"ASIC expects financial advisers to uphold the values of integrity and professionalism."

Japan's financial, monetary authorities taking hard look at minting digital currencies

The three are believed to have discussed how digital currencies might impact the global currency system, which is centered on the dollar, as well as other issues.

China securities watchdog approves three IPOs

The companies and their underwriters will confirm IPO dates and publish their prospectuses following discussions with the stock exchanges.

Cambodia’s tax, fiscal evasion agreement with Hong Kong comes into force

DTAs also provide a mechanism to exchange information between tax authorities and help prevent tax avoidance and evasion.

Nation’s UK assets at risk of being seized over lawsuit

The dispute stems from Taipei’s efforts to regain the illegal gains of an arms dealer from accounts that a firm also filed a claim over

World Bank Grapples With Study Linking Foreign Aid to Corruption

The article was then published hours later, by the World Bank, he explained, also confirming this through screenshots he shared with OCCRP.

China’s M&A value declined to a five-year low in 2019

The value of private equity deals reached $206.3 billion, close to 2018’s peak.

GFSC signs MoUs with two financial services regulators

The MoU with the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency has been signed in the spirit of mutual cooperation and information exchange

E-commerce sites to be digital banking battlefield: S&P report

It noted that Sea Ltd's Shopee and Alibaba Group Holding-owned Lazada South East Asia dominate the e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia, and they are engaging shoppers and merchants through digital payments and lending to shore up activity on their

Basel IV to Impact APAC Banks Unevenly: Moody’s

Asia Pacific banking systems are divided into heavy and light adopters of the IRB approach.

UAE regulator to investigate Pakistan bank for money laundering

The Central Bank of UAE said in a statement on Wednesday that it was in “close contact” with Pakistan’s banking regulator to verify reported irregularities of a Pakistani bank in UAE.

Harneys wins three Deal of the Year Awards from China Business Law Journal

Harneys’ Asia practice is known as one of the most dynamic and fastest growing offshore legal teams in the region.

Fraudulent websites related to Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the email concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the email should contact the bank

How Malaysia’s 1MDB Scandal Shook the Financial World

Malaysia has also filed criminal charges against the U.S. bank and more than a dozen current and former employees.

Legal, Regulation & Compliance