Thought Leadership Pieces
Resources by Type
These publications on carefully selected topics provide an in-depth analysis of the trends and issues that matter most to our clients
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Decrypting crypto-funds: The key questions (August 2019)
This briefing examines some of the key questions around crypto-funds and the issues that can arise for fund managers in this emerging area.
Brexit – Key Questions Answered (July 2019)
Amidst a flurry of campaign promises, policy announcements and discussions of parliamentary procedure, Brexit continues to dominate the UK political agenda.
UK Nationalisation: The law and the cost - 2019 update (June 2019)
Nationalisation is on the agenda in the UK. The Labour Party says that, if it wins the next general election, it will nationalise the railways, water and energy companies, the National Grid, the Royal Mail and possibly private finance initiative (PFI) companies – and that it will pay shareholders less than the market value of their investments.
UK Climate Advisor recommends 2050 net zero carbon emissions target (May 2019)
A new report by the UK Climate Change Committee has recommended that the UK toughens its climate target to net zero greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 2050.
Big data and artificial intelligence - evolving market misconduct risks (March 2019)
This briefing considers insider dealing risk arising when big data constitutes inside information and the manipulation risk arising from AI and machine learning.
AI and Risk for financial institutions (March 2019)
This article, which was first published by the International Financial Law Review, highlights the legal, ethical and reputational risk that UK financial institutions face when using AI and suggest the steps that they should take now to minimise them.
Taming the 'Wild West': Fintech developments across EMEA (March 2019)
Clifford Chance experts take a bird’s eye view of fintech developments across EMEA and how regulators are responding.
Fintech in the Middle East - Developments across MENA (January 2019)
Israel, with its expertise in technology such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence, blockchain and computer vision, has established itself as a global centre for fintech.
Rate Expectations: Transitioning away from LIBOR – practical guidance for corporate treasurers (February 2019)
This publication explores the current state of LIBOR transition, what a move to risk-free rates will mean in practice for corporate treasurers, and some key steps that treasurers might take in the near term to ready themselves for LIBOR’s potential demise.
Davos 2019: The next global crisis - are we ready? (January 2019)
China and the US are heading towards a new cold war which may radically alter the global economy, argued Nouriel Roubini, Professor of Economics at New York University's Stern School of Business at an event hosted by Clifford Chance in Davos.
Fintech in 2019 – Five trends to watch (January 2019)
Five stand out trends for Fintech in 2019
Transitioning from LIBORs and IBORs - An international overview (October 2018)
This publication provides a snapshot of “risk-free reference rates” (RFRs) selected by different markets to replace LIBORs and IBORs for different currencies. It also highlights those RFRs for which “term” rates are being pursued and those for which Overnight Indexed Swaps (OIS) and futures have been developed.
LIBOR - Cross Product Review (October 2018)
This publication contains a review of the comparative product challenges for the loan, bond (including securitisation) and derivatives markets to assist with your review of financing arrangements as a whole.
China's Belt and Road: Initial Phase: Infrastructure (June 2018)
China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is one of the most ambitious development projects in history. The first phase focuses on much-needed infrastructure development but where is the money coming from and what are the challenges and opportunities?
China's Belt and Road: Dispute Resolution from a Chinese Perspective (June 2018)
Since its launch in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has driven billions of dollars’ worth of ambitious infrastructure projects across nearly seventy countries. As the level and scope of outbound investment increases, Chinese companies are now giving careful thought to dispute resolution.
China's Belt and Road: Investing in the Caspian Region (June 2018)
Standing at the crossroads between Asia and Europe, the Caspian region has a key part to play in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The governments of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Georgia, in particular, are actively courting Chinese investors and Chinese finance in relation to a range of domestic and cross-border transportation, energy and information infrastructure projects
China's Belt and Road: Private Investment Funds (June 2018)
When the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was first announced in 2013, no one in the private sector was really sure what it meant and what opportunities would become available. Now there is a much clearer picture and we are seeing a significant degree of interest in BRI-related financial commitments, investments and projects.
Sustainability and its impact on business (June 2018)
The profile of corporate sustainability has been growing steadily over the last few years. Boosted by initiatives such as the UN Global Compact and its Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the topic is becoming a mainstream and core focus of business operations in many sectors.
Technology and Energy Sector (April 2018)
The energy sector is investing heavily in technology to drive efficiency, cut costs and better understand its customers. We outline the four trends that will have a significant impact on the industry and the legal risks to watch out for.
The "red tape" cost of Brexit (March 2018)
Most firms remain unsure of the impact Brexit will have on their businesses. In our first report in this series, our analysis begins to fill that gap in understanding. We have not tried to calculate the full economic impact of Brexit on the UK and EU27 economies. Rather, we have focused on the direct impacts that will result from new tariff and non-tariff barriers that could be imposed on trade between the UK and EU27
Fintech in 2018 - Five trends to watch (January 2018)
Five bold predictions for the future of fintech.
Greening the Financial System (November 2017)
In this publication we outline developments in green financing in local markets across the globe, demonstrating the sometimes contrasting approaches of different regions.
Blockchain, trade finance and sanctions issues (November 2017)
This publication looks at how blockchain helps trade finance transactions and the impact of economic sanctions on blockchain and trade finance.
EU Proposal for screening of direct foreign investments (October 2017)
This publication looks at the proposed legislation that would create an EU framework for the screening of foreign takeovers and investments on grounds of security and public policy.
Trading Places - recent developments in international trade (October 2017)
This publication examines how developments over the past 18 months have cast a spotlight on international trade and its changing dynamics
Fintech in the Middle East - An overview (October 2017)
In this report, we aim to show that the Middle East has great potential for future investment in fintech and that, despite challenges in the region, these are mitigated by significant development and modernisation happening across the region.
Facebook, Data Misuse and Why it matters (March 2018)
As every news cycle brings further revelations about the alleged misuse of personal data by social media companies and political consultants, regulators, politicians and the public are more concerned than ever with what happens to information placed online, who has it and how it is being used.
UK Nationalisation: The Law and The Cost (March 2018)
Nationalisation is on the agenda in the UK. The Labour Party says that, if it wins the next general election, it will nationalise the railways, water and energy companies, the Royal Mail and possibly private finance initiative (PFI) companies.
OIS and RFR Futures Conventions: Lessons for LIBOR replacement term rates (October 2018)
This publication considers how conventions used in Overnight Index Swaps (OIS) and RFR futures markets are relevant to the development of RFR-based term rates.
Initial coin offerings - asking the right regulatory questions (May 2018)
Initial coin offerings or ICOs are growing rapidly. Essentially a method of crowdfunding facilitated through blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies, ICOs are reported to have raised almost $10 billion globally from the start of 2017 despite being denounced by some commentators as Ponzi schemes.
