The German Federal Government seems not to appreciate the rather healthy activities of hedge funds, private equity funds and sovereign funds in the days of economic crises (hedge funds offer desperately needed hedging opportunities, private equity funds rescue more companies than they plunder and sovereign funds invest in shattered major banks) and has proposed a new Act on Limitation of Risks relating to Financial Investments...more...

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced on March 3, 2008 that he has appointed Buffalo City Comptroller Andrew SanFilippo to serve as a director on the State of New York Municipal Bond Bank Agency (MBBA), which helps local governments access capital for general improvements and education needs...more...

In recent years the US collateralised debt obligation (CDO) market has shown dynamic volume growth and product development. US and non-US collateral managers have been a key component of this growth by providing critical management expertise and innovation with respect to an increasing number of asset classes and cash and synthetic structures...more...

With Basel II capital requirements approaching, market participants in the collateralized debt obligation and other credit derivative sectors are working hard on implementing the new rules.  Peter Scherer, partner, at Clifford Chance Punder in Frankfurt, offers an in depth overview on how to calculate the new rules in Germany...more...